Story perspectives

AFL Confirms 2026 Grand Final at MCG

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 6:10 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The AFL will stage the 2026 Grand Final between Fremantle Dockers and Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
The match kicks off with the first ball-up at 2.30 pm AEST on Saturday 26 September.
Channel Seven, 7Plus and its app will broadcast live; viewers abroad can stream via Watch AFL.
If scores are level, teams play two three-minute extra-time halves, repeating until a winner emerges.

History

Historical Context

The first televised Australian rules Grand Final aired in 1960, as the Victorian Football League broadcast the Melbourne Cricket Ground clash between Melbourne and Collingwood. Channel 9’s live transmission reached an estimated 2.5 million viewers nationwide, marking a breakthrough in sports media consumption for Australian households. Today, the AFL schedules the 2026 Grand Final between Fremantle Dockers and Brisbane Lions at the MCG, streaming via Channel Seven, 7Plus, and Watch AFL. The evolution from a single TV channel to multi-platform broadcasts underscores expanding national audiences and commercial stakes, prompting future rule tweaks and venue negotiations.

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Story summary

The AFL will stage the 2026 Grand Final between Fremantle Dockers and Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
The match kicks off with the first ball-up at 2.30 pm AEST on Saturday 26 September.
Channel Seven, 7Plus and its app will broadcast live; viewers abroad can stream via Watch AFL.
If scores are level, teams play two three-minute extra-time halves, repeating until a winner emerges.

1 / 2