North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast

The North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast is a breakfast function organised by the North Melbourne Football Club on the morning of the AFL Grand Final. The breakfast marks the traditional beginning to Grand Final day and is one of the biggest social highlights on the Australian sporting calendar. Watching the event is a ritual for many footy fans and the function plays a huge role in the pre match build up for the Grand Final.

History

The first Grand Final Breakfast was held in 1967 at the Southern Cross hotel, as a valuable fundraising event. The inaugural guest speaker was the VFL's Administrative director Eric McCutchan. The event rose to prominence in the 1970s when the breakfast began to be televised across Victoria, and was officially endorsed by the VFL as the official pre-match Grand Final function. Since then the event has grown into a significant money raiser for North Melbourne, and the guest list has grown to include Prime Ministers, State Premiers and other celebrities.

Event

Although many clubs hold their own Grand Final Breakfasts, the North Melbourne Breakfast was the first breakfast and is currently the only breakfast to be officially endorsed by the AFL. This ensures a guest list that reads as a ‘who’s who’ of Australian business, sport, entertainment and politics. The breakfast includes a Grand Auction, with all proceeds being donated to the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Quotes

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke described the event as “one of this nation’s great traditions”.

Paul Keating referred to the function as “a tradition in itself”

Prime Minister John Howard described it as “a tremendous institution …. and the most eclectic gathering of people you could possibly imagine”.

Venues

Year	Location	Guest speaker	Football Personality of the Year	North Melbourne's Media Award	Sponsor
1967	Southern Cross Hotel	Eric McCutchan	Not Awarded	Not Awarded
1968	Southern Cross Hotel	Bruce Andrews	Ted Whitten
1969	Southern Cross Hotel	Sir Henry Winneke	Kevin Murray
1970	Southern Cross Hotel	Honourable Donald Chipp	Norm Smith
1971	Southern Cross Hotel	Bob Hawke	Ron Barrassi
1972	Southern Cross Hotel	Sir John Gorton	Ron Casey
1973	Southern Cross Hotel	Jack Galbally	Keith Greig
1974	Southern Cross Hotel	Jim Cairns	Doug Wade
1975	Southern Cross Hotel	Sir Rupert Hamer	Lou Richards
1976	Southern Cross Hotel	Malcolm Fraser	Eric McCutchan
1977	Southern Cross Hotel	Phillip Adams	John Kennedy
1978	Southern Cross Hotel	Norman Banks	HSV7's World of Sport
1979	Southern Cross Hotel	Peter Thompson	Barry Cable
1980	Southern Cross Hotel	Jack Thompson	Jack Hamilton
1981	Southern Cross Hotel	Kevin Bartlett	Jack Dyer
1982	Southern Cross Hotel	Malcolm Fraser	Tom Hafey & Malcolm Blight
1983	Southern Cross Hotel	Bob Hawke	Kevin Bartlett	Doug Heywood
1984	Southern Cross Hotel	Olympic medallists	Bernie Quinlan	Scott Palmer
1985	Southern Cross Hotel	Allen Aylett	John Kennedy	Harry Beitzel
1986	Southern Cross Hotel	Jack Hamilton	Leigh Matthews	Ron Carter
1987	Southern Cross Hotel	John Winneke	Wayne Schimmelbusch	Tom Lahiff
1988	Southern Cross Hotel	Sir Llew Edwards	Allan Jeans	Graham Dawson & Peter Booth
1989	Southern Cross Hotel	Tony Fitzgerald QC	Simon Madden	Ian Major
1990	Southern Cross Hotel	Professor Geoffrey Blainey	Michael Tuck	Bill Jacobs
1991	Southern Cross Hotel	Thomas Keneally	Jim Stynes	Bob Davis
1992	Southern Cross Hotel	Dr. Don Cordner	Collingwood FC Centenary	Rex Hunt
1993	Southern Cross Hotel	Malcolm Turnbull	Alan Schwab	Harry Beitzel & Tom Lahiff
1994	Southern Cross Hotel	John "Darcy" Dugan	Tony Shaw & Doug Hawkins	Coodabeen Champions
1995	Exhibition Building	David Hill	Tony Lockett	Mike Sheahan
1996	Exhibition Building	Bryce Courtenay	Ross Oakley	Eddie McGuire	Toshiba
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001					AXA
2002	Docklands Stadium				AXA
2003					AXA
2004			Glenn Archer & Anthony Stevens		AXA
2005
2006					TAC
2007					TAC
2008	The Grand Hyatt		Leigh Matthews
2009	Exhibition Centre				Interactive

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