NRL Head Slams AFL After Booking Teddy Swims for 2025 Grand Final

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The two leagues of the great Aussie game are butting heads again, this time over their respective bookings of headline stars for their respective 2025 grand finals. Weeks after AFL announced a controversial performance by US rapper Snoop Dogg to soundtrack their final in Melbourne, the NRL followed with the news that star Teddy Swims would perform in Sydney for their own grand final.

Now, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has called out the rival league during an interview on The Today Show (via Fox Sports), saying “We saw what the FLA (AFL) got – what’s he called, Labrador or poodle? All I know is it’s a dog act, we had to get better than that and we actually got a vocalist.”

“This bloke can actually sing. He’s a global act, he’s got billions of downloads and he’s also gonna promote the NRL in America. He’s just a class act and very popular.”

While Swims will perform at the NRL’s big dance at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Sunday, October 5th, Snoop Dogg is scheduled to perform at the AFL grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, September 27th.

In the Senate last month, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young claimed that Snoop’s history of misogyny and homophobia should have precluded him from performing at the Grand Final, arguing that the AFL should have instead looked towards homegrown talent for the headline slot.

“Why is it that the AFL  is bringing in an international artist — a slur merchant — paying them $2 million, rather than backing Aussie talent?” she asked. “The AFL has decided for the grand final, rather than putting on an Australian artist, they’re going to pay Snoop Dogg $2 million to play at the Grand Final.

Prior to this, AFL CEO Andrew Dillion defended the decision, saying: “We cannot vouch for every lyric in every song ever written or performed by any artist who has appeared on our stage — Australian or international. 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.”

It was only less than two weeks ago that Snoop Dogg addressed controversial comments he made over his response to his grandson’s questions about a same-sex couple in Lightyear.

“I was just caught off guard and had no answer for my grandsons,” he wrote. “All my gay friends [know] what’s up, they been calling me with love. My bad for not knowing the answers for a 6 yr old. Teach me how to learn. I’m not perfect.”