Snoop Dogg has split footy fans with a truly American-style pre-game show for the 2025 AFL Grand Final – which everyone under a certain age seemed to love.
The festivities began with Baker Boy performing ‘Thick Skin’ and the parade of champions, including retiring players and award winners.
Then Mike Brady was rolled out for his yearly rendition of ‘Up There Cazaly’ – not that he could hear it at first, declaring “I need to hear the track” before ripping into the chorus.
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Then came the D-O-double-G, doing a call-and-response act with the Cats and Lions fans, as two marching bands performed their club songs – and one dude out the front went crazy with the dance moves.
He began with The Next Episode – just like he did at the Super Bowl in LA – before Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang then transitioning into Drop It Like It’s Hot.
(If you came into today pretending you didn’t know any Snoop Dogg songs, these were the ones you actually knew.)
Fittingly there was a lot of smoke emerging from the bigger-than-usual stage.
Then came Down 4 My N’s – reckon that’s one of Andrew Dillon’s favourites – followed by Sweat, his track with David Guetta.
The medley continued with Signs, though Justin Timberlake sadly didn’t make an appearance.
Jessica Mauboy made a guest appearance to partner Snoop for Beautiful. (You reckon they’d met before this week?)
Out came a didgeridoo for a remix of Still D.R.E. – that’s the one with the piano at the start, you know it, trust us – before Gin and Juice. He then finished it off with Who Am I (What’s My Name)?
Safe to say the footy world was split on the performance, mostly based on whether you remember the Bicentenary or not.
“I give it a tick. It was aesthetically spectacular. He performed, the DOGG,” Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said on SEN.
Gerard Whateley added: “He’s an outstanding performer. The problem was always going to be the music, I don’t know how many pimps in the crib we have in the crowd!”
Well, by definition they were in the crowd not the crib, Gerard.
GRAND FINAL PRE-GAME PREVIEW
Safe to say we’ve come a long way from Daryl Somers singing Waltzing Matilda. (The Grand Final attendees of 1987 had it tough.)
Nowadays, the AFL spends the big bucks to bring out big names for the Grand Final pre-game entertainment, with an international act headlining for the fourth straight year.
Wearing sunglasses, a purple tracksuit with purple sneakers and a black and gold jacket, Snoop spoke with Hamish McLachlan at a media event on Thursday.
“These are dreams come true for me,” the US rapper said of playing at events like the Grand Final, the Super Bowl and the Olympics.
“I was a kid that dreamed of meeting athletes. Now I’m actually able to perform for the biggest sporting events in the world. So this is a dream come true and it’s inspiration and motivation for the next that comes behind me.”
Asked what he likes most about Melbourne, Dogg said: “This sport, man. I just fell in love with this sport.
“I always would watch it and never really understood. It reminded me of American Football, rugby and a couple of other things. But now that I understand it, I really want to know more about it and see the grand finale.”
Snoop suggested there’d be some typical Snoop Dogg stage humour – “I tend to be funny from time to time, hopefully it be no blooper humour” – and “classic Snoop Dogg” songs.
“I love this culture and I appreciate y’all for allowing me to perform. We’ll have some special guests that will be performing with me to make it feel like it’s supposed to feel. It’s always been a warm welcome for me,” he said.
Snoop said he was looking forward to a “crazy” passionate crowd.
“I know what this means to the culture, I’ve been coming to this country for years and I understand what this game is and what it means,” he said.
“So I know it’s not just a sport, it’s a way of life. It’s not just a team or club it’s part of your DNA so I understand what is at stake.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the D-O-double G’s performance.
More Grand Final coverage …
AFL GRAND FINAL ULTIMATE GUIDE: Every big question about the big game answered
WHAT TIME IS THE AFL GRAND FINAL? Key start times, details — and what happens if it’s a draw
CRYSTAL BALL: 38 AFL experts tip the premier, margin, Norm Smith and first goalkicker
GRAND FINAL SPRINT: Two big names, Giants star locked in amid change from traditional format
TEAMS: Lions make call on Neale; Cats settle on veteran to fill star void
GF THIS DECADE DESERVES: Why there’s more than a flag on offer in Cats v Lions
WHAT TIME DOES SNOOP DOGG’S AFL GRAND FINAL PRE-GAME ENTERTAINMENT START?
The 2025 AFL Grand Final starts at 2:30pm AEST on Saturday September 27 at the MCG.
The opening act, featuring Baker Boy, Emma Donovan and Kee’ahn, will begin at 1.30pm (AEST), followed by the annual ‘lap of legends’.
The big pre-game entertainment section, featuring Snoop Dogg, is scheduled to start at 1.43pm (AEST). The US rapper will also be joined on stage by Tash Sultana and Baker Boy.
HOW CAN I WATCH SNOOP DOGG AT THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
You can watch Snoop Dogg’s performance live on Seven and 7Plus, if you’re in Australia.
The Grand Final can be streamed using the 7Plus app (if your device has the live TV feature enabled) but is only available up to 1080p quality (depending on the speed of your internet connection) and won’t be shown in 4K.
