Overview
There's something very human about pulling up a chair to watch a sports final with cold drinks and hot food in hand until the last siren. Come grand final season (the best time of year), it's easy to watch the game at home, but squeezing the whole group onto one couch and keeping them happy with chips and party pies isn't what you want.
Instead, why not venture out across town? These venues around Melbourne have unmissable offerings for the AFL Grand Final weekend. Head to any of the venues to watch any of the final matches or snag a booking to catch the big game on Saturday, September 28.
If you can afford to be picky, pick The Terminus Hotel in Abbotsford. As always, the Terminus team is abandoning the classic grand final specials in favour of something bolder with the return of the annual AFL Grand Final Block Party. Flockhart Street will be closed for the day to play host to big-screen broadcasts, bottomless drinks, roaming canapés and live music before and after the game itself from $109pp.
If you're a bit of a footy diehard, former Collingwood player Dane Swan will be visiting Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street for a breakfast meet and greet. Tickets are $95pp and include a breakfast package and guaranteed seats for the game later in the day.
If the game is just part of the day for you, Garden State Hotel will offer a beverage package for $135pp that includes the game and live music until 3am (whether you're celebrating a win or recovering from a loss). Across the river, Hopscotch is offering a siren-to-siren beverage and share plates package for $109pp.
The offerings continue all across town. The Espy will have the game screening in the Gerswhin Room alongside three hours of drinks and snacks for $110pp. Middle Park Hotel has a similar offer with its VIP package: a drink on entry, roaming canapés and premium reserved seating for $49pp.
The Prince Alfred Hotel is making a whole long weekend out of the occasion — with live music and a DJ on Thursday the 26th from 4pm until late and an extended happy hour from 3–7pm on Thursday. Come Saturday, a DJ will follow the big game until late, and there's even live music from 2–5pm on Sunday the 29th.
Finally, the Victoria Hotel in Yarraville will have the game playing on screens big and small throughout the beer garden and sports bar, perfect for enjoying the prime seating, welcome snack and complimentary beer included in the $45pp VIP package. The Local in Port Melbourne will be offering live music from 3pm on Friday, then a footy raffle entry and live music after the game on Saturday included in your $30pp ticket. If you find yourself in Melbourne's north on game day, our pick would be Brewdog Pentridge, where you can catch the game live and loud when it takes over the beer garden from 11am.
For more information on any of these venues, visit the Australian Venue Co. website and download The Pass app to start exploring and claim exclusive rewards across these venues.