2024 AFL Grand Final

2024 AFL Grand Final
Sydney Brisbane Lions
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
National anthem	Cody Simpson
Broadcast in Australia
Network	Seven Network
← 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.^[1][2] It will be the 129th annual grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL), staged to determine the premiers of the 2024 AFL season.

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.^[3] 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. Brisbane is aiming to win its fourth premiership, and its first since winning three in a row in 2001, 2002 and 2003.^[4] 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.

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

At approximately 1:40pm, US pop star Katy Perry will perform on-stage as the pre-game entertainment.^[7] 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".^[7] The national anthem will be performed by Australian singer, actor and athlete Cody Simpson.^[8]

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

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.^[10]

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

Sydney

Brisbane

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.

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

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. This is the final match before the new AFL television broadcast deal begins, allowing all matches on the network to be streamed via 7+.^[12]

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, including the annual Fox Footy Longest Kick, hosted by Jason Dunstall, Andrew Gaze and Ben Dixon. 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.

• Official website