AFL Grand Final

The AFL Grand Final is held annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on or near the last Saturday afternoon in September. Each year, pre-match entertainment is provided by star musicians of the day.

AFL Grand Final pre-match performances

1977 - Barry Crocker

1978 - Keith Michell

1979 - Mike Brady and John Farnham

1980 - Peter Allen

1981 - Jon English - Waltzing Matilda

1982 - Rolf Harris

1983 - Glenn Shorrock - Waltzing Matilda

1984 - Slim Dusty - Waltzing Matilda, Advance Australia Fair

1985 - Diana Trask - Waltzing Matilda

1986 - Olivia Newton-John - Advance Australia Fair

1987 - Daryl Somers - Waltzing Matilda, Advance Australia Fair

1988 - Noel Watson - Waltzing Matilda

1989 - John Farnham - Waltzing Matilda, Advance Australia Fair

1990 - Normie Rowe (( Lucy Gale ))

1991 - Daryl Braithwaite and Angry Anderson - Bound For Glory

1992 - Joan Carden

1993 - Maroochy Barambah, Archie Roach and Yothu Yindi

1994 - The Seekers and Debra Byrne

1995 - Tina Arena

1996 - A collection of past singers

1997 - Marina Prior

1998 - Muhammad Ali made an appearance. Mark Seymour sang Holy Grail. Rob Guest sang This Is The Moment and Advance Australia Fair. Jane Scali and Michael Cormick sang Waltzing Matilda, Donna Fisk and Michael Cristiano sang "Rock 'N Footy (Rock The G)".

1999 - Human Nature - Waltzing Matilda

2000 - The Idea of North, Trish Delaney-Brown, Megan Corson, Andrew Piper and Nick Begie, Mike Brady, Russell Morris and Rick Price

2001 - Vanessa Amorosi, Men at work, Julie Anthony - Advance Australia Fair

2002 - Killing Heidi, The Whitlams, Kate Ceberano, The Human Tide. Mark Seymour sang Holy Grail.

2003 - Christine Anu, Gorgi Coghlan, the finalists from the first season of Australian Idol

September 25, 2004 - Guy Sebastian sang both "Waltzing Matilda" and "Advance Australia Fair". The Ten Tenors, David Hobson also performed.

September 24, 2005 - Silvie Paladino sang "There You'll Be" & Advance Australia Fair. Delta Goodrem sang "I Am Australian". Michael Bublé and Dame Edna Everage performed "I Still Call Australia Home". Australian Idol finalists performed "Waltzing Matilda". The Whitlams performed "No Aphrodisiac". Kath & Kim, Melbourne Gospel Choir and The Australian Girls Choir also performed.

September 30, 2006 - Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Sean Kelly, Daryl Braithwaite and Shane Howard sang "Advance Australia Fair" and performed a medley including "Up There Cazaly", "One Day in September", "Solid Rock", "Yesterday's Hero", "The Horses", "Everybody Wants to Work" & "I Hear Motion". Irene Cara sang "Flashdance (What A Feeling)". Young Divas sang "You're the Inspiration".

September 29, 2007 - Natalie Bassingthwaighte sang Advance Australia Fair. Jet performed Are You Gonna Be My Girl & Rollover DJ

September 27, 2008 - Powderfinger performed "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" and AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top" accompanied by the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band. Ian Moss performed electric guitar versions of "Up There Cazaly" and the competing club theme songs. Lucy Durack and Amanda Harrison (both then starring in an Australian production of Wicked) sang the national anthem.

September 26, 2009 - Mark Seymour from Australian rock band Hunters and Collectors performed "Holy Grail" on stage, followed by Jimmy Barnes singing "No Second Prize". John Farnham then sang "You're the Voice", joined later by Seymour and Barnes. The Qantas choir performed "I Still Call Australia Home", and the national anthem was performed a cappella by the cast of Jersey Boys.

