Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted on Grand Final day his ignorance of AFL is a bit like "an atheist turning up at the pearly gates".
Speaking at the annual North Melbourne Grand Final breakfast, the Prime Minister, who famously supports NRL team the Cronulla Sharks, acknowledged the "religious fever" for AFL across the country.
With a nod to West Coast Eagles supporter Julie Bishop, sitting amid the crowd and donned in blue and gold, Mr Morrison said Saturday's game was a chance for the nation "to get caught up in something bigger than ourselves".
The morning was punctuated by jokes about leadership changes and the au pair scandal, attended by hundreds of football fans, and featured keynote speeches from AFL CEO Gillian McLachlan, North Melbourne chairman Ben Buckley and Opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Punk band The Living End provided musical entertainment, while teams of comedians debated on the big question: does the game need to change or not?
Mr Morrison asked the football-mad crowd to "cut me a bit of slack".
"On my own sporting prowess, I confess I've watched a lot more sport than I've played."
He also paid tribute to the new AFLW league and its "new breed of heroes and champions", "to inspire women and girls all across the country".
Mr Shorten continued with the morning's theme of political gags.
"I'd like to say a big thank you to North Melbourne for having me back for my fifth breakfast and my third Liberal Prime Minister," he joked.
"To Gil McLachlan, congratulations on another great season. On a personal note, thank you for sorting out a babysitter for my wife Chloe and I today."
The AFL boss has been linked to the au pair scandal for lobbying then immigration minister Peter Dutton to stop the deportation of a French au pair employed as a babysitter for his cousin, grazier Callum MacLachlan.
On a more serious note, he commended Indigenous participation in the game.
"It's quite remarkable really, 80 of the listed players are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, that's about 11 per cent of the competition. Not bad when you consider that Aboriginal people make up 3 per cent of our population, it's a great accomplishment."
The breakfast event, hosted by Dwayne Russell and Gerard Healy, also featured Brent Harvey, Dermott Brereton and ALFW player Kaitlyn Ashmore.
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