Lucky winner of tickets for The West Australian 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final Giveaway announced

A Fremantle Dockers superfan’s dream will become reality when she jets to Melbourne for the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final after her partner was named the winner of The West Australian’s giveaway.

Paul Chapman received the exciting news on Wednesday, and on Friday will board a charter flight with his ecstatic girlfriend Michelle Anderson to watch the team she’s been a member of for 24 years chase their maiden premiership.

While more of an Eagles fan himself, the lucky local was still chuffed at the opportunity and to be taking his Dockers-mad partner on the trip of a lifetime to watch her team take on the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.

“I’m just so excited and I can’t believe it, it should be an absolute blast,” Ms Anderson said.

Given Mr Chapman is a known prankster, she said she wouldn’t be fully convinced of his win until she was inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, singing Up There Cazaly with 100,000 other fans.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the Australian anthem being sung, and for me, the AFL Grand Final is all about singing Up There Cazaly, and I can’t wait for the game, the atmosphere, the concert with Kylie, the whole bit,” Ms Anderson said.

Mr Chapman, who was one of 40,000 hopefuls to enter this week’s competition, thought he was on the receiving end of a trick initially, too.

“I just thought it was another someone trying to sell solar or something, and they left a message, so I obviously thought hang on, they said they’re a third party that do the tickets, and I went, ‘is someone scamming me from work and they think they’re funny?’,” he said.

Ms Anderson has no doubt the Fremantle squad, which flew out of Perth on Thursday, has it in the bag despite the quality of their opposition, who are chasing a third-straight flag.

“They can definitely do it they can win this, it’s just the belief. I’ve I’ve been watching them throughout the season, and I just think that this is the team that can actually do it,” she said.

Her preparation has involved an eleventh hour dash to get some new cold weather Fremantle-themed gear.

“I obviously rushed to the the AFL store and got one of the last jumpers and windcheaters because it’s going to be cold, and a beanie,” she said.

“I’ve got friends going over, and everybody that I know who are staunch Fremantle people are just stoked. It’s so cool, I’m just stoked.”

The couple won return flights to Melbourne, two nights of accommodation and most importantly, tickets to the game that will decide whether Fremantle or Brisbane raise the AFL premiership cup.