It’s that time of the year again as the AFL and NRL Grand Final’s are on this coming weekend in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

With the action set to be electric on the field at both Sydney’s ANZ Stadium and Melbourne’s Melbourne Cricket Ground there are also a fantastic selection of fan engagement activations happening in each city from these national sporting codes as well as the competing teams that will be sure to keep fans entertained, engaged and having a world class fan experience at each stadium and online. 

While Melbourne’s MCG plays host to the Western Bulldogs versus the Sydney Swans in the AFL, Sydney’s ANZ Stadium will see Melbourne Storm take on the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL. 

Twitter has already jumped in to add special Grand Final emoji’s for both the #NRLGF and #AFLGF as well as the teams.

AFL Grand Final 2016

Taking a look at the AFL first and that code will be holding the Foxtel AFL Footy Festival in Yarra Park outside Gate 3 of the MCG. The free festival will be showcasing the best of what Melbourne has to offer in food, music, movies, and of course, footy.

The event is open to the general public and will be running for four days from Wednesday, September 28 until Grand Final day, Saturday, October 1.

The AFL Live Site has 20+ activities on offer for fans over the four days with plenty of photo opportunities for those lasting memorable moments. Here is the full list:

*Update 28/9/16

I’ve just been through the AFL Footy Festival site and it is spectacular. From 30+ sponsor led fan engagement activation stands to gourmet food and drink this place has everything fans young and old could want in the lead up to the Grand Final. Pics below. 

A tradition on grand final eve, the AFL Grand Final Parade provides a chance for supporters of all ages to see the players taking part in the 2016 Toyota AFL Grand Final. Marching bands and roving entertainers will join the cavalcade of Toyota HiLuxes parading the Grand Final teams, from the Old Treasury Building to the Live Site at Yarra Park at the MCG on Melbourne’s public holiday Friday 30th September from 12-1pm.

Showcasing gourmet food options at sporting events is all part of the new wave of stadium advancements and the Lifestyle Taste of Footy event will be sure to showcase some of Melbourne’s best food options. With gourmet kebabs from Biggie Smalls Kebabs and Mexican fare from Lady Carolina to the yummy fries of King of Spuds and modern Japanese flavours of Tokyo Tina there is sure to be an option for every tastebud at this AFL footy food festival.

Adding to the AFL Grand Final fan experience is the AFL Kids Zone which will include a range of activities for young AFL fans including the ever popular Woolworths AFL Playground, AFL Bounce, Ben 10 Drone Zone and NAB lounge.

The kids zone at the AFL Footy Festival also includes the Presto Movies at the MCG which will include a free public screening of the popular film Minions.

To keep fans connected, Telstra is also providing free wi-fi hotspots throughout the Foxtel Footy festival. Fans can connect to the ‘Free Telstra Wi-Fi’ when they arrive and share their photos and videos from each day of the event.

The AFL Grand Final Eve Party featuring Australian hip hop supremo Illy is a free gig for fans at Yarra Park on September 30.

To get fans to the MCG on Grand Final day, Public Transport Victoria are putting on extra services and extending the free tram from the CBD to the MCG. More on the free transport here: MCG Public Transport

 

Sydney Swans

As for the teams, Sydney are holding an open training session at the SCG on Monday while galvanising their fans passion together under their #AFLGF hashtag of #ProudlySydney. Fans can also pick up their special Swans Grand Final tee’s as well.

The Swans Finals Hub has all the information fans needs to have an exceptional fan experience at the MCG and features a page where fans can leave their Fan Mail to support the team.

The Swans App also features lots of exclusive content for fans to engage with on Grand Final day including:

– LIVE scores and team/player stats direct to your device
– Player profiles for every current player
– Video on Demand allows you to watch match highlights and press conferences while you’re on the run
– Latest News & Videos from your club
– Team Selections as they are announced
– Match details for the season including Results, Ladder and team Fixture
– Team Stats including disposals, kicks, handballs, and more
– Player Stats including goals, behinds and Fantasy points, plus their season averages
– Follow your club via the official Twitter feed
– Visit the Swanshop
– Book tickets to any match

The Swans are calling on fans to get behind their ‘Proudly Sydney‘ campaign and asking them to change their profile pics on Facebook to support the team while also having a Live Site for the Grand Final in Sydney on Saturday. 

Western Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs have plenty on for fans as well with their AFL Grand Final Live Site at Whitten Oval, their Fans MVP Vote and an open training session on Tuesday featuring a host of activities.

Quality content such as the Dogs Cartoon, Kidszone Healthy Eating Tips and their The Pack kids activities are also sure to excite fans young and old in the lead up to the grand final.

