Dockers fans to marry outside the MCG during AFL grand final

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 beloved 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.

"We've never done anything normally."

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.

"The plans were the least of stress. It was Freo getting in [to the grand final] that was the bigger stress!"

she said.

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

"He bleeds purple," she said.

"I'm Freo through and through now."

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.

"Now I'll probably tear up," he said.

"[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.

"It's pretty full on," Matt said.

"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."