Go Maroon, Blue and Gold: South Bank Is Hosting a Live Viewing Site for the Brisbane Lions' AFL Grand Final

When Australian sporting history is being made, Brisbane turns out. It happened during the 2022 Men's World Cup. For a glorious winter month this year, it kept occurring during the Women's World Cup. And, with the Brisbane Lions into their first men's AFL Grand Final since 2004, it's happening again — with the River City splashing around plenty of maroon, blue and gold to celebrate.

When the Lions beat Carlton in the preliminary final on Saturday, September 23, the Lachie Neale- and Harris Andrews-led team earned a spot in the AFL decider at the MCG on Saturday, September 30 — but, unsurprisingly, tickets to the Melbourne game aren't easy to get. So, for everyone staying in Brisbane, South Bank is hosting a free live viewing site, just as it did when soccer fever was sweeping the city.

Thanks to AFL Queensland and the Brisbane Lions, the Grand Final festivities will feature a finals hub at South Bank's Riverside Green from Thursday, September 28–Saturday, September 30, complete with AFL clinics and other all-ages-friendly activities. Fancy seeing if you can hit an inflatable target with a handball? That's on the agenda as well, plus face painting for kids, merchandise stalls — slinging Lions gear, of course — and signups for both children and adults who are keen to play Aussie Rules footy themselves.

Then, on Saturday, September 30, the big screens at South Bank Piazza and Streets Beach will show the big dance, with the Lions taking on Collingwood in the AFL Grand Final from 2.30pm.

If you're an AFL fan, there's no better way to spend the last Saturday in September. And if it all sounds familiar, that's because the team's famous three-peat of premierships back in 2001–03 included wins over Collingwood in 2002 and 2003.

2023 is clearly proving a great time to be a football fan in Brisbane — of multiple codes. For rugby league aficionados, the Brisbane Broncos will also play in the NRL Grand Final on Sunday, battling Penrith on Sunday, October 1.

The Brisbane Lions AFL Grand Final hub at South Bank will run from Thursday, September 28–Saturday, September 30 — head to the Lions website and AFL Queensland's website for more information

Top image: Flickerd via Wikimedia Commons.