These devices are compatible: Computer web browser, Foxtel IQ (Gen 3-5 boxes), Hubbl, iOS devices (iPhone and iPad), Android devices (both phones and tablets), VIDAA OS TVs (Hisense & Toshiba), Roku TCL TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Telstra TV, Fetch TV, Apple TV (4th Generation and newer), Android TV (compatible with Google-certified Android TV OS), Samsung TV (compatible with Samsung Tizen OS), PlayStation 4 and 5, Chromecast and LG TV (models released in 2017 and newer).
Otherwise to watch it live on TV you will need free-to-air channels, or even a simple antenna plugged into the coaxial input on your TV.
If you’re outside of Australia, you can watch the Grand Final as well as Fox Footy coverage and TV shows on WatchAFL.
WHICH SONGS WILL SNOOP DOGG PERFORM AT THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
Based on last year’s performance by Katy Perry, when the AFL paid $5 million for around 20 minutes and (parts of) eight songs, Snoop Dogg is expected to play the hits on Grand Final day.
That means the likes of Who Am I (What’s My Name?), Drop It Like It’s Hot, Gin and Juice, Beautiful and Young, Wild & Free should be in the mix.
When Snoop Dogg performed at the Super Bowl, he performed The Next Episode and California Love, the latter a tribute to 2Pac.
And maybe the AFL has asked Katy Perry to stick around from last year so Snoop can perform his verse from California Gurls?
There’s no word on whether he’ll do the Menulog song.
WHO WILL PERFORM ALONG WITH SNOOP DOGG AT THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
Snoop Dogg will be joined by Australian artists Tash Sultana, who will be part of his band on guitar, plus Baker Boy, a choir featuring Emma Donovan and Kee’ahn, and Mike Brady.
Singer-songwriter Vera Blue will perform the national anthem.
WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT SNOOP DOGG PERFORMING AT THE AFL GRAND FINAL?
Some have criticised the pricetag with Snoop Dogg being paid up to $5 million to perform as the Grand Final headliner, the same fee that Katy Perry got last year.
But the biggest issue was the contrast with the AFL’s ruling on Adelaide superstar Izak Rankine using a homophobic slur.
Rankine was suspended for four matches for using the slur and critics pointed out Snoop Dogg had used the same word, amid other misogynistic and offensive lyrics, in past songs and performances.
Then Snoop Dogg went on a podcast and made controversial comments about same-sex couples which were viewed as insensitive, at best.
Others questioned whether the rapper was appropriate for the mainstream audience that watches the Grand Final.
“We cannot vouch for every lyric in every song ever written or performed by any artist who has appeared on our stage — Australian or international,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“What I can say is that our pre-match entertainment on AFL Grand Final day will be family-friendly and consistent with the audience at the MCG and those watching the broadcast.”
WHO WERE THE PAST AFL GRAND FINAL ENTERTAINMENT ACTS?
Headliners only
2024: Katy Perry
2023: KISS
2022: Robbie Williams
2021: John Butler/Eskimo Joe
2020: Mixed Australian acts
2019: Tones and I
2018: Jimmy Barnes and the Black Eyed Peas
2017: The Killers
2016: Sting and The Living End
2015: Chris Isaak, Ellie Goulding and Bryan Adams
2014: Ed Sheeran and Tom Jones
2013: Birds of Tokyo and Hunters & Collectors
2012: Tim Rogers and Paul Kelly
2011: Meat Loaf
2010: INXS and Lionel Richie (Grand Final replay)
2009: Mark Seymour, Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham
2008: AC/DC and Powderfinger
2007: Jet
2006: Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Sean Kelly, Daryl Braithwaite, Joe Camilleri and Shane Howard
2005: Michael Buble and Dame Edna Everage
2004: The Ten Tenors, David Hobson and Kath and Kim
2003: The cast of We Will Rock You
2002: Killing Heidi
2001: Men at Work, INXS and Vanessa Amorosi
2000: The Idea of North, Trish Delaney-Brown, Megan Corson, Andrew Piper and Nick Begie, Mike Brady, Russell Morris and Rick Price
1999: Human Nature (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1998: Mark Seymour, Rob Guest, Jane Scali and Michael Cormick (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1997: James Morrison, Tommy Emmanuel, Tommy Tycho, Nathan Cavaleri and Marina Prior (performing Waltzing Matilda) and Kelley Abbey
1996: Daryl Somers, Normie Rowe, Venetta Feilds, Slim Dusty, Lindsay Field, Maroochy Barambah, Glenn Shorrock, Diana Trask, Barry Crocker, Lisa Edwards, Noel Watson and John Farnham (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1995: John Paul Young
1994: Debra Byrne and The Seekers (who also performed Waltzing Matilda)
1993: Maroochy Barambah, Archie Roach and Yothu Yindi
1992: Joan Carden
1991: Daryl Braithwaite and Angry Anderso
1990: Normie Rowe and Lucy Gale
1989: John Farnham (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1988: Noel Watson (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1987: Daryl Somers (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1986: Olivia Newton-John (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1985: Diana Trask (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1984: Slim Dusty (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1983: Glenn Shorrock (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1982: Rolf Harris (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1981: Jon English (performing Waltzing Matilda)
1980: Peter Allen
1979: Mike Brady and John Farnham
1978: Keith Michell (performing The Impossible Dream)
1977: Barry Crocker (performing The Impossible Dream)
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