By Caroline Schelle
The Geelong Cats and the Sydney Swans will float along the Yarra in boats and pontoons in a twist to the traditional grand final parade.
Friday’s parade will be the first since 2019 after the COVID pandemic forced the AFL to hold the grand final in Brisbane and then Perth.
An artist’s depiction of the 2022 AFL grand final parade on the Yarra River.
The AFL says the route of the parade will enable up to 250,000 people to see the procession.
In a first, the teams will be in a flotilla on the Yarra River for part of the parade, then transfer onto vehicles to a stage outside the MCG.
Who will you see?
Players from the Swans and the Cats will take part in the parade, along with coaches, mascots, and the premiership trophy.
Smaller boats containing each of the clubs’ coaches, captains and mascots will lead the procession with the two teams travelling in pontoons along the Yarra River.
Captains Trent Cotchin, Richmond, and Phil Davis, GWS Giants, pose with the premiership cup during the AFL grand final parade in 2019. Credit:Getty Images
The floating parade will end at Birrarung Marr, where players will get into utes and drive to the MCG.
The parade route
The parade on the river will start at 10.30am near the Swan Street Bridge and will head down the river before turning around before the Princes Street Bridge.
The players will disembark at Birrarung Marr where they will then hop into utes for a motorcade to the MCG, which will start at 11.10am.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan holding the premiership cup. Credit:Getty
They will travel along the William Barak Bridge and through Yarra Park near the MCG until they reach Gate 3 of the stadium.
Just outside the gate, players will step on stage at 11.45am. That will be followed by a concert for fans at the footy festival at 12.30pm.
Where to watch the parade
There are three dedicated areas for fans, which will feature music and live screens at Alexandra Gardens, Birrarung Marr and Yarra Park.
To see the boat portion of the parade, fans should head to the banks of the Yarra near Alexandra Gardens, where there will also be music, food trucks and roaming entertainment.
Near Birrarung Marr there will be picnic spots and the live action will be broadcast on a big screen.
The motorcade will cross William Barrack Bridge, which is being touted as an ideal spot for fans to get close to the footballers. Another good vantage point will be along Jolimont Street.
There will also be action on the main stage outside the MCG’s Gate 3.
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