The Bulldogs app features a heap of fan content such as:

– LIVE scores and stats for every game of the 2016 AFL Toyota Premiership Season
– Refreshed Match Centre, including new team and player stats, and in-game video highlights
– New Team Stats section showing how the club shapes up against competition averages
– Improved Player profiles with additional stats and player information
– Video on Demand to watch match highlights and press conferences while you’re on the run
– Latest News & Videos from the club
– Player profiles for every current player, including bio, related articles and video, and season stats
– Team Selections as they are announced
– Match details for the season including Results, Ladder and team Fixture
– Alerts to your phone for club news, team announcements and match starts
– Team song audio and lyrics
– Fans’ MVP
– Follow your club via the official Twitter feed
– Visit the Bulldogs Shop
– Book tickets to any match

On the Sunday after the AFL Grand Final (Sunday October 2nd, 2016) the Melbourne Cricket Ground is opening the doors to the public for the annual ‘MCG Open Day‘ where sports fans can have fun on the field as well as participate in the following activities:

-Relive your favourite sporting moments on the hallowed turf of the MCG with kick-to-kick with family and friends.
-Kids can participate in free cricket clinics courtesy of the Melbourne Stars.
-Create your own Grand Final celebration and have your photo taken with the 2016 replica AFL premiership cup (at the reduced cost of $5 per photo if you pre-registered).
-Bask in the glory of the Cricket World Cup and the Women’s Ashes Trophy.
-Don’t miss our Frozen stage shows which will take place throughout the day. You can even take a photo with Elsa, Anna and Olaf!
-Explore the inner sanctum of the MCG, from the player change rooms and cricket viewing rooms to the MCC Library and The Long Room.
-Visit the National Sports Museum at a discounted cost (only $5).
-See, hold and take photos with a variety of amazing animals at our petting zoo
-Kids can enjoy free pony rides from 11am-3pm
-Enjoy traditional footy fare – from meat pies and hot chips, to salad and sushi at family friendly prices. Don’t miss out on the Kids meal deal!
-Free face painting.
-Roaming entertainment.

 

National Rugby League 2016 Grand Final

The NRL is hosting a free NRL Grand Final Fan Day on Thursday 29th September at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt in Sydney which will include the following fan activations and activities:

– Virtual kick

– Kids entertainment and activities

– Player signing sessions and photo opportunities

– Team mascots

– Live entertainment

– Photo opportunities with a life size NRL Trophy

On Grand Final day, Sydney’s ANZ Stadium will be hosting an array of activities for fans close by in Cathy Freeman Park which will include:

– A massive pre-game Grand Final party will kick off from 11am on Sunday.

– Loads of live entertainment and gourmet food and drink options.

– Megastar Keith Urban will perform LIVE pre-game as part of an electrifying build-up to the NRL Grand Final. The chart-topping ARIA and Grammy Award winner will bring home the pre-game show following a performance by multiple Grammy Award-winner Richie Sambora, a founding member of Bon Jovi, who will be joined by Australia’s own guitar goddess Orianthi.

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne are holding an Open Training Session this week for fans.

Melbourne through sponsor Tiger Air are offering fans 5% off their flights to the Grand Final while their app is a must download ahead of the final match of the season on Sunday and includes:

– A brand new design theme and layout optimised for the iPhone 6;
– Access to the latest team News, Videos and Photo Galleries;
– 2016 Telstra Premiership Draw and Fixtures presented in a round or calendar format;
– Ladder for the Telstra Premiership and Holden Cup;
– Full squad list with Player Profiles;
– Push Notifications to keep you updated at all times with breaking news, score alerts and match updates;
– Integrated Twitter feeds from the official team and player accounts; and
– Access to all team related sites, including Membership, Merchandise Store, Ticketing, Events Calendar and many more!

Cronulla Sharks

The Sharks Finals Hub has all the information that fans need to know for the big day with merch, game notes and interviews while the team are encouraging fans to use the hashtag #WhyNotUs to get them psyched up for the game.

Cronulla are hosting a fan day on Tuesday.

A pop up shop will help fans gear up for match day while they have also put together a Sharks Spotify playlist for fans to dance to ahead of the big match. You can listen in here to the Cronulla Sharks NRL Playlist.

 

 Sharks fans are able to get their hands on official Grand Final shirts 

There are sure to be even more activations,  content and activities for fans of both codes and teams which are set to excite and engage sports fans this weekend and showcase the best in fan engagement from both codes. 

Note: I’ll be adding in more pictures and updates as they come in across the teams social streams and websites as well as pictures of the AFL Footy Festival in Melbourne which I’ll be checking out on Wednesday.