26/09/2013: The 2013 AFL Grand Final will not be as cold as the last two Grand Finals but brisk winds will make it fairly chilly at times, according to weatherzone.com.au.

"For much of the game we can expect a temperature of about 15 degrees with wind chill making it feel more like 12 or 13 degrees. Showers are only about a 20% chance with the risk diminishing after quarter time. We should get away with a dry game," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

In the 2011 and 2012 grand finals there were periods of showers with temperatures of 10-to-12 degrees. In those years the wind made the Melbourne Cricket Ground feel colder than 10 degrees at times.

Also warmer than the past two years will be the Parade, which travels through the city streets lunchtime on Friday.

"It will be about 20 degrees with a fair bit of sunshine, much brighter and warmer than last year's cold, wet and breezy Parade," Dutschke said.

But don't let Friday's comfortable weather fool you. In the spirit of spring, Grand Final week will be up and down, a few times. Daytime temperatures will have fluctuated by almost 10 degrees, from 25 degrees down to 15.

Showers and colder winds should arrive in Melbourne again on Friday night and there should still be brisk, showery winds and possibly hail on Saturday morning. The showers should bring five-to-10mm of rain. On top of Thursday's 30mm this will leave the MCG fairly soft.

"Saturday won't be nearly as windy as Thursday. Allowing for the sheltering effect of the MCG stands, west-southwesterlies will blow at 30-40km/h just prior to the first bounce but ease to about 20-30km/h during the game and become even lighter in the last quarter. That's easily windy enough to blow kicks off line, at least early in the game when there are still a few nerves."

"Compared to recent Grand Finals, the overall weather looks most similar to 2007 or 2005. However, the ground will be similarly soft as 2009, when many players lost their footing after 40 millimetres of rain fell during the week prior," Dutschke said.

Media Inquiries:

Brett Dutschke
media@weatherzone.com.au
02 9965 9269

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