Dockers fans to marry outside MCG before Grand Final
Fremantle fans Danni Bloomfield and Matt Abbott will get married outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday morning, then walk inside to watch the Dockers chase a premiership.
The couple flew to Melbourne from Karratha in Western Australia's Pilbara for the 2026 AFL Grand Final, the code's championship decider. Fremantle meets the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Saturday, September 26, in the club's big-day shot at the flag, or premiership trophy MCG.
The wedding is planned outside Gate 3. Bloomfield and Abbott picked that spot for a practical reason. It is the gate they will use to get to their seats ABC News.
They have been together for 15 years. The original plan was a surprise wedding during Bloomfield's 50th birthday party. The Grand Final got in the way, in the best possible sense.
Two friends have flown in from Western Australia to be there for the ceremony. The vows will happen hours before the bounce, with gates at the MCG due to open at 10:30am.
Both bring solid Dockers credentials. Bloomfield started out as a West Coast fan before switching to Fremantle. Abbott had a Fremantle Dockers tattoo inked on his leg back in 2014.
The football part of the day is straightforward. First bounce in the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final is at 2:30pm AEST, which is 12:30pm back home in Perth time, AWST ESPN. Fremantle against Brisbane. Winner takes the premiership cup.
What makes this stand out is the timing. Most fans plan their Grand Final day around trains, gates and seats. Bloomfield and Abbott have added a wedding to the run sheet.
