Qualification and prize AFL Grand Final

1 qualification , prize

1.1 flag
1.2 trophies
1.3 prize money
1.4 brownlow medal
1.5 grand final parade
1.6 pre-match entertainment
1.7 halftime , post-match entertainment
1.8 sprint race

qualification , prize

the 2 grand finalists qualify via finals series play-offs @ end of season. in current system, 8 teams finishing highest on ladder after home , away rounds qualify four-week-long finals series culminating in grand final. team finishes regular season @ top of ladder said have won minor premiership and, since 1991, has been awarded mcclelland trophy.

flag

carlton football club hoist 1906 vfl premiership flag @ princes park in 1907

the premiers awarded premiership flag , large pennant unfurled @ premiers first home game of following season. current flag blue afl logo, word premiers , year of premiership. although cup features more prominently in celebrations following grand final, flag has far greater symbolic significance.

this reflected in football parlance, in speaking of team winning flag rather cup more common: possibly result of history, presentation of flag first occurred in 1895 when vfa recognised fitzroy s first premiership win, while cup not introduced until 1959 (retrospective cups awarded afl in 2010 vfl/afl premierships in 1897 1958).

trophies

the winner of grand final presented afl premiership cup. current premiership cup silver (with exception of 1996, when gold cup awarded instead of usual silver 1 in recognition of afl/vfl s 100th season) , manufactured cash s international @ metalworks in frankston, victoria.

the cup first introduced in 1959 vfl, , afl has since retrospectively awarded prior premiership winners trophies based on current design. before 1960s, premiership players received personal premiership trophy instead of medallion.

the premier recorded on perpetual e. l. wilson shield, resides @ afl house. shield, inaugurated in 1929, named after edwin lionel wilson, secretary of victorian football league inception in 1897 until retirement in 1929. discontinued after 1978, when there no room remaining on shield more teams.

in 2016, shield rediscovered under stairwell @ afl house. refurbished, space being added bring shield date, , reintroduced premiership trophy.

prize money

prize money awarded victorious club.

however amount not reflective of magnitude of participating in event. assumed winner of premiership typically experiences increase in revenue through increases in membership , merchandise sales.

the current cash prize winning club a$1 million. before 2006, cash prize winning club of a$200,000 awarded (in contrast, winner of nab cup, far less important pre-season competition, awarded similar amount, a$210,000). following sydney swans premiership in 2005, many clubs publicly questioned prize money, had not increased many years , barely covered cost of participation in finals series.

brownlow medal

the chas brownlow trophy, better known brownlow medal, medal awarded fairest , best player in australian football league during regular season (i.e. not including finals matches) decided upon umpires. named after geelong player , long-serving administrator main advocate in establishing victorian football league, charles brownlow. awarded @ special dinner on monday night before grand final, @ crown casino in melbourne.

grand final parade

since 1977, traditional grand final parade featuring players each team has been held around midday on friday before each grand final. parade adopted tradition had begun decades earlier in amateur vafa, , became increasingly popular during 1980s.

from inception until 2014, parade based in melbourne city centre, proceeding st kilda road along city s main thoroughfares swanston street, turning collins street, , ending @ steps outside old treasury building. parade featured players competing sides. players have in past appeared on parade floats; in recent times has become motorcade of open-top vehicles (weather permitting).

when friday of parade declared public holiday in victoria in 2015, afl determined traditional city route no longer made sense office buildings set vacant. new route begin @ old treasury building, head south down spring st, east along wellington parade, , end within yarra park outside mcg.

since 2007, parades have attracted in excess of 100,000 fans each year (except in inclement weather). crowds have historically been smaller in years when no victorian clubs contested grand final – such between 2004 , 2006, when crowds ranged 40,000 75,000. record crowd of 150,000 people attended first public holiday parade in 2015.

some of estimated seventy 5 thousand people lined streets of melbourne 2006 afl grand final parade



pre-match entertainment


west coast eagles , sydney swans players lining national anthem @ 2005 afl grand final.

over years many big australian , international stars have performed or appeared pre-match entertainment @ grand final. game has been criticised poor pre-game entertainment; in particular, performances angry anderson in 1991 , meat loaf in 2011 have been singled out poor performances entertainers involved.

each team s club song performed live part of pre-match entertainment (with recorded version played team enters field, in traditional fashion). time, many or of selection of traditional football , australian songs (up there cazaly, 1 day in september, s thing football, holy grail , waltzing matilda) performed each year, although has fallen out of favour.

advance australia fair performed when teams , umpires on field, , lined on wing.

halftime , post-match entertainment

the 2012 afl grand final , 2013 afl grand final, in addition having pre-match entertainment, included half-time , post-match entertainment. post-match entertainment follows grand final takes place after presentations , player celebrations have concluded, , unlike main match, free , open general public, invited attend, regardless of whether attended match or not. of 2012, half-time , post-match shows sponsored virgin australia, half-time show known virgin australia half-time show , post-match shown named virgin australia premiership party result. in 2012, half-time , post-match entertainment provided paul kelly , temper trap, while in 2013, consisted of hunters , collectors , birds of tokyo.

half-time entertainment absent 2014 afl grand final, entertainment occurring pre-match. however, retained post-match entertainment concert, featured tom jones , ed sheeran. repeated 2015 afl grand final, ellie goulding , bryan adams providing both pre-match , post-match entertainment, , chris isaak providing pre-match entertainment alone.

sprint race

the 2015 grand final sprint competitors cross finish line. majak daw of north melbourne winner.

since 1977 running race has taken place on grand final day between various players not taking part in game. in 1977–78 long-distance race run on mile each league club able nominate 2 entrants. in 1979 race changed 100 m sprint 1 player per club taking part.

between 1979–87 2 clubs participating in grand final had option of providing 1 of players missed selection in match, chose not so, meaning sprint contested field of 10 players during era.

the race not held 1988 2001 reintroduced in 2002 (along goalkicking contest, lasted 1 year). number of league clubs having grown 16 during break in competition, new format adopted players split 2 groups of 8 heats (held before grand final), top 4 each heat advancing final (held @ half-time of grand final). in recent years handicapping system has been introduced; not used in 2014 grand final.