The AFL is pleased to announce international athletics star Gout Gout and Olympic medallist Harry Garside will feature as a part of the Telstra Half-Time Sprint at the 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final on Saturday 27 September.
Telstra will present the Half-Time Sprint in 2025 partnering with the AFL to bring the beloved traditional race on the MCG to fans in stadium and those watching from around the country.
Currently competing at the World Athletics Championships, Gout Gout will head home for the final Saturday in September to fire the starting pistol as some of the fastest AFL players in the country go head-to-head with Olympic boxer Harry Garside to determine the ultimate Telstra Half-Time Sprint winner.
The Telstra Half-Time Sprint will see seven of the league’s fastest players, as selected by Telstra Tracker data, sprint the traditional 100 metre dash across the hallowed MCG turf to take the crown of fastest footballer in the league.
Gout Gout said:
“I'm super excited to be coming to Melbourne for the Grand Final in September and firing the start pistol for the Telstra Half-Time Sprint! First time for me... and I hope I'll be cheering on the Lions! The AFL Grand Final is such a massive day, I'm pumped!”
Harry Garside said:
“I’m really excited to be part of the Telstra Half-Time Sprint this year. As a Hawks fan, I’m always backing the boys to make it to the big stage, and the chance to run out alongside AFL players on Grand Final day is something really special. I can’t wait to be part of such an iconic moment.”
AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial Bec Haagsma said Gout and Harry will add more excitement to an already much-loved tradition in September.
“As the two Grand Finalists compete for Premiership glory, the Telstra Half-Time Sprint will give fans more reasons to cheer and we can’t wait to have Gout and Harry involved in what is already a must watch each year.
“It’s fantastic to have Telstra on board to support the sprint this year, as Harry and the players jump out of the blocks to see who will be the fastest over 100m.”
Telstra Executive Brent Smart said:
"We noticed Harry felt he was faster than some of our most agile AFL ambassadors, so we wanted to bring him on board to show us what he’s made of! With Harry stepping into the blocks and Gout Gout joining us fresh from World Championships to fire the starting pistol, this year’s sprint is sure to be spectacular.
"We look forward to seeing everyone's talent on display at the Grand Final, and determining who is really the fastest athlete across The G!”
In honour of this year’s sprint winner, Telstra will make a $5,000 donation to the winner’s junior football club as part of their commitment to community football.
The line up for the Telstra Half-Time Sprint will be confirmed ahead of the 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
