The Brisbane Lions hoped to have an extra day to train and prepare for this weekend’s AFL Grand Final, but their plans have proven impossible as pop superstar Katy Perry requires the ground for rehearsals ahead of the big day.
As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, the Brisbane Lions wanted an extra training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) before the captain’s run on Friday. At the time of writing, the Lions will have just one chance to train on the surface before the big game, which takes place on Saturday, 28 September.
An MCC spokesperson confirmed to the publication that Grand Final entertainers have the opportunity to rehearse at the MCG on the Thursday in the lead-up to the game. They added that it’s normal for Grand Final teams to have just one shot training on the ground.
Saturday’s AFL Grand Final will be the first to feature two non-Victorian clubs since 2006 as the Lions take on the Sydney Swans. Both teams have played at the MCG three times during the 2024 season. However, they’ve never played against each other at the venue.
While the teams may be apprehensive about playing at the ground with one training session under their belts, the Sydney Morning Herald notes that the Lions have an advantage: Perry will likely perform her popular track Roar, which will go down a treat with the team’s supporters.
AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial Kylie Rogers said about locking in Perry as this year’s Grand Final pre-game entertainment headliner:
“Katy Perry is an international music icon who has been entertaining fans with her chart-topping hits for many years, so the AFL is delighted to have her join us at the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final in what will be a spectacular Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment performance.”
Perry last toured Australia in August 2018 on her Witness tour. She revisited Australia in March 2020 – not long before the borders closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – for a performance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the MCG and a bushfire relief concert at the Pioneer Park Recreation Reserve in Bright, Victoria.
Last year, the AFL secured KISS to headline the pre-game entertainment after Crowded House reportedly dropped out.
