AFL Grand Final 2020: What time does it start, the venue and how to watch the game
The 2020 AFL Grand Final will be held in Brisbane on Saturday night between Richmond & Geelong and here’s everything you need to know about the big game.
It’s the first time the big Grand Final will be played outside of Victoria, with Queensland holding out bids from South Australia and Western Australia, in what is a big coup for the sunshine state.
The 2020 season-decider will be played on Saturday October 24 at the Gabba in Brisbane. This is about one month later than usual due to the lengthy break earlier in the season caused by Covid-19.
Richmond were first to qualify after holding off Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Friday, while Geelong secured their spot after defeating the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday. View the full 2020 AFL Fixture & Results.
The stadium and crowd attendance
The Grand Final will be played at the Gabba – Brisbane’s premier AFL and cricket venue and home of the Brisbane Lions. The 42,000-capacity stadium is the third-largest in the Queensland capital, behind Suncorp Stadium and QSAC (view all Brisbane stadiums). With history dating back to 1895, its full redevelopment was completed in 2005, turning it from a glorified cricket ground and dog track, into a modern all-seater stadium.
This year, the venue underwent a $35 million upgrade to bring its facilities up to scratch. A reduced crowd of 30,000 will be in attendance for the Grand Final – (reduced capacity due to Covid-19). This will however be the highest-percentage capacity for any Australian sporting event since the pandemic started. There were calls for the cap to be eased to allow more fans in for the game, up to its 40k capacity, but the AFL confirmed on Monday the cap will remain at 30k.
What time does the AFL Grand Final start?
The 2020 Grand Final will be played as a night fixture for the first time in its history, with the match to commence at 6:30pm local Brisbane time (AEST). As Queensland doesn’t observe daylight savings, this means the game kicks-off at 7:30pm Melbourne and Sydney time (AEDT), 7:00pm in Adelaide and 4:30pm in Perth. Find out more about Australian time zones here.
While a night-time Grand Final has been pushed by many for a long time, the AFL has resisted the temptation and stuck with tradition. However, the Victorian government were keen for the game to avoid a clash with the running of the Cox Plate earlier in the day. As has been the case all season, the quarters will be shorter – 16 minutes plus time-on (down from 20 minutes plus time-on).
View the Grand Final Run Sheet
How to watch & stream the Grand Final
Channel 7 has exclusive rights to televise the AFL Grand Final in Australia and will broadcast the game nationally on 7 and 7HD - coverage begins at 4:30pm AEDT. If you’re used to watching AFL ad-free on Foxtel, unfortunately you’re unable to watch the Grand Final on the Pay-TV network, due to broadcast restrictions, so you’ll need to tune into channel 107 (or 207 for HD) to watch the game. Fox Footy will show a replay of the Grand Final from 10:30pm.
If you usually stream AFL games live on Kayo Sports, unfortunately they are also unable to broadcast the Grand Final live due to the same restrictions, but will have it available at 10:30pm. Telstra customers can stream the game for free on their mobile device via the AFL App, but let’s face it, watching the big game on a tiny screen isn’t ideal, but it's your only option if you're out and about.
Can I watch the AFL Grand Final on 7 Plus?
Thankfully, you can live stream the AFL Grand Final for free on the 7plus App (in 720p HD) – however you must have it on a compatible TV, set-top-box, or gaming device. These include selected Samsung TV’s, TV’s with the Android OS, Apple TV, Fetch TV, Telstra TV and PlayStation 4. Note: you cannot stream the Grand Final on the 7plus app on your mobile, meaning you cannot Chromecast or AirPlay the coverage from your mobile device to a TV. Always remember though, when you stream live sport, you’re viewing it on a 20+ second delay.
If you live outside of Australia, you can stream the AFL Grand Final live on WatchAFL and with the App, you can cast or airplay the match onto your TV.
