Throwing an AFL Grand Final Party

The AFL grand final is just around the corner and if you’re not heading into the ‘G, the best way to spend the day is to throw a good ol’ grand final party with your mates. 

 The secret to hosting a fun, lively and memorable party is to put the work in beforehand. A little bit of planning and prep is all it takes.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. This is your ultimate guide to throwing an AFL grand final party, including recommendations for food, drinks, decorations, and games.

AFL Grand Final 2022 Dates

So, first things first — what date are we working towards?

In 2022, the AFL grand final falls on Saturday, 24 September. Ideally, you’ll have everything under control and ready to go at least two days prior to minimise any stressful last-minute dashes to the shops.

AFL Grand Final Party

When it comes to grand final party ideas, there are a few key areas to cover:

• Food
• Drinks
• Decorations
• Games

If you’ve got these four elements sorted, you’ve got yourself the foundations for a great party.

AFL Grand Final Party Food

Now, for our top grand final party food ideas.

Aside from ensuring you have a functioning TV and enough seating to go around, the food is the second most important factor to consider.

Depending on the ambience you’re going for, and the palettes of the guests you’re inviting, you could either go for an elevated Providoor spread, or a classic grand final feast.

A Providoor Spread

Providoor have transformed the way we enjoy at-home dinners and parties forever. 

Providoor is a marketplace that delivers chef-prepared food from Melbourne’s best restaurants straight to your door, which you’ll finish preparing at home.

This means there are a few steps you’ll need to take to heat, dress, and plate the dishes once they’ve been delivered. It’s this step that makes Providoor meals so much better than take-away — you’ll be getting restaurant-quality food, piping hot and fresh, exactly as it should be enjoyed.

You can purchase meals from Melbourne’s leading restaurants, such as MoVida, Supernormal, Entrecote, and the Atlantic.

There’s a banquet for every palette, with a range of cuisines including Italian, Mexican, seafood, and high-tea options available.

No need to spend hours working away in the kitchen — simply follow the outlined steps, and the dishes will be good to go!

A Classic Grand Final Feast

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a laidback dining experience, go with a classic grand final feast.

Here are some ideas for what to include on the food table:

• Pies
• Sausage Rolls
• Hot dogs
• Finger sandwiches or a sandwich-making station (with bread, deli meats, veggies, and condiments)
• Hot chips
• Side salads (a green salad or a Greek salad are great, easy options)
• A fruit platter
• Sweets (think caramel slice, brownies, and muffins)

You can opt for store-bought goodies to minimise preparation time, or you could make a fun activity out of it.

Write each of the above items on scraps of paper and pull them out of a hat one by one, assigning each food item to a different member of the group. That way, everyone contributes!

Alternatively, gift each person a $25 Coles gift card or Woolworths gift card and get them to put together their own creation and surprise the group with a dish.

AFL-Themed Cake

You can take the food table to the next level with an AFL-themed cake or cupcakes.

For the crafty among us, you could create your own themed cupcakes using your fondant in your team’s colours for icing.

A range of cafes and bakeries, such as the Cupcake Queens and Ferguson Plarre’s, will also have some on offer if cake-decorating isn’t your strong suit. 

AFL Grand Final Party Drinks

Now, for the drinks.

If you can, set up a drinks table or station next to the dining or food table to avoid congestion in the kitchen and living space.

You can pick up a selection of beers, ciders, and zero % alcohol options to cover all bases, though this approach can be expensive.

It can be tricky to cater to everyone’s preferences, and oftentimes you’ll end up with stacks of leftover beverages.

 To avoid unnecessary waste, you could gift each attendee a $10 Dan Murphy’s gift card so they can pick out their own drinks to enjoy.

It’s a generous gesture from you, the host, and it saves you money and fridge space in the long run. Everyone wins!

AFL Grand Final Party Decorations

When it comes to decorations, the AFL store has everything you need.

We recommend starting with bunting, which can be used to line doorways and the front of the home. You can also add some balloons next to the TV to set the scene.

If you want to go all-out, you could also pick up some AFL-themed napkins to add to the food table.

AFL Grand Final Party Games

Level up the day’s antics with some friendly (or not so friendly) competition.

Guess-the-Margin Competition

When all of your guests arrive, ask everyone to put in their predictions for the final margin.

The winner’s prize? That’s up to you!

Go for something broad enough to suit every guest, such as our Active Gift Card. This card can be used at the AFL store, Adidas, Nike, Cotton on Body, Champion, and a range of leading activewear retailers.

Predict the Norm Smith Winner

For this one, get everyone to throw some snacks or a set amount of money into a hat.

Ask each guest to guess who will win the Norm Smith medal and keep note of the guesses.

The winner (or winners) takes home the contents of the hat!

Alternatively, you could gift the winner or winners an AFL-branded EFTPOS gift card featuring their team’s best player to keep in line with the footy theme. 

Kicking Competition

During half-time, head out to a nearby park for a classic kicking competition.

Whoever kicks the footy the farthest wins a prize — perhaps a Restaurant Gift Card or Cinema Gift Card.

AFL Grand Final Party Ideas: Getting Set Up

Now that you’re set with some inspiration, it’s time to start planning your AFL grand final party!

You can pick up all of the gift cards mentioned here from Card.Gift.