- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
For the first time ever, the AFL grand final is to be held in Perth, as the Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs square off for the premiership cup.
Lovers of footy in Western Australia will no doubt be hoping the city can put on some typically beautiful weather to mark one of their biggest sporting days.
Fortunately, unlike last year’s Queensland grand final which saw thunderstorms and severe rain throughout the day leading into the match, the Bureau of Meteorology, the government’s weather agency, expects Perth to see perfect weather throughout the day and on into grand final night.
The day itself is set for a warm and sunny afternoon, before cooling down with some cloudy skies and a slight breeze once the match gets going in the evening.
However, with heavy showers and a possible thunderstorm on the cards for Sunday, there’s a chance some light rain could hit Perth in the very late stages of the match, though it’s seen as unlikely at this stage.
A balmy peak of 27 degrees during the day, dropping to around 21 for the first bounce and down to 18 by the final siren. A humidity of 48% and a chance of light drizzle after 8pm (AEST).
Optus Stadium has already seen some extraordinary weather events this season, most famously in the Demons’ Round 21 clash with West Coast, when play was delayed midway through the final quarter due to lightning. Fortunately, Zeus will be putting his thunderbolts away for this evening and leaving the ground attendants in peace.
The near-perfect conditions won’t necessarily translate into the ground conditions, though. The Optus Stadium surface has been controversial for a number of years, with the hardness of the ground and occasional bursts of dew even on clear nights a constant concern. This was evident in the Dreamtime in Perth match earlier this year between Richmond and Essendon, with a number of players struggling to maintain their feet on the night.
Half time at @OptusStadium in #Dreamtime game.
Big issue, unfortunately, is the constant slip n slide of the turf.
That’s something to look out for tomorrow in the Freo v WB game and whether the same thing happens.
Meanwhile, specks venue as always. #AFLDonsTigers #AFL pic.twitter.com/ZfCoHcNL5y— Leachy (Daniel Leach) ???????????? (@TheSportsFreak) June 5, 2021
However, the ground was in excellent condition and played perfectly in Melbourne’s preliminary final thrashing of Geelong and the Cats’ win over GWS the week before, the only two finals played at the venue thus far in 2021. With two weeks to prepare the surface for the grand final, expect the stadium groundstaff to have Optus Stadium in tiptop condition for its biggest ever AFL match.
All data accurate as of Friday, 23 October.
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.