Grand final footy fever grips London

With the AFL grand final and NRL grand final on this week, battle lines have been drawn and colours raised for what will be one of Australia’s biggest ever sporting weekends.

Anticipation amongst the Australian community in London has hit fever pitch as the AFL and NRL grand final footy double-header approaches.

At 5:30 Saturday morning, London time, the Collingwood Magpies clash with the Geelong Cats for the 2011 AFL flag in what promises to be another thrilling chapter in the greatest AFL rivalry saga of recent years.

Then on Sunday at 7am it’s a trans-Tasman affair as the Manly Sea Eagles look to defend Australian pride against the marauding Warriors from New Zealand in the NRL premiership showdown.

London’s Aussie watering holes are set to be rammed early on both days, as bleary eyed footy fans clamour to catch the AFL and NRL season climaxes from half way around the world.

Temple Walkabout manager Chris Hancock told Australian Times that demand was already huge.

“We’ve got less than 100 tickets left now for the AFL grand final, out of 900. We’ll be open from 7am on Sunday for the NRL grand final too. It’s shaping up to be a massive weekend,” he said.

On the west side of town, as ever the Shepherd’s Bush Walkie can be expected to overflow – tickets there are £15 – while new Antipodean favourite Fulham’s Larrik Inn are opening the doors at 3am and expect big numbers too.

“We have had great fun this year working hard with The Larrik as the new Antipodean party pub in Fulham,” Larrik manager Jen Green told Australian Times.

“With double-header grand finals this week, we’ve got all hands on deck! We look forward to seeing you all there,” she added.

Meanwhile, attention south of the river will be around Clapham. Both Underdog bars are offering free entry and £5 pint and pie deals for both AFL and NRL grand finals, while The Clapham Grand plays host to AFL London (in association with Australian Times) on Saturday, boasting the capital’s biggest sports viewing screen. They’ll also be open early on Sunday for the NRL.

According to AFL London president Matt Glynn, Collingwood vs Geelong is the big grand final everyone has been waiting for.

“It should be an absolute classic and the AFL London players are gearing up for a big one,” Glynn told Australian Times.

“All London’s footy fans are invited to join us. Tickets are just £10 in advance and include a beer and pie with all proceeds from the day going to support our Australian rules football junior development programme here in the UK,” he added.

The AFL grand final at The Clapham Grand and NRL grand final at the Larrik Inn are shown in association with Australian Times.

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