Among the guests at Etihad Stadium were Prime Minister Julia Gillard, opposition leader Tony Abbott, competing Grand Final presidents Colin Carter and Eddie McGuire, and past and present Australian NBA stars Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills.
Prime minister Gillard entered the event to Split Enz song 'Six Months in a Leaky Boat', Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure' and Dido's 'White Flag', before encouraging AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou to call the league's next new franchise 'The Rangas'.
Her suggestion for leader of the team, Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna, said he liked the idea and recommended that the fair-skinned squad be based in the cool climate of Tasmania.
Demetriou and AFL commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick were welcomed with a classic Eric Bana line from the Australian film 'Chopper', in reference to their ongoing pay battle with the AFL Players Association:
"There's no cash here. Here, there's no cash."
In turn, AFLPA representative Ian Prendergast made his entrance to 'We're Not Gonna Take It' by Twisted Sister.
And retired Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans champion Barry Hall, announced at the event as the football personality of the year, had Culture Club's 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?' as his theme song.
Hall asked Gillard - a noted Bulldogs fan - to consider him as her next head of security.
Victorian premier and passionate Geelong supporter Ted Baillieu promised to paint the West Gate Bridge blue and white should the Cats win the premiership.
Bogut, the seven-foot Milwaukee Bucks centre, told afl.com.au he thought Geelong would salute, and predicted Paul Chapman would take home the Norm Smith medal.
In Melbourne for the big game for the first time since being drafted to the NBA in 2005 (due to the league's pay dispute), Essendon fan Bogut said he'd knocked back tickets to the flag decider so that he could watch at a mate's house.
A moving video paid tribute to football legends Bob Davis and Allan Jeans, who both passed away in 2011, while rocker Diesel opened and closed proceedings.
