A final at Marvel? NFL match could force 15-year first for AFL

The AFL may need to play a final at Marvel Stadium this year for the first time since 2011 to accommodate the historic NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the MCG on Friday, September 11.

The 2026 AFL finals begin with wildcard round on the last weekend of August, meaning the Rams and 49ers’ regular season match will fall on semi-final weekend, with kick-off scheduled for 10.35am in Melbourne – prime-time in the United States.

The AFL previously stated that it supported the event, despite the possible implications for the league’s finals. However, it could cause headaches for the AFL if two Victorian teams host separate finals that weekend.

Speaking on Thursday, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league had been liaising with the NFL, Visit Victoria, and the MCG “for a period of time” around the fixturing issue.

“We’ve got options here,” he said.

“We’ve got Marvel Stadium, the MCG will be available on Saturday and Sunday, and, in the corresponding weekend last year, there were no finals in Melbourne.

“The MCG is an incredible stadium, it’s a multipurpose stadium and the ’G has a great record of turning around the stadium for a multitude of uses.

“We’ve got options and that’s the important thing. It’s amazing for Melbourne that we’ve got two incredible stadia that we can use.”

When asked whether GMHBA Stadium could be used for a semi-final, Dillon responded: “We’ve got two incredible stadia in Melbourne.”

The AFL owns Marvel Stadium, so could have the Docklands venue on standby if necessary. The last final at Marvel was held between St Kilda and Sydney on September 10, 2011.

Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox said the ground would be unavailable for a Friday night final but ready to host AFL action by late Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve obviously worked with the AFL on this issue, and we don’t know what we’re working with here. We won’t know until five or six days out [from the semi-finals],” he said.

“The turnaround is one of the big challenges and we’re up for it.

“We do it year in and year out so we’re confident in our team that we’ll live up to the challenges.”

Fox said the MCG could realistically reopen the gates after an NFL game within 24 hours, with up to 7000 people working through the night to turn the stadium around.

“It’s quite exciting for us to flip the stadium and get ready. Challenging, for sure, we’re going to have a long night,” he said.

Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledged it would be a huge logistical exercise to get the ground and stadium ready in the event finals AFL is also held that weekend at the MCG.

She would not reveal how much the Victorian government paid to secure the matches, but said it would significantly boost the local economy.

“They’re commercial in confidence for good reason, because we are going to hold on to Melbourne’s strategic advantage when it comes to securing these major events,” she said.

“It brings money into our state. It brings visitors into our state, and it supports and sustains the jobs of the people who are working in this industry right now.”

More than 140,000 people have registered an interest in coming to the game with tickets to go on sale from Tuesday.

The MCG has hosted exhibition soccer matches, NRL State of Origin and Bledisloe Cup rugby games during the AFL season in the past, as well as concerts in December 2022 before that year’s Boxing Day Test.

In July 2023, the venue had 18 hours to prepare the field for the Bledisloe Cup on a Saturday night after staging an AFL game the previous evening, and 15 hours to be ready again for a Sunday afternoon game of football.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Wednesday, April 8, but MCG members will have pre-sale access on April 1.

Melbourne could also play host to an NRL match that weekend if the Storm finish in the top eight, with the NRL’s finals starting that same weekend – although that would be played at neighbouring AAMI Park.

The Rams-49ers clash will be the first time the NFL has played a regular-season game in the Asia-Pacific region, following Sydney hosting an exhibition match in 1999.

“We are thrilled to be able to confirm the time and date for Australia’s first-ever regular-season NFL game at the MCG between the Rams and 49ers — a match-up that has created plenty of hype and excitement,” NFL Australia and New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord said.

“We know that there is already plenty of appetite for this game, both in Australia and internationally, and we’re looking forward to getting tickets on sale in the coming weeks for what we know is going to be an incredible NFL experience for our fans down under.”

The MCG showdown, which is a home game for the Rams, is one of nine international games on the NFL’s 2026 calendar, with matches also scheduled in London, Paris, Madrid, Mexico City, Munich and Rio de Janeiro.

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