Footy stations around the country are gearing up for a big Grand Final weekend.

The AFL Grand Final takes place this Saturday and the Rugby League Grand Final is on Sunday.

Triple M

In Sydney Triple M 104.9 kicked off it support on Monday night with 6pm sports show The Rush Hour broadcasting live from the One Community Awards at Sydney Town Hall. 

Earlier today The Grill Team with Matty Johns, Mark Geyer and Gus Worland did a live broadcast from the NRL Grand Final Breakfast, and The Rush Hour reported all the latest action from 
the NRL Fan Day.

Tomorrow the Grill Team breakfast show will host its annual ‘No BS’ lunch with a special appearance by Reg Reagan, Todd Carney and league legend Paul Sironen. 

Triple M will broadcast live coverage of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Melbourne Stormon the big day from ANZ Stadium.  Content DirectorJamie Angelsays the Triple M team “are all over it, we have expert commentary and incredible access to the best people and stories in footy.”

Getting into the spirit of the weekend, opposition leader Tony Abbott told the Grill team this morning: “
I’m devastated that Manly isn’t in, I’m going for the Bulldogs, they stole our coach.”

In Melbourne, Triple M’s 105.1 FM will cover Hawthorn and Sydney at the MCG from noon with the commentary team including James Brayshaw, Luke Darcy, Garry Lyon, Danny Frawley, Damian Barrett, Dr Rohan White, Mark Howard and Ash Chua. Pre-game coverage will come from Sam Newman, Wayne Carey and Jason Dunstall.

AM stations 3AW, SEN and ABC774 will also all broadcast the big game in Melbourne.

3AW will begin coverage at 7am, broadcasting from the North Melbourne Breakfast, live from Etihad Stadium.

From 10am until noon 3AW will broadcast a Grand Final Day Special live from outside the MCG in the car park. From noon until 2pm there is an in depth preview and from 2pm live coverage begins.

2UE 954

Although it does not have broadcast rights, Sydney’s 2UE 954 is also getting into the grand final week spirit with a broadcast from the Canterbury home of the Bulldogs tomorrow morning. Breakfast host Jason Morrison will broadcast his show live from the Bulldogs’ bunker at Canterbury Leagues Club at Belmore.

2UE 954 General Manager Chris Parker says the broadcast is a “great opportunity for Bulldogs fans to get behind their team just a few days out from the big game… Jason will bring his listeners all the colour, excitement and passion of the build up to Sunday’s grudge match.”

The station will be giving away free tickets to the big match.

2GB

Rights holder 2GB’s Continuous Call Team will cover the two preliminary games from noon, leading up to the big game between the Bulldogs and the Storm from 5.20pm. While Ray Hadley has been a bit busy this week (see our other story), he is expected to be back behind the mic for the big game.

Nova 100

Another non-broadcast rights holder wanting to get into the spirit of the big weekend is Nova 100 Melbourne. Hughesy & Kate are celebrating by throwing a Grand Final party at The National in Richmond on Saturday.
 
Over the past two weeks Hughesy & Kate have given away tickets for listeners to take four mates to Nova’s annual Grand Final party. They’ve also thrown in an esky full of each winner’s club merchandise so they can deck themselves out in their team’s colours. The Nova team is providing cheerleaders, catering, drinks and footy on big screens.

Around the country Fairfax Radio Syndication will deliver feeds for both codes to regional commercial stations. NRL coverage will come from 2GB and AFL coverage from Croc Media.

ABC Grandstand will have live and commercial free coverage of both codes nationally.

From 10am AEST on Sunday 30th September listen to ABC Grandstand to hear all the colour and excitement of NRL Grand Final Day direct from the Olympic Stadium, Homebush.

Live from the concourse of the Olympic Stadium hear Debbie Spillane, host of ABC Grandstand, and Francis Leach from ABC Grandstand Breakfast on digital radio, broadcast a special program dedicated to the spectacle of NRL Grand Final day. Highlights of the program will include crosses to each team’s clubs to hear what the fans are saying plus conversations with some of the players and coaching staff.

At 11.30am the Hit Up with Debbie Spillane and NRL coaching great, Daniel Anderson, will preview the Grand Final, the teams and the players.

From midday, ABC Grandstand takes listeners to all the finals games with broadcasting legends David Morrow and Warren Ryan taking on the Premiership Grand Final call from 5pm AEST. They’ll be supported by on-ground commentator Craig Hamilton to ensure listeners miss none of the action.

Craig Norenbergs, Manager of ABC Grandstand says ABC Grandstand “prides itself on bringing the best sporting coverage to our listeners. At this year’s NRL decider we’re bringing more of the commentary team to the final and embracing the whole day. We want our listeners get a real sense of the excitement and sporting prowess that’s on display.”

ABC Grandstand NRL Grand Final coverage can be heard in SW, Queensland and the ACT and Nationally on the ABC Grandstand channel on digital radio and online.

In Melbourne ABC774’s Jon Faine Morning program returns for its annual pre-Grand Final parade and Footy Finals broadcast from the AFL Live site at Federation Square tomorrow morning. The program will give away 2 gold tickets to the AFL Grand Final in the lead up to grand final coverage the following day.

The coverage itself will be lead by Gerard Whateley who will be ably supported by other ABC Grandstand commentators and expert guests throughout the day.  The rundown is as follows for 774:
1005    THE COODABEEN CHAMPIONS live from the MCG (774 ABC Melbourne, ABC Local Radio Victoria, ABC Grandstand digital radio and online)
1210    AFL COVERAGE starts for ALL STATES (except SA who will join at 1300) on ABC Local Radio, ABC Grandstand digital radio and online
Pre-match with GERARD WHATELEY with GREG BAUM
1430    GRAND FINAL HAWTHORN vs SYDNEY at the MCG
Commentators: GERARD WHATELEY, DREW MORPHETT, CHRIS GRANT, MARK MACLURE and TADHG KENNELLY. Boundary: ADAM WHITE/DAN LONERGAN
1905       THE COODABEEN CHAMPIONS

And, as one reader points out below, we must not forget Roy and HG’s “Festival of the Boot” on NewsRadio.

NO FOOTY ZONE at 96.5 Family FM

One station not getting into footy grand final fever is Family FM Brisbane.

On the momentous Double Footy Final Weekend, Brisbane’s 96five may be the only radio station in Australia that has promised to remain Free from Footy Finals Completely. In what the station is calling a What Women Want Weekend, Program Director Liam Renton said:

“The blokes can have the TV; the women can have the radio”. Every tune all weekend will be sung by women, with an all Lady Line up , musically on the air , all weekend.”

It’s rare for a station to completely snub half their audience like this, but the station wants to really target what women will really be doing while the blokes manage to get both days of finals under their belts.

All jox have been instructed to remain tight liped on the Obvious Games that will be happening and to not mention them at all, over the course of the weekend.

“It’ll be nice to have a playlist of non stop ladies on the air, “ says Renton. “There wil be  plenty of time to play Nickelback on Monday,  cause this weekend is a Fella Free Zone.”
 
The What Women Want weekend starts Saturday, and runs till the last ball is kicked on Sunday night.