Snoop Dogg To Headline AFL Grand Final – Is This Another Meatloaf Fiasco? (Naked City)
Image: snoopdogg / Instagram
Snoop Dogg To Headline AFL Grand Final – Is This Another Meatloaf Fiasco? is the latest column (August 18, 2025) from Coffin Ed‘s The Naked City – exclusive to City Hub.
It’s now part of Australian ‘sporting’ history – but for all the wrong reasons. The American singer Meatloaf’s appearance at the 2011 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne quickly deteriorated into a total fiasco, due to his parlous state of health. Apparently, unbeknown to AFL organisers, the burly vocalist had experienced a serious heart attack only a few weeks earlier, haemorrhaging a vocal cord in the process.
The result was a horribly off-key shambles that not even a screechy version of Bat Out Of Hell could rescue. You would think that the AFL would have learned its lesson back then, abandoning the cultural cringe that demands an imported talent to lead the pre-game entertainment. The $500,000 that Meatloaf was supposedly paid would have easily provided some top rate Australian performers.
Now it seems that in 2025, the cringe is as strong as ever with the recent announcement that old school American rapper Snoop Dogg has been signed up for the pre game show. The AFL have described the artist as “as a global music icon and one of the most recognisable and influential artists in the world, with a career spanning three decades.” He’s also an off-and-on Trump supporter, for the record.
His critics might counter, labelling him as a burnt out, sexist, gun-toting pothead whose celebrity and tabloid notoriety has long outlasted any miniscule talent that he ever had. Not surprisingly the AFL announcement has been greeted with a considerable backlash down in bleak city.
3AW commentator Tim Elliott has called the decision “terrible”, describing Snoop’s lyrics as a complete contradiction of the AFL’s messaging on respect for women – and then reading the following extract from a Snoopzilla rap on air:
“I like tall ones, white ones, fat ones, black ones, short ones, cute ones, bad ones, good ones.
I’m tryin’ a creep with ’em, individually want to sleep with ’em, I do ’em, I did ’em, I hit ’em and quit ’em.
That’s how I get rid of ’em, welcome to my world, girls, girls, girls.”
Not surprisingly the 50-plus-year-old Snoop has now claimed to have abandoned his former misogyny in favour of a more sensitive and appreciative respect for women, influenced largely by his wife, grandmother and daughter – and no doubt the almighty dollar. Yet when it comes to his love of and advocacy for the sacred skunk the same act of contrition seemingly does not apply.
Like other football codes, the AFL makes no secret of its policy on the use of illegal drugs and other banned stimulants, with a particular focus on educating young players.
Back in 2007, Snoop Dogg was actually banned from entering Australia due to drug and firearm convictions, with the then immigration minster Kevin Andrews stating, “He has a whole string of convictions. He doesn’t seem the sort of bloke we want in this country.” At the time, the rapper had recently been convicted of felony drug and charges and sentenced to five years probation and 800 hours of community service.
The ban has obviously been lifted but will the Victorian Government come to the party and issue a one-day amnesty on pot smoking for the AFL Grand Final? We are not just talking Snoop’s dressing room but the entire MCG – all invited to ‘light up’ for the occasion, kids excepted of course although they could happily munch on free hash cookies. And of course for his own security here, both Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr (aka Snoop) and his entourage should all be allowed to pack some serious heat.
The NRL in Sydney has yet to announce who will be headlining the half time entertainment at this year’s grand final. To their credit, they have previously avoided imported overpaid has-beens in favour of local artists – but that dreaded cultural cringe always lurks strong. It should not be forgotten Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys appeared on Fox & Friends to ask US President Donald Trump to attend the NRL’s season-opening in Las Vegas earlier this year.
“Mr President, we want to introduce you to the toughest game on earth, rugby league, in the world’s sport and entertainment capital, Las Vegas. We know you love physical, tough contact sports. There’s no sport more brutal than rugby league, our players don’t wear pads or helmets.”
If we can’t have a superstar and ‘international ambassador of weed’ like Snoop at our own footy final and Trump is obviously out of the question – then why not one of his celebrated acolytes? Sadly Hulk Hogan is no longer with us but another blonde bombshell in the shape of US Attorney General Pam Bondi would be a fabulous guest and she already has an Aussie name. Joe Rogan always has something to say and punters might even confuse him for singer Josh Groban. Steve Bannon has done jail time but remains a MAGA stalwart and The Village People have long been one of Trump favourites.
It’s just a shame Meatloaf is no longer with us. Despite the odd rift he was basically a Trump supporter and I can easily visualise him belting out a monster version of Bat Out Of Hell at Accor along with Pam, Steve and Kid Rock on back up vocals. Do we really need another Snoop?
