British pop superstar Robbie Williams has rocked the MCG in a blistering grand final show with stirring tributes to late cricketer Shane Warne and singer John Farnham, who is battling cancer.
Dressed in a hot pink suit, Williams belted out his hit song Let Me Entertain You to kick off this year’s pre-match entertainment.
“I need the whole stadium to do this,” he said, swaggering onto the stage with dancers dressed in gold and silver.
Robbie Williams performs ahead of the grand final.Credit:Getty
With the band cranking along behind him, Williams had the crowd lapping up every moment.
After punching out Rock DJ with the crowd singing along, Williams slipped into newer song, Lost, saying “it’s the obligatory new song, we’ll get through it together”.
Then it was “back to the hits” with Feel.
“This next song is dedicated to one of Australia’s greatest rock stars, Shane Warne, love you Warnie,” Williams said, before launching into Angels.
Robbie Williams at the ’G.Credit:Eddie Jim
The camera panned to the late cricketing champion’s children in the stands. The MCG’s Southern Stand was named in Warne’s honour after his shock death in March.
Williams also delivered a rousing version of You’re the Voice, dedicating the track to John Farnham, who underwent marathon surgery in August to remove a cancerous tumour from his mouth.
Under brilliant sunshine, and basking in the moment, Williams asked the crowd to “send our love to John and his family”.
And if that wasn’t enough, Delta Goodrem joined Williams on stage to belt out a cracking version of Kids, the song he originally made famous with Kylie Minogue two decades ago.
It was a hive of activity out on the hallowed MCG turf, as Williams and Goodrem served up a glitzy pre-game, hugely entertaining bonanza.
In recent years, there’s been some genuine heavy hitters of the entertainment world warm up the grand final crowd, including Las Vegas band the Killers in 2017, and superstar Lionel Richie at the 2010 grand final replay.
However, the AFL has not lived down commissioning what was roundly reviewed as a flop 12-minute set from Meatloaf on Australian football’s biggest day in 2011, which cost the league somewhere between $500,000-$600,000.
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