2024 AFL Grand Final

2024 AFL Grand Final
Sydney Brisbane Lions
1 2 3 4 SYD 3.1.19 BL 4.3.27
Date	28 September 2024, 2:30 pm
Stadium	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Umpires	Matt Stevic, Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Nick Foot
Ceremonies
Pre-match entertainment	Katy Perry & Mike Brady
National anthem	Cody Simpson
Broadcast in Australia
Network	Seven Network
Commentators	Bruce McAvaney (host) Hamish McLachlan (master of ceremonies) James Brayshaw (commentator) Brian Taylor (commentator) Luke Hodge (expert commentator) Matthew Richardson (expert commentator) Abbey Holmes (boundary rider) Dale Thomas (boundary rider)
← 2023 AFL Grand Final 2025 →

The 2024 AFL Grand Final is an upcoming Australian rules football match to be contested between the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 28 September 2024. It will be the 129th annual grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL), staged to determine the premiers of the 2024 AFL season.

Background

See also: 2024 AFL finals series

Sydney came into the 2024 season after a six-point 2023 elimination final loss to Carlton. They finished the season on top of the ladder in 2024 with a 17–6 win–loss record to claim the minor premiership for the tenth time. They defeated Greater Western Sydney by six points in the first qualifying final to progress to a preliminary final in which they defeated Port Adelaide by 36 points. Sydney's last grand final appearance was the 2022 AFL Grand Final, which they lost to Geelong by 81 points.

Brisbane came into the 2024 season after a grand final loss to Collingwood by four points in 2023. They qualified for the finals with a 14–8–1 win–loss–draw record, finishing fifth on the ladder. They beat Carlton by 28 points in the first elimination final to advance to the semi-finals, in which they came back from a 44-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Greater Western Sydney by five points. In their preliminary final, they came back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Geelong by 10 points to advance to the grand final.

Sydney is aiming to win its sixth premiership, and its first since 2012, having lost its last three grand finals in 2014, 2016 and 2022. Brisbane is aiming to win its fourth premiership, and its first since winning three in a row in 2001, 2002 and 2003. This will be the first grand final meeting between Sydney and Brisbane, though South Melbourne (who relocated to Sydney in 1982) and Fitzroy (who merged their AFL operations with Brisbane in 1996 to become the Brisbane Lions) did meet in the 1899 VFL Grand Final, which saw the latter prevail by one point. It will be the first grand final since 2006 in which both teams competing are from outside of Victoria, and the first ever between two teams from states traditionally dominated by rugby league. It is the first Grand Final since 1995 that the two previous runners-up are contesting it.

In the 2024 home-and-away season, the two sides met once, in which Brisbane 11.13 (79) defeated Sydney 11.11 (77) during round 19 at the Gabba. Sydney is the favourite among bookmakers, with odds of $1.73 for the win against Brisbane's $2.10.

The 2024 grand final will be the first in which the Ron Barassi Medal is awarded. The new award, named in honour of ten-time premiership player and coach Ron Barassi, Jr, is won by the captain or co-captains of the winning team.

Entertainment

See also: List of AFL Grand Final pre-match performances

American singer Katy Perry.

At approximately 1:40pm, US pop star Katy Perry will perform on-stage as the pre-game entertainment. The pre-game entertainment is to be supported by 4× ARIA Award winner Christine Anu with her daughter Zipporah Corser-Anu for the First Nations Ceremony alongside the Songlines Youth Choir, and singer Mike Brady performing "Up There Cazaly". The national anthem will be performed by Australian singer, actor and athlete Cody Simpson.

Scheduled on-field events

Time	Event
9:35 am	AFL Grand Final curtain-raiser: AFL Futures Match
12:38 pm	AFL Grand Final Sprint
1:30 pm	AFL Grand Final motorcade
1:33 pm	Mike Brady performs "Up There Cazaly"
1:40 pm	Katy Perry performs
2:13 pm	Teams enter the ground
2:24 pm	Delivery of the premiership cup by Josh J. Kennedy
2:25 pm	Welcome to Country—Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Jr.
2:26 pm	The Australian National Anthem performed by Cody Simpson
2:30 pm	Game starts
Half time	Half-time entertainment:

All times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT +10)

Medal and cup presenters

2018 premiership player and former West Coast Eagles forward Josh Kennedy will be the AFL premiership cup ambassador; he will deliver the cup to the nominated club premiership cup ambassadors: for Brisbane, Leigh Matthews, who coached the club to its three-peat from 2001 to 2003; and for Sydney, a former club captain and 200-game player with the Swans, Stuart Maxfield. Four-time premiership coach David Parkin will present the Jock McHale Medal, and 1963 Geelong premiership captain Fred Wooller will present the inaugural Ron Barassi Medal.

Norm Smith Medal

The medal will be presented by three-time Geelong premiership player and 2007 winner Steve Johnson.

