Tips, form, games and more: Your ultimate AFL Grand Final day barbecue guide

ALL-DAY planner, teams, odds, barbie cooking tips and more. Everything you need to know for a bumper Grand Final day.

hawthorn training

EVERYTHING you need to know to make the most of Grand Final day.

PACK A BROLLY?

Today's forecast:

WET weather should ease in time for  the game but players and fans at the MCG won’t be spared from the wind.

A top of 16C and gusts of up to 60km/h are predicted during the match, creating a potential challenge for players.

Weather bureau forecaster Peter Blake said showers were expected over the southeasten suburbs but should miss the MCG.

“I think we should still see some showers before the game but by the time it starts they should be to the southeast,’’ he said.

“Hopefully it will be fine conditions.”

The sun could break through at times but fans are urged to bring a jacket.

“It’s going to feel colder than 16C — it’s quite a cool air mass,’’ Mr Blake said.

“When you’ve got the wind on you it will still feel pretty cold.”

PLAN YOUR DAY

9am: Blackwoods North Melbourne Grand Final breakfast - live and exclusive on Fox Footy

10am: Replay of last year's Hawks v Swans Grand Final on Fox Footy

12.40pm: Grand Final sprint heats and final

1pm: Fox Footy GF countdown with team including Paul Roos, Gerard Healy, Jason Dunstall, Brad Johnson, Dermott Brereton and David King

1.40pm–1.55pm: Preliminary teams warm-up opportunity

2pm: Pre-match entertainment including retiring players motorcade

Every Grand Final player rated

Herald Sun expert tips

Grand Final guide to pretending you're into AFL

2.12pm: Umpires enter arena

2.14pm: Fremantle players hit the field

2.17pm: Hawthorn enters arena

2.26pm: Tina Arena sings the national anthem

2.28pm: Toss of Coin

2.30pm: Bounce of the ball for 2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final

3.40pm (approx): Halftime entertainment including bands Birds of Tokyo, Hunters and Collectors and footy favourite Mike Brady. Fox Footy war room analysis

5.15pm (approx): Game finishes and presentation of the cup and Norm Smith Medal. Former Sydney, Geelong and champion Greg Williams will present the Norm Smith and Kevin Sheedy will give the Jock McHale Medal to the winning coach

5.30-8pm: Gates open to public for free premiership party at the MCG, with Birds of Tokyo and Hunters and Collectors live on stage

6.30pm: Grand Final replay on Fox Footy

8pm (approx): Premiership team presented on MCG stage.

TRUE COLOURS

Hawthorn will wear its home uniform of brown and gold stripes with brown shorts.

Fremantle will wear its away strip of white guernsey with purple "v", white shorts and white socks. The Dockers were given a choice by the AFL of what jumper to wear but given they were ordered to wear white shorts, they have opted for the all-white ensemble.

WHISTLEBLOWERS

Matthew Nicholls (No.15), Simon Meredith (No.21) and Brett Rosebury (No.8) were selected as the best field umps of the season and will be in charge on Saturday.

It is Rosebury's sixth straight Grand Final, Meredith made his GF debut last year and Nicholls is umpiring in a Grand Final for the first time.

Nathan Doig, Robert Haala, Michael Marantelli and Michael Saunders will run the boundary.

Luke Walker and Adam Wojcik are the goal umpires.

grand final umpires

BEST BARBECUE TIPS

PRE-HEAT the grill and don't flip steak too often. Once the is cooked through let it rest on a plate under foil for a few minutes to let the juices, and flavour, really sink in. Get more tips for cooking a perfect steak here.

PREPARE a few salads the night before so you aren't running around like a headless chook on Grand Final morning.

STOCK the Esky with ice and drinks. Remember to cater for designated drivers.

BEFORE your mates arrive check your barbecue and gas bottle is in good condition - use soapy water to check the hose for leaks. Ending up in hospital (or worse) is no way to spend Grand Final day. Click here for more barbecue safety tips from the MFB.

DON'T forget the tomato sauce.

