7m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 4:01am
Surprise Jessica Mauboy appearance!
(Getty Images)
Like a cork in the ocean, Jess pops out the top of the stage to join Snoop for their song Beautiful.
The whole drumline and mini-pyramid set up has shades of Beyonce’s Homecoming show, but if it was performed at Big Day Out instead of Coachella.
Baker Boy is back for a very brief bit of didgeridoo over Still D.R.E before Snoop very swiftly moves on to Gin and Juice.
Reports we are getting from folks on the ground right now are mostly positive. Crowd seems to be into it, though I am told the vibe is “weird” as a bunch of footy fans sit back and quietly respect the performance rather than getting too into it.
And now it’s over. There you go, one for the books.
18m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:51amSnoop Dogg has hit the MCG
Here he is. It’s the one and only. Snoop Dogg is on the MCG with a drum line in support, after an extended pre-recorded intro to get everyone suitably geed up.
Tash Sultana has joined Snoop on a stage so long it is taking up the entire width of the centre square.
We’ve had The Next Episode, Nuthin but a G Thang and Drop It Like It’s Hot for those playing at home.
29m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:40am
Pre-match entertainment is underway at the MCG
(Getty Images)
Baker Boy kicks us off with his new song Thick Skin, before a cavalcade of retiring champions do their lap of the MCG.
Here’s Mike Brady now, giving us his best Up There Cazaly. Mike’s not happy with his levels though, and he can’t stop gesturing for the audio engineers to raise (and then lower) the sound in his earpiece.
“I NEED TO HEAR THE TRACK!” he bellows as he launches into the first chorus. After those early wobbles he pulls it together though, well in Mike.
33m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:35amFinal grand final teams and subs are in
(AFL.com.au)
There you have it, Lachie Neale is Brisbane’s sub for the 2025 grand final.
To me that suggests the Lions aren’t 100 per cent confident in his fitness. I had been on board with his selection up until this point, but now the risk seems more real.
Jack Martin will wear the vest for the Cats, another player coming in under an injury cloud.
No late changes for either side.
43m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:26am
A little over an hour to go…
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The pre-match entertainment is about to start, but more importantly the final teams are about to drop too.
We’re expecting Lachie Neale will be named as Brisbane’s sub when those teams come in.
55m agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:13am
How the Cats can win the grand final
(Getty Images)
They’re never far away, those Cats. Their sustained brilliance has resulted in yet another grand final appearance, and they are once again well placed for a crack at the cup today.
Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson have run the rule over Geelong as well:
“Coming into this year’s grand final, Geelong has put together the most impressive hot streak of any team this year.
“They have won their past eight games in a row by at least 30 points.
“That includes a victory against the Lions in the first week of finals.
“That brilliance has delivered the Cats to the cusp of their eleventh flag. To stand upon the podium, they just need to continue to be their consistently dominating — and inventive — selves.”
Get the full story below.
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 3:08am
Warming up on the MCG
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(Getty Images)
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:58am
How much do you remember about season 2025?
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Take our quiz and find out.
(I got 22 out of 22 btw. All those lonely nights on the blog have finally paid off.)
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:52am
How the Lions can win the grand final
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Brisbane’s bid for back-to-back flags has led it all the way back to the last day in September. The Lions have timed their run perfectly, and in their last two finals showed just why they have been such a feared opponent over the past seven seasons.
Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson have dug deeper into the Lions and have identified their path to victory today:
“A Lions game sees them controlling play by executing kicks to uncontested marks around the ground. No side takes more uncontested marks than the Lions, and only two prefer to kick rather than handpass more (Geelong and Adelaide).
“This control of the game was a large part of their run to the flag last year — both moving the ball down the ground effectively and taking opportunities away from opposition sides.
“Most teams executing this strategy would utilise wider parts of the ground as these are usually the most sparsely defended bits.
“Not the Lions.”
Get the full story below.
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:46am
A beautiful day for a parade
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It might be getting old hat for a few of these guys by now, but for the fans it is always a special occasion.
The streets of Melbourne welcome many thousands of footy fans yesterday for the annual grand final parade. Check out the story below for all the shots from the day.
Oh, and the big news? Patrick Dangerfield took his hand off the cup before Lachie Neale…
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:42am
The MCG is filling up quickly
(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Looks a beautiful day in Melbourne today and the fans are relishing the pre-game sunshine.
(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:34am
What time is Snoop Dogg performing?
