The Killers are performing a free gig at the AFL Grand Final afterparty

Fans of The Killers are probably already salivating over the open secret that the band is coming to Australia later this month to perform at the AFL Grand Final, but are probably pretty devastated to hear that the band aren’t playing any other dates on their quick Aussie trip. But on the brightside (no pun intended), the band have announced a free performance for dedicated footy fans.

The AFL have now officially confirmed that The Killers are set to perform on the day as part of the Virgin Australia Pre-Game Show, as well as the Virgin Australia Premiership Party, which is a free show that kicks off at 6pm on game day.

The group also expressed their excitement about hitting up Australia for this event, even though their comments sound like a pretty generic statement that shows that they have no clue about what Australian rules football actually is. “People of the great country of Australia,” the band said in a statement. “Let us inject our American rock and roll tunes into your sporting event, please! AFL here we come.”

Other acts on the day will include Mike Brady, who will once again play his trademark tune ‘Up There Cazaly’, while Aussie singer and second-placing Eurovision contestant Dani Im will sing the national anthem. This follows on from last year’s event which saw Vance Joy and The Living End in charge of entertaining fans.

Of course, while fans are pretty excited to see The Killers perform their classic tunes at the big event, recent news indicates that only about half of the band will be in attendance with bassist Matt Stoermer and guitarist Dave Keuning having recently announced they’re both dropping out of regular touring.

The Killers’ new album, Wonderful Wonderful, is set for release on September 22nd, just over a week before the AFL Grand Final, so this means that if The Killers are nice enough to show off some material at their free show, we might just be hearing some new tracks before the rest of the world.

So if you’re keen on seeing a free show by The Killers, make your way to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 30th at 6pm, even if you didn’t buy yourself a ticket to the big event on the day. Be warned though, considering just how popular the AFL Grand Final is, this is probably going to be a pretty busy one, filled with other punters trying to head along to this once-in-a-lifetime free gig.

While we wait to see just which AFL teams will be accompanying The Killers to the MCG, make sure you check out one of The Killers’ classic tunes, ‘Mr. Brightside’, below.