A mild and partly cloudy afternoon is forecast for Saturday’s AFL grand final, with the match expected to stay dry from the first bounce.
Almost 100,000 fans are expected at Melbourne’s MCG when Geelong and Brisbane meet on Saturday afternoon.
Jonathan How, a forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said the forecast was for a top of 19C.
“It will be a sunny morning and then a partly cloudy afternoon,” he said.
“It should remain mostly dry for the entire match, from the first bounce to the half-time show and then to full-time. We will have fresh westerly winds through the day, so we’ll be quite breezy out there.”
There was a chance of an evening shower, How said. But this would be unlikely to exceed 1mm.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
Cats fans watching in Geelong can expect a top of 17C, with cloud increasing from the morning. Some showers from the late morning into the early afternoon are also forecast.
“It will be quite a windy day as well, but those winds will ease later on in Geelong,” How said.
In Brisbane, Lions fans will enjoy a mostly sunny day, expected to reach a top of 28C.
“We will see an afternoon sea breeze that will cool things off a little bit, and we are expecting a dry evening to follow there,” How said.
Fans flocking to Melbourne’s AFL parade on Friday morning could expect a top of 22C with a slight chance of a shower.
Showers and a thunderstorm would become more likely on Friday afternoon, according to How.
“It’ll be fairly windy, though, but those winds will ease later tonight,” he said.
Thousands of Lions and Cats fans are expected to watch the parade.
Saturday’s grand final is the first time in the league’s 138-year history that Geelong and Brisbane have crossed paths in the final game of the season.
