Brisbane and Geelong diehards are confident their sides can reach the AFL pinnacle, and have flooded city streets to support their heroes before the battle for premiership glory.
Tens of thousands of dedicated Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats fans braved intermittent rain as they lined the streets of Melbourne for the AFL grand final parade on Friday.
Friendly banter rang out as premiership players rode past, with the city awash with blue and white stripes and blue, gold and maroon gear.
Lions fan Clint Warwick booked flights from Brisbane four months in advance and is feeling great ahead of the team's third consecutive grand final, but that cannot be said for his friend Jake Powell.
"I slept at 4am last night, kind of freaking out about it, but I feel good. Anything can happen on the day, but still anxiety," Mr Powell told AAP.
The childhood friends grew up together in Brisbane where Mr Warwick, a product of a family of "diehard tragics", took Mr Powell into the fold.
Both are predicting a close race, despite the odds being firmly in the Cats' favour.
"It's really 50-50. They're the more complete team. They've been smacking other teams around them," Mr Warwick said.
"But we just find a way to win, and we've got a bit of dog in us; like the underdog."
Abbey Wilson, her son Carter and mum Keryn made a 260km trip from Hamilton in western Victoria, missing the parade but managed to catch a glimpse of their favourite players during the captain's training.
"We'll be at home tomorrow watching on the TV. We missed out on tickets," she said.
The longtime Cats fans think they're in with a good chance.
"The boys have been gelling together lately, so we're not too nervous," Abbey said.
The last time Cats utility Mark Blicavs participated in the parade, he was in a barge sitting next to best mate Jack Henry and floating along the Yarra River.
It was the also same year the team last won the premiership.
So was it a superstitious thing when he decided to sit next to Henry again this time?
"Nah. We got a cool photo taken of us (in 2022) so I thought we try to do it again," he told reporters.
Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley revealed star Lachie Neale asked to sit next to him.
"As long as we get out there and get the job done," he said.
The parade, which has been held since 1977, took the players from Melbourne Park to Birrarung Marr, over the William Barak Bridge and finished at the MCG.
Saturday's grand final will be the first time in the league's 138-year history the sides meet in the decider, after also meeting three weeks ago in a qualifying final when the Cats emerged 38-point victors.
