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There is no objective all-time winner: the AFL’s own retrospective puts The Killers’ 2017 set at the top and calls Meat Loaf’s 2011 appearance the most memorable failure, while a 2025 PerthNow list adds its own picks and misses. The acts that endure tend to combine reliable live performance, songs a stadium can join in on, a good fit for the occasion and a moment that lasts beyond the final note.
How to judge Grand Final pre-game entertainment
“Best” and “worst” are judgments, not measured results. The AFL says the entertainment “creates debate,” and its retrospective and PerthNow’s 2025 assessment do not offer a formal scorecard. A useful way to compare the performances is to consider four things:
- Live execution: Did the performance sound convincing, and did the production hold together?
- Stadium energy: Did the set give a large crowd familiar songs and reasons to join in?
- Fit: Did the artist and repertoire suit a football occasion?
- Afterlife: Did the staging or a memorable moment become part of how people remember the day?
These criteria help explain why technically troubled sets are often criticized and why a strong singalong or striking image can lift a performance in memory. They are a comparison framework, not a poll or ranking.
How the entertainment changed
The AFL’s broad account is that, from the late 1970s through the late 1990s, the League chose Australian artists to sing the national anthem and often “Waltzing Matilda.” International acts entered the program more regularly in the early 2000s, with mixed results. That overview describes a shift in approach; it is not a complete year-by-year list of performers.
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Performances often singled out among the best
The Killers (2017)
The AFL ranks The Killers first in its retrospective. It praises a lively, interactive six-song set, a strong sound and a cover of Midnight Oil before the crowd joined in for “Mr Brightside.” The post-match moment with Richmond captain Jack Riewoldt—and the duet with singer Brandon Flowers recalled by PerthNow—gave the performance a memorable coda. The AFL’s ranking is an editorial judgment, but the combination of songs, crowd connection and a lasting post-match image explains its appeal.
Lionel Richie (2010 replay)
The 2010 Grand Final was replayed after the previous week’s match was drawn. The AFL credits Richie’s timing, warm weather, familiar hits and an understated stage among the fans with making the appearance work. The setting helped the performance feel connected to the day rather than separate from it.
Powderfinger (2008)
The AFL praises Powderfinger’s short, sharp set and its performance of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top,” complete with bagpipes. It also questions the surrounding stilt performers, a reminder that an effective musical set can still have staging choices that divide viewers.
Tom Jones and Ed Sheeran (2014)
The pairing brought together contrasting generations and styles. According to the AFL, Sheeran opened, then joined Jones for “Kiss,” before Jones continued with familiar hits. PerthNow also points to the contrast between the performers and the crowd response as part of the set’s success.
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Robbie Williams (2022)
PerthNow’s 2025 retrospective praises Williams’ theatrical staging and recognizable songs, as well as Delta Goodrem’s appearance and tributes to Shane Warne and John Farnham. These are that outlet’s reasons for including the performance among its best, not evidence of a universal consensus.
KISS (2023)
PerthNow highlights the energetic set and children dressed as band members on the ground. Mixdown also lists the show among notable examples, while reporting lip-syncing allegations without establishing them as fact. The distinction matters: a disputed claim should not be repeated as a confirmed account of the performance.
Frequently criticized performances
Meat Loaf (2011)
Meat Loaf’s appearance is the clearest recurring low point in the cited retrospectives. The AFL says rain threatened the performance shortly before it began. PerthNow describes a set of roughly 12 minutes and criticizes what viewers heard from the singer. That is a judgment of the performance and its reception, not a medical diagnosis.
Angry Anderson (1991)
PerthNow recalls Anderson’s “Bound for Glory” performance and a Batmobile-style entrance as an awkward combination that failed to excite the crowd. Mixdown also points to the vehicle and song, and to the performance’s later cultural mockery. Its enduring notoriety says as much about the staging’s afterlife as the set itself.
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Jet (2007)
The AFL reports audio dropouts during Jet’s performance. PerthNow says “Rollover DJ” was interrupted and that the incident exposed the use of playback. The technical failure is the established point in these accounts; it should not be treated as proof of the band’s intent or ability.
Ellie Goulding
The AFL says an audio mishap prompted lip-syncing allegations that Goulding had to answer. The allegation is not established as fact in the cited account, so the performance is best remembered here as a case where a technical problem shaped public discussion.
Tones and I (2019)
PerthNow describes a flat crowd response, while Mixdown criticizes the act and says Paul Kelly could not rescue the wider program. These are critical assessments, not measured audience-response data.
Maroochy Barambah (1993)
The AFL says Barambah’s performance of “Waltzing Matilda” and the national anthem has not aged well. That is the retrospective’s assessment of how the performance is viewed now; it should be understood as an attributed judgment rather than an uncontested verdict.
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If the question is who tops the AFL’s own retrospective, the answer is The Killers in 2017. For the most frequently cited failure, Meat Loaf in 2011 stands out. Other “best” and “worst” lists depend on their outlet’s criteria: PerthNow’s 2025 picks include Robbie Williams, KISS and Tom Jones with Ed Sheeran among the best, and Tones and I among the worst. The difference between a reliable set, a technical mishap and an unforgettable piece of staging is why no single all-time ranking can settle the debate.
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