Significant controversy has arisen in light of the news that Snoop Dogg will be the headline act at Australia’s largest sporting event, the AFL Grand Final, next year. This comes in the wake of the contentious suspension of Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine for using a homophobic slur.
The revelation of the Hip-Hop luminary’s scheduled performance at the 2025 AFL Grand Final was met with severe disapproval from LGBTQI+ representatives and various public voices. The AFL’s decision to feature an artist with a record of misogynistic lyrics and previous homophobic comments has been a catalyst for this response.
Rankine’s four-game prohibition, issued on Thursday for using a slur during a game, further aggravated the negative response.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon responded to the escalating criticism, justifying the league’s selection and assuring that the performance would be suitable for all ages.
“We cannot vouch for every lyric in every chart-topping hit ever written or performed by any artist who has appeared on our stage — Australian or international,” Dillon declared.
“What I can say is that our pre-match entertainment on AFL Grand Final day will be family-friendly and consistent with the audience at the MCG and those watching the broadcast.”
Dillon stressed that the decision to engage Snoop Dogg was based on his present persona, not his past. “It is also important to remember that we engaged Snoop Dogg in 2025 as the person he is today,” Dillon stated. “He has spoken publicly about his past, he has changed, and today he is a grandfather, philanthropist, he helps rehabilitate youth and is a global entertainer who has performed at both the Super Bowl and the Olympic Closing Ceremony to audiences of more than 100 million people.”
Snoop Dogg is scheduled to perform at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 27, 2025, as the main act for the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment.
It will be the artist’s inaugural live performance at the MCG, attracting an anticipated crowd of 100,000 attendees and millions more television viewers.
Snoop Dogg was previously barred from entering Australia in 2007 due to his criminal record, but was subsequently granted a visa and permitted to perform after 2008.
