{"id":98432,"date":"2025-08-27T00:47:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T00:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/98432\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T00:47:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T00:47:06","slug":"hey-afl-heres-a-grand-final-team-of-entertainment-just-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/98432\/","title":{"rendered":"Hey AFL, Here\u2019s A Grand Final Team Of Entertainment Just For You"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"More More The Living End<\/a> <\/p>\n

The first televised VFL\/AFL Grand Final was in 1977. The game, between North Melbourne and Collingwood, was a thrilling draw. Barry Crocker provided the pre-match entertainment, which was appropriate because the AFL has had a Barry Crocker most years since.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is the\u00a0AFL\u00a0spending millions of dollars on flying in\u00a0Snoop Dogg\u00a0for their Grand Final entertainment when Australia has enough world-class talent to rock the AFL Grand Final stage right here at home?\u201d the Greens Senator asked.<\/p>\n

Putting aside two pertinent questions \u2013 Does the greatest game on earth actually need any extras at its big event? And does slapping a band in a stadium in broad daylight make for good entertainment? Why is the AFL paying Mr Dogg millions when they could be showcasing homegrown talent?<\/p>\n

As Senator Hanson-Young points out, \u201cAside from his notorious, homophobic, misogynistic, drug-reference-filled lyrics, Snoop Dogg just doesn\u2019t represent the cultural fabric of Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuge Australian cultural moments should be paired with true Aussie talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don’t miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter<\/p>\n

Surely, the Meat Loaf experiment showed that we don\u2019t need to import a washed-up international act to give our big game some entertainment cred?<\/p>\n

Mr Loaf called the AFL \u201cjerks\u201d and his critics \u201cbutt-smellers\u201d after his flat out of hell performance copped a bake in 2011.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The AFL\u2019s cultural cringe has been on show for many years. As well as Meat Loaf, the entertainment line-up has included Irene Cara, Michael Bubl\u00e9, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Isaak, Lionel Richie, Ed Sheeran, Sting, The Killers, Kiss, Robbie Williams and Katy Perry.<\/p>\n

So what sort of musical accompaniment does a major sporting event need? The Fauves released an Olympics-inspired single in 2000 called Celebrate The Failure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGet me a number for Human Nature,\u201d Andrew Cox sang. \u201cGot some words from a poem by Dorothea Mackellar, but I need that little sucker sung a cappella.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Human Nature performed Waltzing Matilda at the 1999 Grand Final.<\/p>\n

The Fauves also sang about the push \u201cto make Up There Cazaly our national song\u201d.<\/p>\n

Noted rock critic Clinton Walker hated Up There Cazaly, saying \u201cthis infernal tune became one of the worst blights upon football in the 1980s\u201d. But most footy fans would be happy if Mike Brady was a permanent fixture at the MCG on the last Saturday in September.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Living End are releasing a cracking new album, I Only Trust Rock\u2019n\u2019Roll, the day before this year\u2019s Grand Final.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The band performed at the Grand Final in 2016. Singer Chris Cheney tells me: \u201cIt was great, a highlight of our career. When we were playing the Battle of the Bands at Wheelers Hill High School in 1992, we never imagined we\u2019d be playing at the Grand Final. It was just four songs, but it was the most nerve-racking gig of all time. But it went great for us, and it was a great thing to have done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Would they be up for doing it again this year?<\/p>\n

\u201cMate, we\u2019d even do it for a reduced fee if they wanted us.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the AFL wants to appeal to a younger audience with a hip-hop act, why wouldn\u2019t they book Hilltop Hoods? The Adelaide stars recently scored a record-breaking seventh chart-topping album \u2013 no Aussie group has more.<\/p>\n

(By contrast, Snoop Dogg has not even had one Top 10 album on the Australian charts.)<\/p>\n

Hilltop Hoods\u2019 latest album, Fall From The Light, even has a footy connection. The second single, The Gift, was a collaboration with Marlon Motlop, who played five games for Port Adelaide.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Of course, AC\/DC is on top of footy fans\u2019 GF wish list. As an Essendon supporter, I\u2019d love to see them belting out their anthem Back In (red and) Black. But Angus is not a fan of playing at sporting events.<\/p>\n

So, putting AC\/DC aside, here \u2013 from the backline to the forward line \u2013 is a team of Aussie legends who are yet to perform at the AFL Grand Final.<\/p>\n

Grand Final entertainment ain\u2019t rocket science. Book an Aussie legend. Add an up-and-coming act. Plus Mike Brady. Job done.<\/p>\n

