grandfinalspapers

As a big chunk of Australia enjoys Labor Day and Victoria basks in an AFL grand final-induced high, news on politics, business or other affairs of state is wasted on a day like today.

Australia’s papers are chock-full of sporting photos of both grand finals, and we expect that’s exactly what their readership wants.

Today’s Herald Sun features a 16 page wrap-around celebrating the Western Bulldog’s historic win. But that’s not all. Inside the paper, 23 pages of the 64-page paper were devoted to the AFL, and another four pages covered the NRL. That follows Sunday’s 31-page wrap-around. Cross-town rival The Age had nine pages on the AFL today (out of a 40-page newspaper), after a 20-page wrap-around in Sunday’s edition.

Today’s Tele has 15 pages on the NRL, most of them featuring winning Sydney team the Cronulla Sharks, following the 20 or so pages devoted to both codes on Sunday. The AFL had four pages. The SMH was noticeably subdued, running only a half-dozen pages on the grand finals today, and a similar figure the day before. — Myriam Robin