Thousands turn out to watch the AFL grand final parade in Melbourne

Thousands of fans have turned out to celebrate the iconic AFL grand final parade, where the players of both the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions received a taste of the atmosphere they will experience tomorrow.

The Sydney Swans will take on the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground at 2.30pm tomorrow.

Pre-parade celebrations and entertainment began bright and early at 9am at the Melbourne Park Oval.

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The parade began at about 10.40am and travelled through to Birrarung Marr, past the MCG and then onto Yarra Park.

Sydney's fill in captain Dane Rampe explained how he felt going into the game.

"First of all, shattered for a mate, one of my great mates, and leaders of our club we've been through a lot together with," Rampe told media on Friday morning ahead of the grand final parade.

"We've had to push that aside, me and him had a cry after the news on Wednesday afternoon. As soon as that was done, and the way Millsy would want it is to move on, business as usual, and that's what it has to be.

"As for my prep, I don't think anything changes. I've been doing what I can in terms of a leadership sense all year and nothing for me changes. I'll be going out and doing what I need to do."

Tomorrow's game will be a sell-out crowd, with more than 100,000 spectators making their way into the ground to watch the AFL's biggest spectacle.