The AFL has today launched the 2025 Toyota AFL Finals Series at the Lennox Street Gallery in Melbourne with an exhibition of legendary Finals moments.
Amongst some of the most iconic images of our game, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon unveiled the 2025 Premiership Cup, announced the Premiership Cup ambassador and confirmed the icons of our game who will present key medals at the 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
Hall of Fame member and 1965 Essendon Premiership Captain Ken Fraser will present the Ron Barassi medal to the Captain of the Premiership winning team. Fraser won two premierships with Essendon (1962, 1965), was the centre half forward in the Essendon Team of the Century and sits at number seven in Essendon’s champions of history.
Four-time Premiership player and three-time All Australian Luke Hodge will present the Norm Smith medal to the player judged best on ground on Grand Final day.
Hodge, who won the Norm Smith on two previous occasions (2008, 2014), played 305 games for Hawthorn and 41 games for the Brisbane Lions and kicked 194 goals over his career.
2018 Premiership winning coach (West Coast Eagles) and two-time Premiership player (North Melbourne) Adam Simpson will present the Jock McHale medal to the Premiership winning coach.
2017, 2019 and 2020 Premiership player Jack Riewoldt will be the 2025 Premiership Cup Ambassador and will carry the Cup onto the hallowed turf at the MCG on the last Saturday in September.
Riewoldt played 347 games for Richmond and is the club’s third-highest goal scorer, kicking 787 goals across his career – winning the Coleman Medal three times (2010, 2012, 2018).
Former AFL Field Umpire Michael Dye will present the medal to the umpires selected to officiate the Grand Final.
Dye umpired the 1981 Grand Final and officiated in five finals series during his 131-game career.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon celebrated the start of the Toyota AFL Finals Series and announced the greats of the game who will present the key awards on Grand Final day.
“We have had a great season, with close finishes and brilliant footy and we witnessed some of the most masterful players of a generation.
“After 207 games, these next nine are the most important and with every state with an AFL Club represented it truly becomes a national finals series.
“Two of our four week one Finals are sold out, with limited tickets remaining for the other two. The stage is set for another incredible Toyota Final Series.
“I am thrilled that Ken, Luke, Adam, Michael and Jack will join us on Grand Final day – they have all been a part of some memorable moments at the ‘G in years gone by.
“We look forward to them presenting many of the most significant awards in our game to the winners and creating another chapter in our Grand Final history.”
The 2025 Toyota Premiership Finals series kicks off at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night with the minor premiers the Adelaide Crows taking on Collingwood.
The action moves to the MCG on Friday night, where the 2024 Premiers the Brisbane Lions will play Geelong before heading to ENGIE stadium on Saturday afternoon, where the GWS GIANTS will match up against Hawthorn.
The final game of Week One will take place on Saturday night when Fremantle take on the Gold Coast SUNS who will be playing in their first-ever finals match.
For the first time, the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Cup Tour will visit every state and territory across the country, having already made stops in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania before officially commencing its road trip throughout September for three weeks in the lead up to the 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
The Cup Tour will begin its journey in South Australia tomorrow visiting a host of local communities and iconic destinations, before travelling to Queensland, and commencing its descent down the eastern board to New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria before arriving at the MCG on September 21.
All matches in Week One of the Toyota AFL Finals Series will be broadcast live nationally on the Seven Network and Fox Footy and streamed live on Kayo.