BUY a couple of veggie burgers. Not everyone likes eating something that used to look back at you.

HAVE a footy (and a pump) on hand for halftime kick-to-kick. But keep it away from the barbie.

New Barbecue

SUPERCOACH FINAL FLING

Need to add some extra healthy competition to your Grand Final get-together? Start by printing out our Grand FInal sweep, then make sure everyone has picked a SuperCoach team.

It only takes a few minutes - pick a side of 11 players from the two Grand Final sides. You need three defenders, four midfielders, one ruckman and three forwards - the only condition is they have to fit under the $3.7 million salary cap.

Pick one player as captain to score triple points, and a vice-captain to score double.

There are no emergencies or breakevens to worry about - just cheer your players home and compare your final scores at the end of the day. To make it more fun, set a prize for the winner before the bounce.

CLICK HERE TO START PICKING YOUR SIDE NOW

THE TEAMS

HAWKS
B: Ben Stratton, Brian Lake, Brent Guerra
HB: Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson, Grant Birchall
C: Isaac Smith, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis
HF: Luke Breust, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli
F: Paul Puopolo, Jarryd Roughead, David Hale
Foll: Max Bailey, Brad Sewell, Luke Hodge
I/C: Liam Shiels, Jack Gunston, Bradley Hill, Jonathan Simpkin
Emg: Shane Savage, Taylor Duryea, Matt Spangher

In: Jonathan Simpkin
Out: Brendan Whitecross (knee)

DOCKERS
B: Michael Johnson, Zac Dawson, Paul Duffield
HB: Lee Spurr, Luke McPharlin, Danyle Pearce
C: David Mundy, Ryan Crowley, Tenday Mzungu
HF: Cameron Sutcliffe, Chris Mayne, Nathan Fyfe
F: Zac Clarke, Matthew Pavlich, Michael Walters
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Matt de Boer, Stephen Hill
I/C: Hayden Ballantyne, Nick Suban, Lachie Neale, Michael Barlow
Emg: Alex Silvagni, Jack Hannath, Tom Sheridan

No change

LATEST ODDS

$1.68 Hawthorn
$2.25 Fremantle

The line
$1.92 Hawthorn -7.5 points
$1.92 Fremantle -7.5 points

First goalscorer
$7.50 Jarryd Roughead
$8.50 Lance Franklin
$9 Matthew Pavlich
$10 Michael Walters
$10 Jack Gunston

Norm Smith Medal
$7 Nathan Fyfe
$8 Sam Mitchell
$8.50 Luke Hodge
$9 Michael Barlow
$12 David Mundy
$13 Shaun Burgoyne
$15 Matthew Pavlich

Odds: sportsbet.com.au

Grand Final parade

SING ALONG

Hawthorn theme song
(sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle Boy)

We're a happy team at Hawthorn
We're the Mighty Fighting Hawks.
We love our Club, and we play to win,
Riding the bumps with a grin (at Hawthorn).
Come what may, you'll find us striving
Team work is the thing that talks,
One for all and all for one
Is the way we play at Hawthorn.
We are the Mighty Fighting Hawks.

Fremantle theme song
(sung to the tune of the Song of the Vulga Boatmen - seriously)

Freo way to go
Hit ‘em real hard send ‘em down below
Oh Freo give ‘em the old heave ho
We are the Freo Dockers
Freo way to go
Hit ‘em real hard send ‘em down below
Oh Freo give ‘em the old heave ho
We are the Freo Dockers
We’re the rollers
We’re the rockers We’re the mighty Freo Dockers
We’re gonna roll ‘em and we’ll rock ‘em
We’re gonna send ‘em to the bottom
And if they get up, we’ll do it again
The Dockers stop at nothing – nothing
Freo way to go
Hit ‘em real hard send ‘em down below
Oh Freo give ‘em the old heave ho
We are the Freo Dockers
Freo way to go
Hit ‘em real hard send ‘em down below
Oh Freo give ‘em the old heave ho
We are the Freo Dockers