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Sport / Melbourne, VIC

Dockers fans to marry outside MCG during AFL grand final

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Changed after publishing · 1 edit
  • the headline was changed: Dockers fans to marry outside the MCG during AFL grand final

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  • Sydney was ranked the most widely supported AFL club when Roy Morgan made a calculation this month based on membership numbers, followed by Brisbane, Collingwood and then Adelaide.
  • Fremantle fans Danni Bloomfield and Matt Abbott have flown to Melbourne from Karratha to get married outside the MCG on Saturday morning before they head in to watch their Dockers play in the 2026 grand final.
  • The couple has been together for the past 15 years and had initially planned to throw a surprise wedding during Danni's 50th birthday party.
  • The diehard Dockers fans then went a step further.
  • Matt and Danni say their families are fans of the Dockers-MCG wedding plans, even though Matt's father is a "full Eagle".

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Sydney was ranked the most widely supported AFL club when Roy Morgan made a calculation this month based on membership numbers, followed by Brisbane, Collingwood and then Adelaide.

But the market research company may have to find a new way to gauge fan support.

Fremantle fans Danni Bloomfield and Matt Abbott have flown to Melbourne from Karratha to get married outside the MCG on Saturday morning before they head in to watch their Dockers play in the 2026 grand final.

Two friends have also flown in from Western Australia for the Dockers'... We mean Danni and Matt's... Big day.

The couple has been together for the past 15 years and had initially planned to throw a surprise wedding during Danni's 50th birthday party.

But they then heard one of their best friends was flying to Melbourne for the grand final.

"I may have had a few beers and sent a snapshot of flights to Danni," Matt said.

"The next thing we were going to Melbourne."

The diehard Dockers fans then went a step further.

"We thought, 'let's just get married at the MCG'," Matt said.

"We've just been on this rollercoaster since then," Danni added.

Danni said she had to a lot of work to do to cancel all the arrangements that had been made for her birthday party wedding they had originally planned.

Danni admits she was once a West Coast fan, but was converted by her soon-to-be husband.

A church wedding isn't the only tradition the couple kicked to the kerb for their nuptials, which will be held outside Gate 3.

Danni had plans to ditch the white dress for something with a bit more of a Fremantle flavour.

"There was a slight issue with the purple dress being delayed," she said.

"I had assurances that it would be here but got a notification yesterday that's it's due for delivery Monday so there was some panic shopping yesterday.

"Trying to find a purple dress in Melbourne was a little challenging so we've just gone a little bit more traditional now. But there will be purple, have no fear!"

Danni declined to preview the dress, but Matt was happy to show off the Freo flair he'll be sporting tomorrow.

And why did they choose Gate 3 specifically?

"Because it's the gate that we're going in to get our seats," Danni said.

"We're literally going to get married and walk straight in and go and watch them bring home the cup."

In 2014, Matt got a Dockers tattoo on his leg.

He's booked in on Tuesday to make some additions to it.

"Hopefully it'll have a premiership cup and the year, mine and Danni's initials and an infinity rope added."

Matt became emotional when asked what it would mean to him if Fremantle wins tomorrow.

"[It will mean] everything, it would be so amazing to see them just for so many years of being the underdogs and for them to get through to the grand final and arguably play one of the best teams... If they pull this off, it's just going to be a fairytale," he said as Danni also wiped tears from her eyes.

Luke Lalor has been friends with Danni for more than 30 years and will officiate the couple's wedding.

"The fact that we're doing it exactly where they want it... I think it's fantastic," Luke said.

"It is a real wedding, I am a real celebrant and it will be formally legal."

He said he had never done a wedding with 100,000 guests.

"The certificate's printed up with Matt and Danni's names and the fact that it's at the MCG," he said.

"We did all the official notification of intention to marry."

Matt and Danni say their families are fans of the Dockers-MCG wedding plans, even though Matt's father is a "full Eagle".

The pair say the attention they have gained for their matrimonial plans was unbelievable.

"We sort of didn't think it was going to be a big deal," Danni said.

"If we can bring something joyful to people when there's so much sadness in the media and the news, so be it."

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is ABC News's report with its verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

How outlets headlined it

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  • ABC News Dockers fans to marry outside MCG during AFL grand final plain
  • The West Australian AFL grand final: Purple Army take over Melbourne as Fremantle Dockers fans flood parade and MCG training plain
  • The West Australian Fremantle Dockers forward Pat Voss’ record at the MCG makes him the danger man during AFL grand final plain
  • The West Australian AFL grand final: Fremantle Dockers in spirited training run at MCG in front of massive large Purple Army crowd 1 change

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Also covered by The West Australian. We hold only their summary of it, not the report, so there is nothing of theirs to measure here.

Outlet Niral ScoreAdjectivesSourcingSentimentGenderHappiness
ABC Newsas they published this story 6 4 69 -0.2 3.5 79.5
Mundane Readneutralized from ABC News 5.3 3 69 -0.2 3.5 79.5

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