The AFL has unveiled that Welsh crooner Tom Jones and British hit-maker Ed Sheeran will kick off this year¡¯s grand final game at the MCG.

Despite being Aussie football¡¯s day of days, the AFL has decided to look abroad for this year¡¯s musical entertainment. They will also stick to the pre-game performance slot, to avoid an awkward repeat of Meatloaf¡¯s cringe-worthy half-time performance three years ago.

Our very own Sandra Dee, Olivia Newton John, will sing the national anthem, while Mike Brady will warm up the crowd of diehard football fans with his iconic 1979 footy classic, ¡®Up There Cazaly¡¯.

With the inclusion of Jones, 74, and ¡®The A Team¡¯ singer Sheeran, there is certainly a distinctly British vibe to this year¡¯s Grand Final lineup. However, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said that the decision to book the two chart-toppers is to suit everyone¡¯s tastes.

¡°To have two iconic international stars perform at the Grand Final is befitting the biggest event on the national sporting calendar. Sir Tom Jones¡¯ record as one of the greatest and most enduring singers ever speaks for itself while Ed Sheeran is arguably the hottest property in music today,¡± said Mr McLachlan.

Sheeran, whose latest album, X, is currently sitting at No.9 on the ARIA Album Charts, said that he is familiar with AFL, and for him, accepting the AFL¡¯s invitation to headline the Grand Final was as easy as a G chord. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a hard decision to agree to perform on such a big stage for the biggest sport in Australia¡± explained Sheeran. ¡°Having spent some time in Australia recently I know just how popular the game is and how big an event this will be.¡±

Sir Tom Jones, who was knighted in 2006, has been entertaining audiences since the ¡®60s. With 17 albums under his belt, and 100 million album sales in his bank account, Jones said that he was ¡°thrilled¡± to perform in front of 100,000 excited football fans this September.

¡°I also know that Australian football has really passionate fans so it¡¯ll be great to be a part of the atmosphere and excitement on the day¡± said the graying rock and pop legend.

Mr MacLauchlan also joked that Jones ¡°still has women throwing their underwear on stage.¡± So football fans, ye be warned, you might have to dodge a rogue pair of knickers on the day.

The AFL Grand Final kicks off on Saturday September 27 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.