How to get Grand Final Tickets
All available tickets are now officially sold-out for Saturday's game. Traditionally, tickets are hard to come by for an AFL Grand Final and this year is no different. With a reduced capacity of just 30,000 and the smaller stadium (normally 100,000 are in attendance at the MCG), only limited tickets will be available for the general public. They were first made available to Geelong and Richmond members, AFL members and corporates. For the first time in more than 20 years, tickets were made available to the general public, however all 10,000 tickets were snapped up in less than 20 minutes on Tuesday morning. The official ticket agent for the Gabba is Ticketmaster and all tickets including any remaining public tickets will be sold through them on this page. Often, the only way for non-members to go to the game is by purchasing an expensive dining package though the AFL Event Office. Warning: Don't buy tickets through an unofficial reseller as you’ll likely pay too much and the tickets may not be valid.
GRAND FINAL TICKET ON-SALE DATES
AFL Members: Sun 18 Oct 8:00am
Geelong Members: Mon 19 Oct 9:00am
Richmond Members: Mon 19 Oct 1:00pm
General Public: Tue 20 Oct 9:00am (10am AEDT)
Tickets from un-sold allocations: Thu 22 Oct 12:00pm
BUY AFL GRAND FINAL TICKETS
GABBA AFL GRAND FINAL SEATING MAP
Where to stay in Brisbane
If you’re lucky enough to be heading to the game, you’ll want some nearby accommodation to the Gabba. Austadiums, together with our official travel partners, have put together a map of the Gabba and nearby area with available hotels thanks to booking.com, Airbnbs and other accommodation, available to book right now at the best prices.
VIEW NEARBY ACCOMMODATION HERE >
What’s the Grand Final Entertainment?
The AFL has announced a host of music acts to perform at the Grand Final, with the night-time fixture set to create a spectacular performance. There will be an extended half time break (from 25 to 27 minutes), with entertainment to be during the main break as well as before the game. While there's no Powderfinger, or Meatloaf, the headline act this year is Sheppard, who will play the half-time show, with most of the other acts to play during the pre-match entertainment, which commences at 5:30pm AEST. The main man of Wolfmother – Andrew Stockdale will also perform, along with one of Australia’s hottest bands DMA’s, local indie band Cub Sport, and Electric Fields featuring Thelma Plum and Busby Marou.
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra will also perform, delivering a memorable musical experience as a first in Australian sport, while Chong Lim, famed musical director, will oversee the unique blend of artists and orchestra.
Mike Brady will keep the Grand Final tradition going with a rendition of ‘Up Their Cazaly’ beamed to the Gabba from the MCG. A special welcome to country will be performed by Brisbane group Tribal Experiences, from Yuggera-Toorabul Country. The National Anthem will be sung by The Voice alum Tim McCallum, following a social media campaign to get the long-time Saints fan the gig.
The 2020 Toyota AFL Grand Final Footy Festival will be held at Riverstage Brisbane on Saturday commencing at 4:00pm. You can get your tickets here.
Past Grand Final winners
Over the past five years, the premiership has been won by four different clubs, with Richmond claiming it on two occasions, including most recently in 2019. The last Grand Final away from the MCG was won by Hawthorn in 1991. Essendon and Carlton have won the most premierships with 16 each, followed by Collingwood with 15. Over the past five years, the Grand Final attendance at the MCG has averaged 99,734.
| YEAR | EVENT | VENUE | CROWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AFL Grand Final: Richmond d GWS Giants | MCG | 100,014 |
| 2018 | AFL Grand Final: West Coast Eagles d Collingwood | MCG | 100,022 |
| 2017 | AFL Grand Final: Richmond d Adelaide | MCG | 100,021 |
| 2016 | AFL Grand Final: Western Bulldogs d Sydney Swans | MCG | 99,981 |
| 2015 | AFL Grand Final: Hawthorn d West Coast | MCG | 98,633 |
You can look back and see all past AFL results and crowd figures back to 2003 right here on Austadiums.
Who will present the Norm Smith Medal?
Former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide star Byron Pickett, who claimed the honour when the Power won their first AFL flag in 2004, will present the Norm Smith Medal for this year's best player on ground.
AFL Premiership Odds
A look at the odds is often a good indicator of who'll win the premiership. As of Saturday October 24 at 5:00pm, PointsBet has the following market for the 2020 Premiership winner:
Richmond - $1.85
Geelong - $2.05
