Australian Senator Slams Football Codes for Overlooking Homegrown Artists at Grand Finals

Australia’s most iconic sporting moments should amplify local music, not overseas acts, argues South Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Hanson-Young criticized both of the country’s premier football competitions — the AFL (Australian Football League) and the NRL (National Rugby League) — for booking international headliners for their grand final entertainment instead of showcasing homegrown artists.

As both leagues progress through their finals campaigns, each has confirmed a U.S. performer for the major-day program: Snoop Dogg is slated to headline the AFL Grand Final on September 27, 2025, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and Teddy Swims will top the bill for NRL Grand Final Day on October 5, 2025, at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

Hanson-Young took to social media and parliamentary remarks to lambast the trend, saying the leagues repeatedly prioritize foreign names while sidelining Australian talent. In a speech to parliament she described Snoop Dogg as a “slur merchant” and questioned why the AFL would spend millions to secure international acts rather than investing in domestic performers.

“Whether it’s the AFL or NRL Grand Final, an Australian performer should be taking the stage,” she wrote, arguing that high-profile cultural platforms ought to support local musicians while the national industry faces significant headwinds.

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Australia’s music sector is contending with the realities of the streaming era, where millions of tracks compete for attention and catalog from larger U.S. and U.K. labels often dominates playlists and promotion.

Industry advocates have proposed a range of remedies to strengthen the local ecosystem. One measure gaining traction is the support-act requirement known informally as “Michael’s Rule,” which aims to ensure at least one Australian artist receives a support slot on international headline tours. Earlier in 2025, New South Wales moved to incentivize that approach by offering financial encouragements to touring promoters.

Historically, AFL Grand Final entertainment has mixed international stars and domestic icons — past headliners include Ed Sheeran, Sting, The Killers, Lionel Richie, Tom Jones, Meat Loaf and Australian favorites such as Powderfinger. NRL Grand Final days have similarly alternated between homegrown acts like The Kid LAROI, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths and Jessica Mauboy and overseas performers including Good Charlotte, Tom Jones and Billy Idol; Tina Turner famously remains part of that lineage of memorable grand-final performers.

As debate continues, the tension remains between attracting global names that drive broadcast audiences and cultivating opportunities that sustain and elevate Australian artists on the biggest national stages.

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