The 2025 AFL Grand Final has arrived, with the Geelong Cats to take on the Brisbane Lions in the league’s showpiece event.
The 2025 AFL Grand Final will begin at 2.30pm (AEST) on Saturday September 27 at the MCG. It’ll be the first ever Grand Final in VFL/AFL history between the Lions and the Cats.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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Patrick Dangerfield of the Cats and Lachie Neale of the Lions hold the premiership cup ahead of the AFL Grand Final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
WHAT TIME DOES THE AFL GRAND FINAL START IN MY TIMEZONE?
The 2025 AFL Grand Final will begin at 2.30pm (AEST) on Saturday September 27 at the MCG.
In South Australia and the Northern Territory, the first bounce will occur at 2pm (ACST), while the game will begin at 12.30pm (AWST) in Western Australia.
If you’re outside of Australia, you can watch the Grand Final as well as Fox Footy coverage and TV shows on WatchAFL.
New Zealand: 5.30pm — Saturday September 27
Japan: 1.30pm — Saturday September 27
Indonesia: 12.30pm — Saturday September 27
Thailand: 11.30am — Saturday September 27
UAE: 8.30am — Saturday September 27
United Kingdom: 5.30am — Saturday September 27
Europe: 6.30am — Saturday September 27
USA (East coast): 12.30am — Saturday September 27
USA (West coast): 9.30pm — Saturday September 27
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WHAT ARE THE KEY 2025 GRAND FINAL TIME DETAILS?
All times AEST …
— 9.35am: Under 17s AFL Future Stars curtain-raiser match
— 1.30pm: Opening Act – Baker Boy, Emma Donovan and Kee’ahn
— 1.33pm: Toyota HiLux Lap of Legends
— 1.37pm: Mike Brady performance
— 1.43pm: Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment – Snoop Dogg featuring Tash Sultana and Baker Boy
— 2.09pm: AAMI ball delivery
— 2.11pm: Umpire entry
— 2.13pm: Geelong Cats entry
— 2.16pm: Brisbane Lions entry
— 2.24pm: Delivery of the 2025 AFL Premiership Cup by Jack Riewoldt
— 2.25pm: Welcome to Country performed by Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr
— 2.26pm: National Anthem performed by Vera Blue
— 2.28pm: Coin Toss amd Toyota Countdown to Bounce
— 2.30pm: 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final starts
WHEN WILL THE AFL GRAND FINAL FINISH AND WHAT IF THERE’S A DRAW?
The 2025 AFL Grand Final will finish just after 5pm (AEST), depending on quarter lengths and whether extra time is required.
If there’s a draw in the Grand Final, with scores level at full-time, extra time will be played.
Both teams would have a six-minute break before the game resumes with two three-minute halves (plus time on). Teams swap ends after each half without a break.
An extra 10 interchanges are permitted in each half and do not roll over.
If scores are still level after the first extra time, another two halves of extra time would be played.
WHAT TIMES DOES THE GRAND FINAL ENTERTAINMENT START?
The pre-game entertainment featuring Snoop Dogg will start baround 1.30pm (AEST), with Snoop Dogg to feature heavily from 1.43pm.
Songs like Who Am I (What’s My Name?), Drop It Like It’s Hot, Gin and Juice, Beautiful and Young, Wild & Free should be in the mix. And when Snoop Dogg performed at the Super Bowl, he performed The Next Episode and California Love, the latter a tribute to 2Pac.
HOW TO WATCH THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
The 2025 AFL Grand Final will be broadcast live on Seven and 7Plus, and you can stream a replay on Kayo Sports from 6pm (AEST).
The Grand Final can be streamed using the 7Plus app (if your device has the live TV feature enabled) but is only available up to 1080p quality (depending on the speed of your internet connection) and won’t be shown in 4K. The Grand Final replay on Fox Footy will be shown in 4K.
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WHO IS PLAYING IN THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
The Geelong Cats face the Brisbane Lions in the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
The Cats will be trying to win their 11th V/AFL premiership, and their third under coach Chris Scott, after triumphs in 2011 and 2022.
The Lions will be trying to win their 13th V/AFL premiership (8 as Fitzroy, 4 as Brisbane), and second under coach Chris Fagan, after triumphing in 2024.
Brisbane can become the first team to go back-to-back as AFL premiers since Richmond (2019 and 2020).
This is the first time the Grand Final has seen a rematch of a qualifying final since 2018, when West Coast beat Collingwood twice in one finals series.
The Lions and Cats are the two winningest teams of the 2020s, and the winner will become the first team to win two premierships in the twenties, staking a clear claim as the best club of the decade thus far.
Geelong beat Hawthorn in their preliminary final, before Brisbane beat Collingwood in theirs.