September 25, 2010 - Pre-match entertainment was provided by INXS who performed "Suicide Blonde", "New Sensation" and "Kick". This was followed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra who performed orchestral arrangements of the Collingwood and St Kilda theme songs. Lyrics for the two songs were performed by Matt Hetherington (for Collingwood) and Paris Wells (for St Kilda).

October 2, 2010 (Replay) - For the grand final replay, Lionel Richie performed the pre-match and post-match, entertainment. Following Richie's Performance, the team theme songs were performed as saxophone solos by Joe Camilleri (for Collingwood) and Wilbur Wilde (for St Kilda).

October 1, 2011 - Pre-match entertainment was provided by American singer Meat Loaf, who performed a twelve-and-a-half minute medley of his best-known songs. Meat Loaf's vocal performance, which was largely off-key, was widely panned by commentators. Vanessa Amorosi's performance of national anthem was also panned.

September 29, 2012 - Following criticism of Meat Loaf's performance in 2011, the AFL changed the format of the entertainment to have a small pre-match show, a larger half-time show, and, for the first time, a free concert open to the public at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after the match. Tim Rogers, who was featured in the AFL's finals series advertising campaign, and Paul Kelly performed before the game, with Marina Prior performing the Australian National Anthem. The Temper Trap performed at half-time on a stage on the arena. Kelly and The Temper Trap played at the post match concert.

September 28, 2013 - Two Australian bands, Birds of Tokyo and Hunters & Collectors performed before the game and at half time, respectively. Birds of Tokyo performed "Lanterns". Mike Brady performed "Up There Cazaly". Hunters & Collectors performed "Do You See What I See" & "Holy Grail". The Australian national anthem was sung by Tina Arena.

September 27, 2014 - Sir Tom Jones and Ed Sheeran performed as pre-match entertainment, the first international acts to perform at a grand final since Meat Loaf in 2011. Sheeran performed "Sing" and "The A Team" and was then joined by Jones to sing "Kiss", "Mama Told Me Not to Come", "Delilah" & "If I Only Knew". Mike Brady performed "Up There Cazaly", a grand final tradition. Olivia Newton-John performed the Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair.

A post-match entertainment show featuring Sheeran and Jones was also held. There was no half-time musical entertainment.

October 3, 2015 - Chris Isaak performed "Great Balls of Fire", "Wicked Game" and "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing". He was then followed by Ellie Goulding who sang "Love Me Like You Do" and "Burn". Bryan Adams then sang "Run to You", "Summer of '69" and "Can't Stop This Thing We Started". Mike Brady performed Up There Cazaly. Kate Ceberano performed the Australian National Anthem Advance Australia Fair.

October 1, 2016 - Vance Joy, Sting and The Living End. With his appearance, Sting became the first artist to perform at both the NFL Super Bowl (2003) and the AFL Grand Final. Sister duo Vika and Linda Bull performed the national anthem, while Mike Brady performed a new version of his famous football song "One Day in September"

September 30, 2017 - The Killers performed "When You Were Young", "Somebody Told Me", "The Man", "Forgotten Years" (by Australian rock band Midnight Oil), "Read My Mind" and "Mr Brightside". Mike Brady then performed "Up There Cazaly". Dami Im performed the Australian National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair".

September 29, 2018 - As pre-match entertainment, the Black Eyed Peas performed a number of their hit singles, including "Where Is the Love?", "Let's Get It Started", "I Gotta Feeling" and their new single "Big Love". Filipina singer Jessica Reynoso filled in on vocals for former band member Fergie. Their set was followed by singer Jimmy Barnes, who started his performance with a rendition of "Flame Trees". Mike Brady performed "Up There Cazaly", his own traditional grand final song, while the national anthem was sung by Mahalia Barnes, Jimmy Barnes' daughter.

September 28, 2019 - Tones and I performed "The Kids Are Coming" and "Dance Monkey", and was followed by Dean Lewis, who performed "Be Alright" and "Waves". John Williamson performed Waltzing Matilda, followed by Paul Kelly who performed "Leaps and Bounds" and "Dumb Things". Mike Brady also performed "Up There Cazaly". Conrad Sewell performed the Australian National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair".