Overview
Usually when September rolls around, the AFL finals take over Melbourne. But 2021 isn't a normal year, just as 2020 wasn't before it. With Melbourne currently under its sixth lockdown, all of the footy finals have been played elsewhere — in Tasmania, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth — with the grand final also heading out of town for the second year in a row.
On Saturday, September 25, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will battle it out at Perth's Optus Stadium, with whoever emerges victorious taking home the 2021 AFL premiership cup. Yes, two Victorian teams will face off in Western Australia in the decider, just like two Vic teams did at the Gabba in Brisbane last year.
Thankfully for Victorians, one thing about the grand final is staying the same this year: the annual public holiday on the Friday beforehand. Last year, it moved dates when the game shifted to October. This year, it'll remain in September — on Friday, September 24, in fact.
So, you'll still be able to celebrate the pinnacle of this year's footy season, and get excited about watching the Dees take on the Dogs. That said, Melbourne will still be under lockdown, so the city's residents will be doing so at home — and without a grand final parade, obviously.
Optus Stadium, Government of Western Australia
Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed last month that the public holiday was gazetted, and would go ahead as planned. "I think it might be a 'go and get vaccinated' day. Yes, it's a gazetted public holiday, as we've committed," he said.
"What I want is to get all of us vaccinated and get to the other side of this so that certainly next year's grand final Friday, we can be at a parade. I think that'd be a fantastic thing — and then go to a packed MCG," the Premier continued.
Not into AFL? You can still look forward to a long weekend.
Victoria's AFL Grand Final public holiday will still go ahead on Friday, September 24. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.