The pandemic Has really had a lot to do with sports this year, but in Australia we managed to get through more than 20 weeks of Professional Australian Rules Football with no significant COVID-19 setbacks. This weekend it all ends in the Australian Super Bowl: The AFL Grand Final.
It's feline extravaganza when the top two teams, the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats, battle it out for the 2020 Premiership Cup.
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Usually around 100,000 spectators unpacked the Melbourne Cricket Ground for a game of "footy" in September. This year it looks a little different. For one thing, it's October. Two: Pat McAfee single-handedly inspired the US viewers for Aussie Rules when Bans close all major US sportsSo there is a little more interest.
It will be a historic Grand Final for the AFL. It's the first time the Grand Final has been played under lights at night. This isn't the best news for international viewers in the US bringing the game live to the US early that morning.
Australian Rules Football is the greatest game in the world, but the Australian Football League isn't very good at compiling guides for international audiences - their International Broadcasting Guide is for 2016. But I swear we're not going backwards here and despite its looks the AFL is expanding its fan base.
If you want to see the greatest * spectacle in the world without all of the ads you get during the Super Bowl, here is everything you need to know.
When does the Grand Final start?
The first jump is at 7:30 p.m. AEDT in Australia. If you're in the US you have to make it a night out or get up early and brew a latte (that's what people would do in Melbourne, which is usually where the Grand Final is played.)
Let's go through some US time zones:
- Hawaii: Friday, October 23rd, 10:30 p.m.
- Pacific: Saturday, October 24th, 1:30 a.m.
- Mountain: Saturday, October 24th, 2.30 a.m.
- Central: Saturday, October 24th, 3:30 a.m.
- East: Saturday, October 24th, 4.30 a.m.
And if you are in the UK:
Just because this is a (potentially) one-off nightly Grand Final, and the start time is a little shaky, it's here in all of the Australian time zones:
- NSW, VIC, ACT, TAS: Saturday, October 24th, 7:30 p.m.
- QLD: Saturday, October 24th, 6:30 p.m.
- SAT, NT: 7: 12:00 AM Saturday, October 24th.
- WA: Saturday, October 24th, 4:30 p.m.
How to watch the AFL Grand Final 2020
The game will air on Fox Sports 1 in the US and coverage will begin an hour before the ricochet at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET. In the UK, BT Sport 3 will host the Grand Final. That means you'll need a cable subscription if you want to get involved. If you don't have one, there are a few other options you can pursue.
Any international viewer can stream the game on Watch AFL, although a Grand Final Pass will earn you A $ 40 (approx. USD 28).
Although the website looks like it was developed in the 1990s, you can view it on a compatible phone, tablet, or computer, and it supports Chromecast, Airplay, or the Apple TV app. There is VPN potential here if you are interested.
Aussies are understandably covered. Channel 7 will broadcast the Grand Final live. Reporting begins at 4:30 p.m. AEDT.
The AFL Broadcasting division informs CNET that "Streaming in Australia is only available in the AFL Live app presented by Telstra" which means that you will not be able to use and watch free streaming services like 7Plus.
The AFL Live Pass is $ 4.99 per week, but new customers can get a free two-week trial. This may be your best choice if you haven't signed up already. However, this does not support casting on devices.
I don't know about Aussie Rules but I'm excited, what should I know?
To be honest, this AFL produced video offers a really clear and concise rundown of everything you need to know. I would start there. Then check out the highlights of the 1997 AFL Grand Final between the Adelaide Crows and St. Kilda Saints and you're done.
Wait, they are not wearing pads?
Pads? Pfft please.
Where will the Grand Final be played?
In contrast to the Super Bowl, the Grand Final in Australia is only ever played in one stadium: the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, this year is ... well, this year There was a change in plans.
The Grand Final will now be played at the Gabba in Brisbane, Queensland. To show our international readers the importance of the MCG to the grand finale, here are some things to consider: The AFL decided to cut a piece of grass from the MCG and ship it 1,100 miles across the country for the MCG to somehow get into the MCG involved is last game of the year.
This is a free operation at no cost folks. I can't imagine how McAfee feels about this.
Is there a halftime show?
Oddly enough, yes. The AFL doesn't normally host a halftime show, but COVID-19 has got them trying new things and they'll be entertaining during the break.
Look, fair warning: this is the biggest event on the Australian sports calendar, but it doesn't match the spectacle of the Super Bowl. At halftime show there will be a band called Sheppard who you may or may not know (or may not) know from their huge single "Geronimo".
For what's worth it, the AFL goes with an All Australian theme for entertainment, but it should probably just go back to The Killers, who put on an iconic pregame show that was just as delightful as anything Springsteen does on one Made the Super Bowl.
