About the event
The AFL Grand Final is the championship-deciding match of Australian rules football and one of the biggest days on the Australian sporting calendar. Held on the last Saturday of September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a 100,000 crowd, it crowns the season's premiers. Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon share the record with 16 premierships each.
Key figures
First held1898VFL/AFL premiership
VenueThe MCG~100,000 crowd
TrophyPremiership Cupto the winners
WhenLate Septembergrand-final day
Most VFL/AFL premierships (all-time)
1Carlton16
2Collingwood16
3Essendon16
4Richmond13
5Hawthorn13
Stay in Melbourne
Check-in 24 Sep, check-out 26 Sep 2026 — 2 nights around 25 September–25 September 2026. Change the dates to stay longer.
AREA
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Getting there
- Typestadium
- AirportMelbourne Airport (MEL), about 19 km
- From the airportSkyBus to Southern Cross Station, 4 am–1 am daily; airport is 25 km north, about 35 min — SkyBus ticket
- Public transportTrams, trains and buses: Trams are free inside the city-centre Free Tram Zone; myki card elsewhere on trams, trains and buses; trains ~5 am–midnight
- TaxiSilver Top Taxi, 13CABS, Uber, Ola, DiDi — Metered taxis; rideshare apps widely used
- Time zoneAustralia/Melbourne
Host country
- Currency: Australian dollar
- Language: English
- Driving: on the left
- Capital: Canberra
- Phone: +61
- Emergency: 000
- Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz, plugs I
Coming years
2027
The organiser had not announced the 2027 edition as of 2026-09-03.
| Year | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 |  Brisbane Lions (Australia) | Beat Geelong Cats — back-to-back |
| 2024 | Brisbane Lions (Australia) | Beat Sydney Swans |
| 2023 | Collingwood (Australia) | Beat Brisbane Lions by four points — 16th premiership |
| 2022 | Geelong Cats (Australia) | Beat Sydney Swans by 81 points |