It’s Official: The AFL Grand Final Will Be Played at the Gabba

And for the first time, we will watch the final under lights.

After months of debate between states, AFL officials and politicians, we finally have a location for the 2020 AFL Grand Final set in stone.

As many had already guessed earlier this week, the final will be held in Brisbane at the Gabba, on October 24, after a decision made by the AFL’s executive team on Tuesday night.

With the venue set, rumours about the details and timing of the event are already starting to spread online.

The goss is that while an exact time is yet to be decided, the game will be played at night, under lights for the first time ever.

Lock it in.

The 2020 @AFL Grand Final will be held in Brisbane, at the Gabba, on October 24.

Time TBC, but will be under lights.

Details coming up on @7NewsPerth

— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) September 1, 2020

While this is great news for Queenslanders, this might be a bitter pill for the rest of the country to swallow, especially Victorians.

The announcement today means that West Aussies, South Aussies and Sydneysiders have missed out on hosting the once-in-a-lifetime event and fans online seem to be very mixed about the AFL's decision.

Still can’t believe this year’s #AFL Grand Final will be played at the GABBA 😬

— Kurt Webb (@TheKurtoWEBBY) September 2, 2020

Really happy Brisbane gets to host the Grand Final, & now no longer can the AFL claim it has to go to the ground with the largest capacity. #aflgrandfinal

— Stephen Crowe (@crowey_crowe) September 1, 2020

The #AFL Grand Final is a World Class game that should be staged at a World Class stadium which Perth has in Optus Stadium, but is now likely instead be played at the Gabba which hasn't been redeveloped for 15 years.
Bad decision Gillon McLaughlan! #AFL

— Trystan Spooner (@TrystanSpooner) September 1, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has seen a lot of unexpected changes to Australian sporting tradition, but Victoria really drew the short straw as the spike in coronavirus cases over the last few months saw most events cancelled or moved to other parts of the country.

As every other AFL grand final has been played at the MCG since 1897, excluding during World War II and 1991 when the ground was being upgraded, Melbourne’s loss of the 2020 grand final is a tough blow.

Earlier in the year the pandemic forced several of the AFL’s games to be postponed and later relocated away from the MCG, some without any crowds.

The debate around the event’s location had previously been floated in most states around the country with some cities arguing that they would be able to host a larger capacity of fans and others claiming their states were in a safer position against the pandemic.

As for the Gabba, the venue usually holds up to 42,000 people, but due to physical distancing rules, we’re likely to see a maximum capacity of 30,000 on the day.

Luckily for Queenslanders, the Gabba has also been undergoing a $35 million upgrade since 2019 and is expected to be ready just in time for the final, in early October.

While the Gabba got their hands on the grand final this year, the MCG has extended their rights to the game until 2057, so this really is a one-off.

Header Image: Jono Searle via Getty Images