Grand final day at the MCG – it doesn’t take any more words than that to paint a picture for anyone even vaguely familiar with AFL. Grand final day is an event that transcends the two teams on the field. From the parade on Friday, the grand final breakfast on Saturday, the pre-game motorcade and entertainment and the post-game presentations, it is less a game of football than a centrepiece of Australian culture.
While the NRL grand final doesn’t carry quite the same weight of tradition, there is still a significant sense of prestige in running out on to the same stadium where Cathy Freeman won her iconic gold medal in the 2000 Olympics, in front of a roaring crowd who are there to witness history being made.
