The showpiece event of a sports-mad Melbourne, the AFL is set to move the Grand Final outside of Victoria for the first time in the competition’s history. The six-week COVID-19 lockdown implemented across Victoria has forced the hand of AFL bosses, and the league has begun discussions with several venues outside of Melbourne for the showpiece event.

Melbourne has entered a six-week lockdown, with concerns now being aired that the decider would be played at an empty Melbourne Cricket Group (MCG) if the game went ahead in Melbourne in October. 1991 was the last time that the Grand Final was moved from the MCG. West Coast and Hawthorn played the decider at Waverly Park, with the MCG undergoing renovations at the time.

Sydney has emerged as the dark horse to host the showpiece event, with ANZ Stadium emerging as a shock candidate to host the 2020 Grand Final. ANZ Stadium the only ground in the country able to match the 100,000-seat capacity of the MCG, but is currently in the midst of renovations and unable to host fans in Sydney.

Leading AFL journalist Caroline Wilson believes Sydney will get the nod: