Here come the Swans as the Cheer, Cheer spreads around the MCG.

The Lions are the first team to enter the MCG, running out to the familiar tune of La Marseillaise with lyrics pointing to their past as Fitzroy and the Bears, but now very much as the modern-day Brisbane Lions.

While I’m far from an expert on the music and stylings of Katy Perry, I have had a much keener eye on every Sydney (and GWS Giants) home match for the past four seasons. I was even privileged to witness first hand as Brisbane turned on something special in their semi-final victory a couple of weeks ago, and have pulled all those memories and theories together for an in-depth preview of the 2024 AFL grand final.

Here is where the Swans and Lions can each get the job done while also taking away their opposition’s key strengths, as well as a tip for the Norm Smith Medal and which club will claim the premiership cup:

Katy Perry has certainly set the scene for a rollicking finish to the main event in roughly 3.5 hours, as she closes with Firework. Happy to admit Katy’s music isn’t really in my wheelhouse, but that was fun.

Tina Arena brings a local flavour to the stage as Katy Perry leaps into I Kissed a Girl.

Katy Perry perhaps reveals her true colours for the day early as she opens up with her classic Roar. The singer completes a lap of the MCG standing on what traditionalists can only hope is a new and shiny version of the Batmobile.

We’ll have a review of Katy’s performance shortly from Katie Cunningham, but in the meantime send me your thoughts and star ratings on email or X @martinpegan.

Final teams

Brendan Brown has just followed up on the suggestion doing the rounds that Joe Daniher might be playing in his farewell match: “What do you think about Brian Taylor breaking/leaking the news the news that Joe Daniher may retire after the game tonight? I think it’s not all his place to be announcing such news and considering Taylor’s track record in calling many things in a game wrong I don’t trust it anyway”

My view is that it is fair to report on the news especially as Taylor is far from the first to do so over the past 24 hours around Daniher’s future plans. The Lions key forward is one of the more private players in the AFL, and even after he booted two goals in the last four minutes when his side overran the Giants a couple of weeks ago, he had no interest in speaking to media and instead celebrated by spending quiet time with his family in the rooms.

A little bit of housekeeping to be aware of just in case we – as in the neutrals among us that might actually be able to survive the tension – are fortunate enough to witness the fourth drawn grand final in VFL/AFL history. The Swans and Lions will then play out extra-time for the first time ever in the premiership decider.

That will mean two periods of three minutes – plus time-on – are played with no break as such in between, other than the time it takes for the players to switch ends. If scores are still tied after that first pair of extra-time periods, then another two three-minute periods are played, and so on until a winner is declared.

There was only two points the difference when these sides last met in round 19, and with a pair of evenly-matched outfits taking the field today, it’s probably safe to prepare to drop the classic radio call; “we’ve got the close one”.

This is the first non-Victorian grand final since 2006 (which was the last of the only three premiership deciders to be played without a Victorian club), but the main event on the AFL calendar continues to be played at the MCG. On what is surely the toughest day to present a case for why the grand final should be shared around the country, Nino Bucci and Caitlin Cassidy have done just that:

The Lions are back in familiar surroundings.

The Swans are in the building.

If you’re new to AFL, Australian rules football or (trust me) “footy”, perhaps happy to dip in and out of the action across the season, or just here for Katy Perry and the rest of the pre-match entertainment, then we have the guide for you!

The grand final showdown between the Swans and Lions might be a puzzler for neutrals, casual fans and bandwagon jumpers, but Alex McKinnon helps you decide which team should win the hearts and minds of the undecided masses:

Word coming through for our intrepid reporters at the MCG is that North Melbourne’s Eddie Ford has beaten St Kilda’s Darcy Wilson in the quicker heat of the grand final sprint. Adelaide’s Will Hamill and one of today’s fan favourites, Brisbane’s Will McLachlan, have crossed the line as 1-2 in the other heat. Collingwood’s Beau McCreery, Fremantle’s Jeremy Sharp, Port Adelaide’s Jed McEntee and (either Sydney’s Angus Sheldrick or Western Bulldogs’ Riley Garcia) are also through to the final.

The final will take place at half-time of the main event, with Ford laying down an early marker to perhaps give some joy to long-suffering (men’s team) Kangaroos fans.

Last time they met: Brisbane 11.13 (79) defeated Sydney 11.11 (77)

The grand finalists only met once this season in round 19 at the Gabba but it was enough to set the stage for a gripping return bout at the MCG. The injury-riddled Swans were without captain Callum Mills, James Rowbottom and Justin McInerney, then lost Dane Rampe and Tom Papley before half-time. The Lions opened up a handy early advantage as the Swans made one of their now-trademark slow starts until turning the contest around to edge in front heading into the last term. The lead swung five times in a rollicking final stanza before Lions forward Callum Ah Chee snapped the match-winner with three minutes remaining.

