AFL Grand Final Sprint

The AFL Grand Final Sprint is a sprint running race contested by AFL players as part of the on-field entertainment on the day of the AFL Grand Final. The sprint was held each year from 1979 until 1985 and again in 1987 (when the league was known as the Victorian Football League), and then again every year since 2002. Geoff Ablett (Hawthorn/St Kilda) has won the most Grand Final sprints, with four.

Sprint race
The 2015 Grand Final sprint as the competitors cross the finish line. Majak Daw of North Melbourne was the winner.

The staging running races as curtain raisers to, or half-time entertainment during, football matches has been a common practice since the early days of football in Victoria. The establishment of a running race on the field during grand final day between players who were not taking part in the game first occurred in 1977. On the 1977 and 1978 Grand Final days, long-distance races run over a mile were staged, with each league club able to nominate up to two entrants. In 1979 the race was changed to a 100 m sprint, with one player per club taking part.[1]

Between 1979 and 1987, the two clubs participating in the grand final had the option of providing one of their players who missed selection in the match, but generally chose not to do so, meaning the sprint was usually contested by a field of 10 players during this era.

The race was not held from 1988 to 2001 but was reintroduced in 2002 (along with a goalkicking contest, which only lasted one year). With the number of league clubs having grown to 16 during the break in competition, a new format was adopted with the players now split into two groups of eight for the heats (held before the grand final), with the top four from each heat advancing to the final (held at half-time of the grand final).

From 2006 until 2008, a handicapping system was used, similar to that used in the Stawell Gift.[2]

In most years, entry has been limited to one player from each AFL club. On two occasions, two slots were open to non-AFL players, resulting in victories on both occasions: in 2016, suburban footballer James Shirley won the race and taxi driver Harvinder Singh (competing because the race was sponsored by taxi company 13CABS) finished last; and in 2018, under-18s footballers Godfrey Okereneyang and Melvin Monieh came first and second respectively.[2]

Winners
YearSprint winnerFootball club
1979Geoff AblettHawthorn
1980Geoff AblettHawthorn
1981Geoff AblettHawthorn
1982Michael ConlanFitzroy
1983Frank MarchesaniCarlton
1984Douglas CoxEssendon
1985Geoff AblettSt Kilda
1986Sprint not heldSprint not held
1987Russell RichardsMelbourne
1988–2001Sprint not heldSprint not held
2002Jared CrouchSydney
2003James WalkerFremantle
2004James WalkerFremantle
2005Brett DeledioRichmond
2006Brendan FevolaCarlton
2007Jake KingRichmond
2008Matthew WhiteRichmond
2009Rhys StanleySt Kilda
2010Luke MilesSt Kilda
2011Patrick DangerfieldAdelaide
2012Patrick DangerfieldAdelaide
2013Patrick DangerfieldAdelaide
2014Jordan MurdochGeelong
2015Majak DawNorth Melbourne
2016James ShirleyMurrumbeena
2017Connor MenadueRichmond
2018Godfrey OkereneyangCoolamon
2019Ben KingGold Coast
2020Jordan ClarkGeelong

See also

References
  1. David Eastman. "AFL Grand Final Sprint".
  2. "AFL (&VFL) Grand Final Sprint". Top End Sports. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
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