2024 Norm Smith Medal Voting Panel
Voting Panellist	3 Votes	2 Votes	1 Vote
Jack Riewoldt (Chair, Fox Footy)
Riley Beveridge (AFL.com.au)
Shaun Burgoyne (Channel 7)
Anna Harrington (AAP)
Rory Sloane (2024 Retiree)

Teams

The teams were announced on Thursday, 26 September. Sydney made no changes to its preliminary final 23. Sydney captain Callum Mills was ruled out on Wednesday, September 25, despite getting through training. Forward Logan McDonald was named to play despite an ankle injury suffered in his side's preliminary final win over Port Adelaide. Brisbane made one change to its preliminary final 23: ruckman Oscar McInerney was ruled out after twice dislocating his shoulder in the preliminary final, and he was replaced by Darcy Fort.

At 63 years old, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan will break his own record of being the oldest coach of a team in a VFL/AFL grand final.

Sydney

Brisbane

Sydney B: 24 Dane Rampe (c) 30 Tom McCartin 22 Nick Blakey HB: 44 Jake Lloyd 7 Harry Cunningham 43 Lewis Melican C: 17 James Jordon 1 Chad Warner 13 Oliver Florent HF: 26 Luke Parker 6 Logan McDonald 21 Errol Gulden F: 11 Tom Papley 36 Joel Amartey 9 Will Hayward Foll: 4 Brodie Grundy 5 Isaac Heeney 8 James Rowbottom Int: 34 Matthew Roberts 16 Braeden Campbell 27 Justin McInerney 2 Hayden McLean 42 Robbie Fox (sub) Coach: John Longmire

Brisbane Lions B: 15 Dayne Zorko 31 Harris Andrews (c) 26 Conor McKenna HB: 44 Darcy Wilmot 40 Jack Payne 35 Ryan Lester C: 28 Jaspa Fletcher 8 Will Ashcroft 6 Hugh McCluggage HF: 23 Charlie Cameron 3 Joe Daniher 7 Jarrod Berry F: 16 Cameron Rayner 30 Eric Hipwood 33 Zac Bailey Foll: 32 Darcy Fort 5 Josh Dunkley 9 Lachie Neale (c) Int: 1 Kai Lohmann 4 Callum Ah Chee 13 Logan Morris 37 Brandon Starcevich 43 Noah Answerth (sub) Coach: Chris Fagan

Umpires

The umpiring panel, comprising four field umpires, four boundary umpires, two goal umpires and an emergency in each position, was announced on Wednesday, 25 September.

2024 AFL Grand Final umpiring panel

Position						Emergency
Field	2 Nick Foot (1)	9 Matt Stevic (12)	21 Simon Meredith (9)	26 Craig Fleer (2)		12 Andrew Stephens
Boundary	Matthew Tomkins (6)	Matthew Konetschka (6)	Michael Barlow (3)	Daniel Field-Read (1)		Damien Main
Goal	Matthew Dervan (3)	Sam Walsh (2)				Steven Piperno

Numbers in brackets represent the number of grand finals umpired, including 2024.

Scoreboard

	Grand Final
Saturday, 28 September (2:30 pm)	Sydney	v	Brisbane Lions	Melbourne Cricket Ground
	3.1.19	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	4.3.27	Norm Smith Medal: Television broadcast: Seven Network National anthem: Cody Simpson

Media coverage

Television

Seven's coverage, simulcast on streaming service 7+, will begin at 9 am AEST with the Grand Final Brunch, hosted by Rebecca Maddern, followed by the Grand Final Countdown from 10:30 am with Luke Darcy. Pre-match coverage began from 12 pm with Hamish McLachlan and Bruce McAvaney hosting. The match was commentated by James Brayshaw, Brian Taylor, Luke Hodge, Matthew Richardson, Abbey Holmes and Dale Thomas. This is the final match before the new AFL television broadcast deal begins, allowing all matches on the network to be streamed via 7+.

Fox Footy's coverage, simulcast on Kayo Sports, begins at 9 am with the annual North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast from the Plenary Hall at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Fox Footy will televise its own Grand Final Day coverage with their own talent, which, for the first time since 2020, will not include the annual Fox Footy Longest Kick due to a revitalisation project at Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra River. Due to Seven's exclusive rights to the live broadcast, Fox Footy's coverage will go dormant during the game, instead showing a full replay of Seven's match coverage broadcast at 6 pm.

Radio

Radio broadcasters

Station	Region	Callers	Special Comments	Boundary Riders
Triple M	National	Mark Howard, Luke Darcy	Jason Dunstall, Nathan Brown, Ash Chua (statistician)	Michael Roberts
ABC Radio	National	Corbin Middlemas, Clint Wheeldon	Mick Malthouse, Cameron Ling, Brett Deledio	Kelli Underwood
AFL Nation	National	Andy Maher, Matt Hill	Dermott Brereton, Brad Johnson	Matthew Cocks
NIRS	National
3AW FiveAA	Melbourne, VIC Adelaide, SA	Anthony Hudson, Tim Lane	Matthew Lloyd, Jimmy Bartel	Jacqui Reed
SEN	Melbourne, VIC	Gerard Whateley, Dwayne Russell	Gerard Healy, Kane Cornes	Sam Edmund
K Rock	Geelong, VIC	Tom King, Ben Casanelia	Mark Neeld, Troy Selwood	Jason Doherty
6PR	Perth, WA	Adam Papalia, Karl Langdon	Brad Hardie, Mark Stone	Mark Foreman

External links

• Official website