Behind the Scenes: The Last Saturday in September

There are some sporting weekends that are about much more than the final score. For our guests, The Last Saturday in September was one of those weekends. From the moment everyone arrived in Melbourne to the journey back to the airport after the Grand Final, it was a few days filled with footy, shared experiences, plenty of laughs and a few tense moments along the way.

Guests travelled from Hobart, Launceston and Western Australia, arriving in Melbourne ready for a big weekend centred around one of Australian sport’s biggest occasions. The AFL Grand Final at the MCG was naturally the main event, but as the weekend unfolded, there was plenty happening before the first bounce.

Here is a look behind the scenes at our Last Saturday in September trip.

The Last Saturday in September Began Before Game Day

After everyone had checked into the hotel, the weekend got underway with welcome drinks at Brewmanity with David Neitz. It was a chance for the group to settle in, catch up and start enjoying the atmosphere of Grand Final weekend.

From there, attention turned to the AFL Grand Final Parade on Friday. The parade brought both teams into the heart of the celebrations, with the streets also filled with a sea of Fremantle supporters.

For many in our group, seeing the teams and being surrounded by supporters made the excitement of Grand Final weekend feel very real. Melbourne was already buzzing, and there was still the biggest day of the weekend to come.

A Grand Final Morning with Different Experiences

Grand Final morning did not look the same for everyone. Guests were able to enjoy a range of experiences before heading towards the MCG.

Some joined the Biggest Breakfast with North Melbourne, while others opted for the more relaxed Clubby Sports Breakfast or attended the Glasshouse function with Richmond. These different experiences gave guests their own way to enjoy the build-up before everyone turned their attention towards the match.

Some of the group also took the Yarra Cruise to the MCG. Rather than simply making their way directly to the ground, they were able to see Melbourne from the water while travelling towards one of the city’s most recognisable sporting venues.

It was a memorable way to approach the MCG and added another experience to an already packed Grand Final morning.

The Last Saturday in September Arrives at the MCG

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for: game day at the MCG.

Most of the Morey’s Tours group were supporting Fremantle, and for much of the match things were looking very good. The Freo supporters in the group were on cloud nine as their team looked to be heading towards the result they had travelled to Melbourne hoping to see.

But Grand Finals can change quickly.

In the final five minutes, Brisbane came from behind to claim their third consecutive premiership. For the Fremantle supporters travelling with us, it was a difficult ending after the excitement that had built throughout the match.

The result may not have gone their way, but being at the MCG for the Grand Final, surrounded by the atmosphere of one of Australia’s major sporting events, was an experience that extended well beyond the scoreboard.

Behind the Scenes of a Morey’s Signature Experience

The Last Saturday in September sits within Morey’s Tours’ Signature Experiences, a collection of hand-picked journeys built around major events and memorable experiences.

The current Signature Experiences page describes these trips as curated journeys where travel, accommodation, event access and selected experiences are brought together for guests.

This particular weekend showed what that can look like in practice.

It was not simply a matter of travelling to Melbourne, watching the Grand Final and heading home. The welcome drinks, Grand Final Parade, different breakfast experiences and Yarra Cruise all became part of the story of the weekend.

The photos shared from the trip capture that side of the experience too. They show guests together at the various functions and enjoying the weekend as a group, while the final image of Flinders Street Station lit up for the AFL Grand Final captures the atmosphere Melbourne takes on around the event.

A Quieter Journey Home

By the following morning, things were understandably a little quieter.

After several busy days and an emotional finish to the Grand Final, the group boarded the bus and headed back to the airport. For the Fremantle supporters, there was undoubtedly some disappointment about what had happened in those final minutes.

But a weekend like The Last Saturday in September is remembered for more than one result.

As the client summed it up, it had been a very good trip away, filled with great experiences, plenty of laughs and memories that would last well beyond the final siren.

More Than the Final Siren

Looking back at The Last Saturday in September, the weekend captured what travelling for a major sporting event can be about. There was the anticipation of arriving in Melbourne, the excitement surrounding the parade, different Grand Final morning experiences, the journey to the MCG and, of course, the drama of the match itself.

Not every sporting trip ends with the result you want. Sometimes the moments around the game become just as memorable as what happens on the field.

For our group, this was certainly one of those weekends.

If you would like to experience one of Morey’s upcoming hand-picked event journeys, explore Morey’s Signature Experiences to see what is coming up next.