Nothing beats being in Melbourne on grand final week – as someone who was born in Perth and lived in Melbourne for the past four years, I can certainly vouch for that.
Rather than a single event, it is a whole week of football, with wall-to-wall coverage and a whole host of activities taking place.
From the Brownlow on Monday to the Grand Final parade on Friday, you just can’t escape it.
For many however, the week will have been spent in a mad scramble for tickets. For every person who secures a ticket, there will be more who miss out, including many who have flown from Perth.
Here, I provide five alternative ways to enjoy the game – the next best things for an authentic Melbourne Grand Final experience.
Federation Square
Thousands are expected to make their way to Fed Square, not only to watch the game at one of Australia’s best live sites, but to join in on a host of activities being run for the whole family.
For many, it is the next best thing to being there and the fact the players can’t hear them will not deter people from yelling loudly.
Be sure to pack a picnic and get down early to secure a good spot.
And remember, Fed Square is an alcohol-free zone.
Go to the pub
There are plenty of options for those who believe footy is best watched with a pint in hand.
Those coming from interstate may be tempted to watch the game at Crown Casino, however this should be avoided at all costs.
My recommendation would be to get out of the CBD, where sports bars are a little sparse, and instead take a tram to Richmond, Fitzroy North or South Melbourne.
These are all suburbs where the old fashioned pubs reign supreme; places with plenty of room, big screens and a great range of tap beer.
Go to a Grand Final breakfast
The North Melbourne Football Club established the Grand Final breakfast back in the 1960s and it has since become an iconic event, attended by prime ministers, entertainers and leading businessmen.
While the North Melbourne breakfast is out of the price range of most people, there are plenty of second-tier and grassroots football clubs hosting smaller events.
These events usually include a full breakfast, guest speakers, ex-AFL players, great entertainment and cheap drinks!
The Bain Marie
Melbourne loves its footy. Melbourne also loves its live music and pop-up bars.
The Bain Marie, on High Street, Northcote, ticks all these boxes, with a free event as part of the Darebin Music Festival.
The game will be shown on the big screen while some of Melbourne’s finest bands will play original music before and after the match.
They are even running an old-fashioned chook raffle!
The Grand Final carpark BBQ
If you are based close to the ground and have an easy to carry portable BBQ on hand (or the ability to strike up a conversation with those that do), consider heading to the MCG car park and joining hundreds of others in a pre-game BBQ outside the ground.
It is a great place to soak up the atmosphere and excitement of the game. A walk around the ground and you can listen in on all the live broadcasts and maybe bump into some former greats of the game.
What do you think Roarers, outside of being at the game, how do you like to spend Grand Final day?
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale will be looking to lead his team to a victory against Melbourne in what will be his 250th AFL game.
Fremantle football general manager Joe Brierty has staunchly defended backman Jordan Clark, following his role in the umpire dissent controversy that dominated headlines following…
Fremantle defender Jordan Clark has told the Dockers the abusive words that saw him penalised for umpire dissent in the dying minutes of their…
If you're a Fremantle fan - and I'm basing this on the social media reaction to what happened on Saturday afternoon at the Adelaide…