It’s a question we’ve received a bit this week. Snoop Dogg’s pre-game performance will begin at 1:30pm AEST.
The game gets underway at 2:30pm AEST.
1h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:20am
Happy grand final day!
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Guru? I don’t know if I like the sound of that.
But yes, hello! It is incredibly exciting to be locked and loaded on the blog for another AFL grand final. I’ve got a feeling we might get an absolute belter this afternoon too.
We’ve got a couple of hours of build up ahead of us here, so I’ll be bringing you all the build-up, colour and entertainment as we countdown to the bounce.
I would also love to get some of your thoughts about the game too, so hit up the comments and send me any and all of your predictions and feelings. Let’s get going.
2h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 2:09am
Welcome to the party ABC Sport guru Dean Bilton
A short and sweet stint on the blog for me today because I am indeed a Geelong supporter, and while I can comfortably park my bias the rest of the year, today I don’t want to risk ANY accusations.
So my good friend Dean Bilton will take over from here. Dean will see you through the rest of the action, with Andrew McGarry, Luke Pentony, Marnie Vinall, Chris De Silva and Jon Healy all on the tools to give the best coverage possible.
Best of luck to both teams and I hope it’s a good day footy!
2h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 1:51am
Pictures rolling in from the MCG
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Absolutely loving the retro gear from this Lions supporter.
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Also love the commitment of this Cats fan, but it’s a genuinely terrifying look in my humble opinion.
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Retro gear appears to be the go this year, I’m here for it.
(Getty Images)
And a Freo fan? In Melbourne? At this time of year? Well I never. Best of luck finding the tickets, my thoughts and hopes are with you brave Docker.
2h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 1:36am
Meet Brisbane’s most remote fans
By Alistair Bates, ABC Pilbara
The red dirt surrounds of one Brisbane Lions’ fortress could not be further from the manicured Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Smack in the Gibson Desert near the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, Kiwirrkurra is often called the most remote community in the country.
According to Pintupi man Matthew West, distance only makes a football fan’s heart grow fonder.
“We are far away from the MCG, we’re in the middle of the desert,” he said.
“I know we’re from Western Australia, but we’re proud of the Brisbane Lions.
“We love this team and the colour … Lions always, forever.”
The remote community of about 200 traces its “die-hard” support for the Lions to the 1990s, when the club was still called the Brisbane Bears.
Residents have spent weeks planning a special watch party and barbecue for this year’s final.
Maroon, blue, and gold decorations were flown in by bush plane from Alice Springs, the closest regional centre at 850kms.
“Everyone will be happy—kids, family, everyone come together,” West said.
Fellow Kiwirrkurra resident Sylvester Olodoodi told the ABC he was especially keen to watch Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley.
“He gets a lot of tackles,” he explained.
The loyalty runs so deep, the community has named their own football squad after their heroes.
The Kiwirrkurra Lions travel across the WA interior to face other remote communities.
“We’re trying to make a plan next year, trying to go there to meet the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba,” West said.
2h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 1:17amLuke Hodge’s son snags a goal on the ‘G
Of course before the big game we’ve got the AFL National Futures Boys game being played out on the MCG, and Cooper Hodge has snagged a major around the corner to go with his 10 touches.
Hodge is the 17-year-old son of Hawks and Lions legend Luke Hodge, and will be eligible to nominate for the Hawks as a father-son pick, or for the Lions as an academy pick, which I’m sure will fill supporters of all other teams with joy given Brisbane’s father-son hauls of late.
3h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 1:06amNeale expected to be the sub
First off, the big news of the morning that Lachie Neale is expected to start as the sub for the Lions today.
The Brisbane skipper was a shock addition to the team on Thursday night despite looking good at training.
Now it seems the Lions are going to risk not having him on the field in the early parts of the grand final. It’s a massive call if that is indeed the way the Lions play it.
3h agoSat 27 Sep 2025 at 1:03amWelcome to ABC Sport’s coverage of the 2025 AFL grand final
Good morning football fans and welcome to ABC Sport’s live coverage of the 2025 AFL grand final.
My name is Kyle Pollard and while I won’t be with you throughout the day, I am here to get you across all the early news, views and rumours coming out of Melbourne.
Join us throughout the day at abc.net.au/sport for both our live blog and our live call as the Brisbane Lions take on the Geelong Cats in what we hope will be a fitting conclusion to a massive year of footy!
Fans pour into the MCG ahead of the AFL grand final. (Getty Images: Asanka Ratnayake)