Australia's Indigenous peak body for the prevention of family and domestic violence is reminding the community there's no excuse for violence as the grand final weekends approach.
Our Ways Strong Together noted on Wednesday that an increase in violence at home tended to accompany the major football events.
Victoria Police reported they saw a five per cent increase in family violence incidents on AFL grand final day in 2025, with 315 incidents overall.
Spikes of up to 20 per cent have been recorded in previous years, with increases again expected in 2026.
In rugby league, State of Origin evenings and grand final long weekends have raised similar concerns - with even higher rises.
"A grand final should not make a home less safe," Our Ways Strong Together chief executive Olga Havnen said.
Ms Havnen said services "sharp increases in demand" around the around the two codes' grand finals.
Our Ways Strong Together, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Peak, was established by federal government and coalition of peaks in March.
"The game does not cause violence. Alcohol does not excuse it. Heightened emotions do not remove responsibility," Ms Havnen said.
"These events can increase risk where violence, coercive control and harmful attitudes already exist, and they expose the structural conditions that allow violence to continue."
AFL grand final day is this Saturday, with the NRL decider to be played next Sunday evening.
In NSW, the Monday following rugby league's grand final is a public holiday.
"Sadly, while many celebrate this weekend there will be others who do not feel safe in their own homes, with a concerning trend over recent years of increased rates of domestic, family and sexual violence at times of large events across the state," the NSW government said in a statement last year, while also urging responsibly drinking.
This week, children, young people, and families support service Berry Street outlined "we've seen more than a 50 per cent increase in calls in the week following the grand final" and called for people "to look out for the signs of family violence and speak up when disrespectful attitudes and behaviours are normalised".
For First Nations women and children, Our Ways Strong Together and Ms Havnen made their call for resources and support going to Indigenous organisations and communities with the solutions.
Ms Havnen said "prevention must mean more than a warning" and called for; resources going to ACCOs for when higher demand is predicted, investment into prevention as well as culturally-grounded healing, addressing gendered and structural drivers of violence and measuring if women and children receive safety and support, and ensuring police, health, housing and crisis systems are providing safe and connected responses.
"Violence is not inevitable. But preventing it requires authority, resources and accountability to sit with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities closest to the solutions," Ms Havnen said.
"A safe celebration should be safe for everyone."
Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036 is already in implementation, she added.
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