For those about to ruck, we salute you.<\/p>\n

The Angels<\/p>\n

When The Angels Lane was unveiled this month in Adelaide, John Brewster put his hand up to play at the Grand Final. Could there be a more Aussie experience than The Angels playing Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, with 100,000 people at the MCG screaming, \u201cNo way, get fucked, fuck off!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Baby Animals<\/p>\n

Baby Animals rock. Just play the singles from the first album and you\u2019ve got a killer Grand Final set.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Boom Crash Opera<\/p>\n

BCO at the AFL GF? That would be The Best Thing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Cold Chisel<\/p>\n

Cold Chisel have performed at the NRL Grand Final but not at the AFL\u2019s big game. Though their first bass player,\u00a0Les Kaczmarek,\u00a0co-wrote\u00a0Port Adelaide\u2019s theme song (Power To Win), the band members are not big footy fans. But, of course, they\u2019d still be more suitable than Snoop.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Crowded House<\/p>\n

Crowded House are so Melbourne that they even wrote a song about the city\u2019s weather.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Hoodoo Gurus<\/p>\n

The Gurus are more associated with rugby league, having turned What\u2019s My Scene into That\u2019s My Team, but it would still be a treat at the MCG.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Icehouse<\/p>\n

Icehouse could have reworked their classic Aussie song as \u201cGreat Southern Stand\u201d. But that grandstand has now been renamed the Shane Warne Stand. However, Great Southern Land would still be a winner.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

James Reyne<\/p>\n

James Reyne is an Aussie icon. How has he never been invited to play at the AFL Grand Final? James grew up with the game \u2013 he\u2019s a Carlton supporter \u2013 and his late-great mate Brad Robinson could have been a footballer if he hadn\u2019t gone down the music road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Kasey Chambers<\/p>\n

Eminem\u2019s Lose Yourself is often used at AFL games to pump up the crowd. Who does an even more powerful version of the song? Kasey Chambers.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Keith Urban<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s king of country played at the Super Bowl\u2019s pre-game festivities in 2011. He\u2019s more than ready for a homecoming headlining gig at the \u2019G.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Kylie Minogue<\/p>\n

In fairness to the AFL, they have been trying to get Kylie for many years, but apparently, she will only play if it\u2019s a night Grand Final.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Marcia Hines<\/p>\n

The reigning Queen of Pop (she took the crown when it was last awarded in 1978) would turn the MCG into a disco wonderland.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Missy Higgins<\/p>\n

When St Kilda player Jack Higgins misses shots for a goal, fans call him Missy Higgins. Indeed, she could dedicate this song to St Kilda and their quest to win their first flag since 1966.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Midnight Oil\/Peter Garrett<\/p>\n

Word is the Oils nearly did the Grand Final a few years back. Peter Garrett is a big Bombers fan, but the rest of the band was not so keen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Killers did a killer version of Forgotten Years at the 2017 Grand Final. As Brandon Flowers said, \u201cDon\u2019t forget to thank God for Midnight Oil.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Rick Springfield<\/p>\n

When I last spoke to Rick Springfield, he was wearing red and black socks \u2013 he\u2019s an Essendon fan. He might have lived in America since the start of the \u201970s, but his heart remains in Melbourne, where he grew up.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Ross Wilson<\/p>\n

Can you believe that Ross Wilson has never played at the Grand Final? Me neither. He\u2019s a St Kilda supporter, but if the West Coast Eagles were playing, can you imagine how great Eagle Rock would be? In fact, how great would it be at every Grand Final?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Screaming Jets<\/p>\n

The Jets on Grand Final Day? Does it get any Better?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

TISM<\/p>\n

A year ago, TISM released a single called \u201970s Football, and their most recent album also included a song called VFA. One of their early gems was The Back Upon Which Jezza Jumped. Footy legend Ron Barassi was an inspiration for singer Ron Hitler-Barassi. <\/p>\n

They wrote a song for Triple M\u2019s footy coverage, Shut Up \u2013 The Footy\u2019s On The Radio. And they celebrated Hawthorn\u2019s 1999 Brownlow Medallist in I Rooted A Girl Who Rooted A Guy Who Rooted A Girl Who Rooted A Guy Who Rooted A Girl Who Rooted Shane Crawford. TISM at the AFL Grand Final? That\u2019s what I\u2019m talking about!\u00a0<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More The Living End The first televised VFL\/AFL Grand Final was in 1977. The game, between North Melbourne…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-98432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}