Where to Watch the Footy Finals

As of this weekend, we hit the pointy end of the footy season. It’s the Finals – that time of year where certain fans of certain teams in certain codes assume to right to boast to those less fortunate of their excitement for the weeks ahead… knowing that by simply winning three or four games the glory of the premiership is upon them.

The biggest question is “Where to watch?” Here is a list of great venues to hit up during September to yell and scream and cheer to your passionate heart’s content.

Pubs
They’re cute, they’re friendly, and they’re the sort of places a friendly bit of banter among competing strangers won’t go unwelcomed. There are heaps of great footy pubs… here is just a quick example:

Southside
PJ O’Reilly’s (NRL)
Rose Cottage (NRL)
Inner South
Gryphon’s (AFL/NRL)
Little Brooklyn (AFL/NRL)
The Kingo (AFL/NRL)
Walt & Burley (AFL/NRL)
Weston Creek
Western Basement (NRL)
Civic
PJ O’Reilly’s Civic (AFL/NRL)
Uni Pub (AFL/NRL)
Braddon
Civic Pub (AFL/NRL)
Debacle (AFL/NRL)
Inner North
Debacle (AFL/NRL)
Duxton (AFL/NRL)
Edgar’s Inn (AFL/NRL)
Dickson
O’Neill’s Pub (NRL)
Sub-Urban (NRL/AFL)
Belconnen
Siren Bar (NRL/AFL)

Licensed Clubs
Cheap and cheerful, and usually with TVs the size of a football ground, there are plenty of options to watch across the city. You may lose the sense of intimacy that the other smaller venues offer, but you’re pretty much guaranteed that the match will be on. Try Ainslie Football Club, Gungahlin Lakes, The Hellenic Club (City and Woden) or any of the Canberra Labor Club’s outlets.

One word of warning: Don’t walk into an AFL club expecting to watch the league (or vice-versa)… you may get some funny looks!

And then there’s Smoque…

Yep, Smoque. But this time we’re at the other end of the football season (American Football that is). Skive off work and grab yourself a plate of wings while you watch the big boys of the NFL on Friday 5 September. Smoque will be showing matches all through the season, with the time difference meaning most matches are on around 10.00am on Fridays and Mondays.

Yeee-HAH!