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With the AFL 2022 season coming to a close, last week was able to highlight just how much the game means to Victoria, and more importantly, that events are back to full strength. 100,024 packed into MCG, the first AFL Grand Final back in Victoria, to see Geelong and Sydney fight it out for the premiership. A full capacity crowd were able to watch Geelong dominate the Grand Final and cap off what has been one of the best overall AFL seasons, with the number of exciting finishes and close margins that each round provided. The week begun with a four-day celebration full of FREE entertainment for all ages including player appearances, giveaways, music, activations and some of Melbourne’s best food trucks and bars. With so many brands participating and creating interactive stands, there sure was so much for kids and families to love. Last Friday also saw the newest version of Grand Final Parades with players seen waving to crowds from boats along the Yarra, finishing their journeys into Yarra Park to be welcomed by footy fans eager to get a glimpse and listen to their stars ahead of the big game. Overall, it was great to see the AFL Finals series in Victoria have so much excitement and hype, after what has been a long and tough few years.
Footy Festival
The Footy Festival was one of the biggest so far, there were a number of brands that were able to create some awesome experiences and entertainment for footy fans, young and old! There were some great activities for kids and adults and created an awesome buzz in Yarra Park, right out the front of the iconic MCG. From sports activities, gaming, food trucks and bars, live music, and entertainment, it had it all!
It was great to see so many people back in the city enjoying their long weekends and able to be involved and celebrate grand final week. Across the four days of action saw a host of AFL stars who were able to interact and get involved in some of the activities alongside the fans. AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial, Kylie Rogers highlighted that “Victoria has been starved of finals footy for the last few years, so we’re delighted to provide four-days of free activities for footy fans of all ages to soak up the atmosphere ahead of the 2022 Toyota AFL Grand Final”. It was also great to see so many families and kids so excited and enjoying as much as they could, across the number of activities and entertainment they could participate in.
Grand Final Parade
For the First time ever, the AFL Grand Final Parade, was moved to the Yarra River, seeing crowds of people flock to the banks of the Yarra to catch a glimpse of their teams before the Grand Final on Saturday. In what was a new and exciting change, the boats made their way down the Yarra towards the MCG where the teams were driven across the bridge to the MCG where the players were introduced to the fans and discussed their upcoming Grand Final. The boats and parade provided an awesome viewing experience for the fans, who got to see their favourite players up close. Not only did Friday signify that the AFL Grand Final was back in Melbourne, however it showed us that Melbourne was back open and that it was awesome and exciting to see events go live and crowds back at full capacity.
Overall, the AFL Grand Final week for 2022, capped off what was an incredible season and showed us that fans and Melbournians are back out enjoying events. Not only was the crowd at the MCG the most in over 50 years, the precursor Grand Final parade and the Footy Festival, allowed fans to gain access and insight to their favourite players and experience an exciting and awesome week filled of fun, joy and entertainment for all. Crowds are finally back to full capacity, and it means that the event industry is beginning to find its feet after a tough period. At Crowd Culture, we are excited to be involved in events like this, find out more how we can help you take your event to the next level here!
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