AFL grand final: Live coverage of the day before the decider as Fremantle Dockers complete final preparations
It’s the day before the decider! Stay across all the news and developments on a huge Friday, including the grand final parade and Fremantle’s final training session before the big game.
AFL: It’s the day before the decider!
Fremantle are completing their final preparations before Saturday’s big game, backed by plenty of purple-powered support in Melbourne.
The Dockers and Lions will take part in the traditional grand final parade through the streets of Melbourne, beginning at about 8.30am (WA time), before they later take to the MCG turf to complete their final training run.
Stay across all the action as it happens in our live blog below!
Chris Robinson is reporting live.
Parade time!
The lengthy press conference is done, and the players and coaches are filling up the utes and ready to ride along the parade route!
Punters will have the chance to be right up close with their heroes, with a super-narrow parade route for the most part.
Late change?
One of the big questions with Melbourne’s impending wet weather for Saturday is around whether Freo could make a late change - particularly with the towering Mason Cox.
But Justin Longmuir insists the Dockers will go in as named, and won’t be entertaining any late switches.
“They’re aware of the conditions tomorrow, and we’ll have to adjust to certain things... but no late changes,” Longmuir says.
Dockers on agonising Cox call
“He was close... clearly close,” Longmuir says of Brennan Cox, who narrowly missed selection as the Dockers stuck with Oscar McDonald instead.
“He trained really well... we went with continuity and consistency of team, and we went with AFL match fitness.”
Longmuir says Cox - and others who have narrowly missed out - was disappointed but would rally around the team.
Alex Pearce says one of the first things Cox told him after a hug was ‘Don’t worry, I’ll still give to the group’.”
Coaches, captains speak
Justin Longmuir and Chris Fagan are sitting alongside their respective skippers at the pre-parade press conference.
Fagan says it’s “Good for Lachie, good for footy” that Neale has been freed to play.
He reveals Noah Answerth - one of his favourites - would have got the call-up had Neale’s ban stood.
Justin Longmuir on the Neale saga: “We just expected him to play... I’m a bit cynical with these things. We prepare for Brisbane’s best and he’s clearly in their best.”
Fans out in force
The sun is out in Melbourne - and Freo’s fans are out in force along the parade route.
They’ll be hoping this weather holds, as the forecast for tomorrow’s big game remains a little dicey. 2-8mm of rain is scheduled across Saturday.
A quartet of players have just completed their pre-game media chats, with Jye Amiss, Neil Erasmus, Oscar Allen and Sam Draper all chatting about their impending maiden grand final appearances. They’ll then head to the start of the parade.
Ready to go
Here’s a sneak preview - courtesy of the Dockers - of the commutes for our Freo heroes in the parade this morning!
Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw will ride together, as they’ve done in the Dockers’ midfield for more than half a decade now.
The retiring Sam Switkowski will be alongside Hayden Young.
The parade will start outside John Cain Arena in Melbourne’s sporting precinct, before heading out through Birrarung Marr and back towards the MCG to finish at the Footy Fest that’s taking place outside the ground.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the penultimate day of grand final week!
We’re less than 30 hours away from the opening ball-up at the MCG, and both Freo and Brisbane will today put the final touches on their preparations for the Big Dance.
Stick with us throughout the day as we take you through all the action, starting with the grand final parade, which will be getting underway in just over half an hour’s time.