The clubs behind the Lions and Swans have not crossed paths in a VFL/AFL grand final for 125 years, when they were known as Fitzroy Maroons (long before a merger with Brisbane in 1996) and South Melbourne Bloods (ahead of their eventual relocation to Sydney in 1982). Fitzroy won the 1899 decider 3.9 (27) to 3.8 (26) in front of 4,823 fans at Junction Oval.

Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions, in their current guises, have only met in one final when the team in red, maroon and gold won a preliminary final at Stadium Australia en route to completing a three-peat with victory in the 2003 grand final.

Jack Snape digs into the archives to find out more about the last time these clubs met in a decider 125 years ago (conspiracy theories welcome):

Brisbane were forced to swing the one change for the grand final after ruck Oscar McInerney twice dislocated his shoulder in the preliminary final against Geelong. Darcy Fort is the player in the right place at the right time as he takes McInerney’s place for just his third game this season.

The Big O will be seated on the Lions bench after the AFL gave permission for both clubs to have a non-playing player on the sidelines alongside the usual 12 staff members, with Swans skipper Callum Mills to also have a front row seat on their interchange after the heartbreaking call to leave him out of their side.

The 16 clubs not competing today will be looking on in envy, not only at two supreme teams but also at the way that Sydney and Brisbane have been able to build their playing lists. Both the Swans and Lions are reaping the rewards of their academies for talented young footballers, and for what it’s worth – as a Victorian now living behind enemy lines in Sydney – I’ve seen first hand the benefits that they bring for footy more broadly.

Jack Snape has more on the northern academies and how the grand finalists’ football factories have prompted fears of a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ over competitive balance. The (mostly) considered debate in the comments is one worth reading and perhaps even weighing into:

Melbourne is again hosting two interstate clubs: the first decider without a Victorian team since 2006. As if to emphasise the “interstate raider” trope, both teams will be wearing home strips.

The city has been flooded with interstate arrivals. Airlines put on thousands of extra seats, running dozens of additional flights and swapping out Boeing 737s for larger Airbus A330s. Friday was flagged to be Melbourne airport’s busiest day since an army of fans of a certain Taylor (Swift, not Adams) landed earlier this year.

Ben Doherty has more on the two out-of-state teams – and most importantly their fans – returning to their roots:

Everyone’s second favourite event on grand final day is about the take place with the heats of the grand final sprint. Below are our runners for today, with a few hearts no doubt to be in mouths at least among Blues and Tigers fans. Josh Weddle will be carrying the extra burden as the first of my tips for the day.

Adelaide: Will Hamill
Brisbane: Will McLachlan
Carlton: Orazio Fantasia
Collingwood: Beau McCreery
Essendon: Ben Hobbs
Fremantle: Jeremy Sharp
Geelong: Shaun Mannagh
Gold Coast: Tom Berry
GWS Giants: Nathan Wardius (me neither)
Hawthorn: Josh Weddle
Melbourne: Oliver Sestan
North Melbourne: Eddie Ford
Port Adelaide: Jed McEntee
Richmond: Dion Prestia
St Kilda: Darcy Wilson
Sydney: Angus Sheldrick
West Coast: Jai Culley
Western Bulldogs: Riley Garcia

If you thought grand final day was just about the action between 46 players chasing a ball filled with air, I’ve got a pleasant surprise for you!

Here is the run sheet for the next 2.5 hours:

12.15pm: Grand final sprint heats (final at half-time)
1.23pm: Christine Anu Performance
1:26pm: Grand final motorcade
1.33pm: Mike Brady
1.40pm: Katy Perry
2.13pm: Teams walk onto the hallowed turf
2.25pm: Welcome to Country by Uncle Colin Hunter Junior
2.26pm: National anthem performed by Cody Simpson
2.28pm: Coin toss
2.30pm: Game on!

If you aren’t among the 100,000 fans fortunate enough to be at the MCG on grand final day there are at least several other ways to catch all the action from the showdown between Sydney and Brisbane. You’re already at the right place to follow the scores and updates with the Guardian Australia live blog, but you can also watch the game on Channel 7 and its streaming services.

Fans in Sydney can head to the home of the Swans, with the SCG doors to be thrown open from 1.30pm and people able to sit in the Ladies Stand or roll a picnic rug out on the field to watch the game on the big screen (that’s where I was for the 2022 grand final, where the crowd was strangely subdued after about the first 10 minutes of play!). A Footy Festival is already up and running at Henson Park in Marrickville with free entry, Giants AFLW player Georgia Garnett on the decks, and fun activities to entertain the kids before the broadcast of the big game begins.

For those in Brisbane, AFL Queensland are again taking over South Bank Parklands from 1pm for footy clinics, family-friendly activities and a place to watch the grand final.

Preamble

Martin Pegan