The 2026 AFL Grand Final is set to captivate the nation on Saturday afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Brisbane Lions will take on the Fremantle Dockers in one of the most historically significant deciders in the competition's modern era. Kick-off is scheduled for 2:30pm AEST, with an estimated crowd of 100,000 expected to pack the iconic venue.
What's at Stake in the 2026 AFL Grand Final
Brisbane arrives at the MCG chasing extraordinary history. Having claimed back-to-back premierships in 2024 and 2025, the Lions are hunting a third consecutive flag — a feat that would make them only the second club in VFL/AFL history to achieve the feat twice. Their first threepeat came between 2001 and 2003, and a win on Saturday would see them join Melbourne, who accomplished the feat in both 1939–41 and 1955–57, in elite company.
It is also worth noting that this is Brisbane's fourth consecutive grand final appearance, having lost to Collingwood in 2023 before their two successive triumphs. Their path to this year's decider included a 131–122 preliminary final victory over Hawthorn.
For Fremantle, the occasion carries equal weight but a very different kind of longing. The Dockers have never won a premiership since entering the competition in 1995, making Saturday a chance to end more than three decades of heartache. This is only the club's second grand final — the first ended in a loss to Hawthorn in 2013. Fremantle advanced to the decider with wins over Geelong (120–106) and Sydney (83–71) in the finals series.
The two sides met most recently in Round 13 at the Gabba, with Fremantle claiming victory 103–78. Over their past six encounters, the head-to-head ledger is locked at three wins apiece.
The Lions have named Simon Black — a Brownlow medallist and key figure from their 2001–2003 threepeat — as their grand final ambassador, while the Dockers have turned to Shaun McManus, who played in Fremantle's inaugural season and went on to appear in 228 games for the club.
Key players likely to feature prominently include Brisbane's Kai Lohmann, Charlie Cameron, Luke Jackson and Hugh McCluggage, while Andrew Brayshaw is expected to be central to Fremantle's challenge.
How to Watch the 2026 AFL Grand Final
The grand final is broadcast exclusively on Channel Seven and its streaming platform 7Plus, both free to air. Subscription services including Kayo Sports and Fox Sports will not broadcast the match, despite carrying every other game throughout the season — a detail that catches many viewers off guard each year.
For radio listeners, coverage is available on Triple M, ABC Radio and AFL Nation Radio.
Kick-off times by time zone are as follows:
- AEST (NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, TAS): 2:30pm
- ACST (SA, NT): 2:00pm
- AWST (WA): 12:30pm
Pre-Game Entertainment: Kylie Minogue to Headline
Pre-match festivities at the MCG are scheduled to begin at 1:30pm AEST, headlined by Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue. Fellow performers include G Flip, musical actor Michael Paynter — who will sing the national anthem — and crowd favourite Mike Brady, who will perform Up There Cazaly during the retiree motorcade. Fans should note that all entertainment is pre-game; there is no halftime show.
The Woodside Controversy Casting a Shadow Over Fremantle
With the Dockers in the spotlight, a long-running fan campaign has surged back into public conversation. Fremantle renewed its partnership with Woodside Energy — an Australian gas company — at the end of 2024, extending what is now a 16-year sponsorship arrangement. The deal has attracted sustained criticism from fans and activists, particularly given Woodside's planned expansion of the North West Shelf project and legal challenges from Traditional Owners in Western Australia.
The "Woodside, get off my chest" campaign, in which supporters tape over the Woodside logo on their Dockers guernsey, gained fresh momentum this week. Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker was photographed wearing a taped-over Fremantle jersey while performing on tour in the United States, and federal Labor MP for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, was similarly pictured in the altered strip. Wilson described the image as a "family photo" taken to show his support for the club.
The renewed attention has prompted fresh calls for Fremantle to walk away from the sponsorship deal before the club's biggest day arrives.
The AFL's lead-up to the grand final has not been without other controversies either. Five Sydney Swans players remain under police investigation following sexual assault allegations stemming from a Melbourne hotel incident in late August, and Geelong were fined over a secret concussion waiver arrangement involving player Jake Kolodjashnij — an episode that also proved embarrassing for new AFL chairman Craig Drummond, a former Cats president.
With all that as backdrop, the 2024 AFL Grand Final — Brisbane's first of their back-to-back titles — now feels like the launchpad for what could become one of the great dynasties in Australian football. Whether the Lions can complete the treble, or whether Fremantle finally breaks through after 31 years, the nation will be watching on Saturday afternoon. For those following the wider sporting calendar this spring, you can also check out our coverage of the NRL finals running concurrently.
