The 2015 AFL Grand Final will be played out between the Hawthorn Hawks and West Coast Eagles at the MCG on Saturday afternoon, in what is sure to be a typically tough affair.
The game’s benchmark for the last few years, Hawthorn are aiming to tie the Brisbane Lions’ record of three-consecutive Grand Final wins, while West Coast are seeking a fourth flag in what will be there sixth appearance in a decider.
The Hawks and Eagles have only met in an AFL Grand Final on one previous occasion – 1991’s fixture at Waverley Park which was comfortably claimed by Hawthorn 20/19/139 vs 13/8/86.
The match tossed up plenty of top quality football, but the day has undoubtedly gone down in infamy thanks to Angry Anderson’s performance of Bound For Glory.
After it was confirmed the Hawks and Eagles were to meet once more on Saturday, there has been plenty of speculation the AFL are doing their best to wheel Anderson, the blue bat mobile and Robert De Castella out for nostalgia’s sake.
While it’s pretty unlikely that will happen, we’ve taken a look back at a couple of good, and plenty of terrible entertainment choices at the AFL Grand Final in seasons gone by.
The Shockers
Angry Anderson
The 1991 Grand Final should be remembered as the only decider in recent history to be played at Waverley Park rather than the MCG, but Rose Tattoo front man Angry Anderson ensured the day would go down in infamy for another reason. Brought onto the field in a bright blue bat mobile, Anderson launched into one of the more inspirational war chants that even had the crowd’s VIP’s in stitches.
Meatloaf
Plenty was made of what an exceptional grand final day it would be when it was announced American theatrical superstar Meatloaf would take to the stage during the 2011 decider, but it seemed like the bloke was up against it from the start thanks to the spectacle that was made in the days leading up to crunch. Off key from note number 1, Meatloaf was clearly aware this was not one of his finer performances and spent the following weeks following blaming all and sundry for the embarrassing ten minutes.
INXS featuring JD Fortune
2005 saw Australian rock royalty INXS kick off a reality show in search of a new lead-vocalist, and picked Canadian JD Fortune to attempt to fill the void left by Michael Hutchence. Their first album flopped and it wasn’t long before issues began to surface between the band and singer. Unluckily for the crowd at the 2010 AFL Grand Final, the group managed to stay alive long enough to drag their once mighty name through the mud once more. It was clear there was no chemistry left when JD over-exaggerated his role and the rest of the band did little more than stand still, play their instruments and leave.
Jackie Love
Jackie Love never performed at an AFL Grand Final, but her appearance at the 1983 SANFL decider is simply too good to leave off any entertainment list. Love plied her trade as a successful TV and cabaret performer and was realistically never cut out to headline a footy final. From the time she skipped onto the field to her microphone feedback and ability to work the teams’ names into the already cringe worthy ‘Up There Cazaly’, this performance was certainly one for the ages.
Daryl Somers
Amidst the initial run of Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Daryl Somers did everything possible to get his mug into the spotlight and that culminated in an appearance at the 1987 VFL Grand Final. Doing his best Sonny Crockett impression, Somers took to the stage for a dragging rendition of Aussie classic Waltzing Matilda. It is truly surprising a good portion of the crowd stuck around for the game that followed.
Australian Idol Season 1 Contestants
In one of the great cross-promotions mustered by channel 10, the first batch of Australian Idol finalists, Nollsy included performed a specifically-written song called ‘One Day In September’. The performance underlined why there was only one winner of the reality show, and the song itself could very well have been written by Tony Robbins. It was great however to see Up There Cazaly get another run.
A Couple of Victories
John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes and Mark Seymour
There was never a chance the combination of Aussie music royalty John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes and Mark Seymour wasn’t going to work, and in 2009 the trio produced one of the great AFL Grand Final shows on record. Above everything, the three voices complimented each other perfectly and the raw-chemistry and emotion was apparently. It certainly helps when the crowd gets into the spirit as well.
Paul Kelly and Tim Rogers
Following a similar formula to the previous example, the 2012 AFL Grand Final saw Paul Kelly and Tim Rogers combine for another standout performance. What probably added extra spark to this pairing is the two are noted AFL fans and would have relished playing for a crowd of similar-minded folk at the game’s grandest stage. The Temper Trap also played in 2012 and were typically tight in their own right.