Footy fans, get your winter coats and beanies out for the three AFL finals this weekend at the MCG, as a strong wintry outbreak is on its way to Melbourne – bringing rain, strong winds, possible small hail, and general misery to anyone who is not sufficiently rugged-up.

After a relatively mild day on Thursday with top temps nudging 20°C, the spring temperature seesaw will tip quite dramatically in the cold direction and stay there for all three matches, with the apparent (or "feels like") temperature literally plummeting to near-freezing levels.

Thursday night: Magpies vs Demons

Image: These guys might be a bit soaked on Thursday night. Source: AAP Image/Joel Carrett.

The front should arrive pretty close to the bounce of the first final at 7:20 pm on Thursday night between minor premiers Collingwood and the 4th-placed Melbourne Demons. 

Weatherzone meteorologist Joel Pippard says the nasty weather should blow into town around 5 to 6 pm, with blustery winds, showers, and even possible storms

Friday night: Blues vs Swans 

On Friday things get bitterly cold. The Melbourne maximum that day is tipped to reach just 12°C, which would make it the city's coldest day since June.

The Friday night elimination final between the 5th-placed Carlton Blues and the 8th-placed Sydney Swans will definitely feature weather more familiar to the home team, with extremely cold southwesterly winds likely along with occasional showers.

Temperatures should be around 9°C at the start of the game with an apparent or "feels like" temp of just 3°C, which is close enough to freezing. Did we mention scarves? Definitely bring one of those too.

Spring cold front on the way for south east Australia. The proximity of 🔵 and 🔴 promises some dynamic weather. pic.twitter.com/axwXumYt7t

— Andrew Miskelly (@andrewmiskelly) September 5, 2023

Saturday afternoon: Saints vs Giants 

The weather starts to clear slowly on Saturday, but a shower or two will stick around and Melbourne is going for a top of just 14°C, so fans at the game between 6th-placed St Kilda Saints and the 7th-placed GWS Giants should definitely rug up too.

Saturday night: Lions vs Power

As for the fourth final of the weekend, between 2nd-placed Brisbane Lions and 3rd-placed Port Adelaide at the Gabba in Brisbane, the weather can be described in one word: perfect.

All the weather action down south will not make it up to Queensland and conditions should be fine and mild after a top temp of 25°C in Brisbane on Saturday.

Image: It's always sunny at the Gabba, even at night! Source: AAP Image/Matt Turner.

Back down in Victoria, there's the potential for snow down to levels as low as 600 metres on Friday and Saturday for parts of the state, which potentially means weekend snowball fights very close to town for those not attending the footy.

Snow could fall in the Otway Ranges southwest of Geelong (highest point 670m) and possibly even up on Mt Dandenong east of Melbourne (633m).

Significant snow will also fall across the Victorian Alps, the Snowy Mountains of NSW, and as low as 300 metres in Tasmania. Snow is even possible in areas around the towns of Oberon and Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands by Saturday.