Backyard Refresh Before Finals Season Grand Final Entertaining

Hosting both grand finals at home

This year the AFL Grand Final is on Saturday 26 September at the MCG, and the NRL Grand Final follows on Sunday 4 October at Accor Stadium in Sydney. For a lot of households that means two back-to-back weekends of people in the yard, a telly dragged out under the patio, the barbecue going from early afternoon, and kids kicking a footy around at every ad break.

It is often the backyard's first proper outing after winter, and the moment everyone finds out what state the lawn is in.

A quick tidy-up is realistic in the days before the game. If the yard needs a whole new surface, that job is better planned for summer than squeezed in before the first bounce.

What you can fix before the first bounce

None of the jobs below need a trade or a delivery.

Clear, mow and edge what you have

If you have real grass, give it a mow at a slightly higher setting than you would in summer. Scalping a lawn that is only just waking up from winter tends to expose bare patches rather than hide them. Run the edges along paths and garden beds, because a clean edge does more for how a yard looks than almost anything else you can do in an afternoon.

Rake out winter leaf litter from the corners and under shrubs. If you already have synthetic turf, a leaf blower or a stiff broom does the job faster, and our guide to clearing leaf litter off artificial grass covers why leaving it to break down on the surface causes problems later.

Deal with the high-traffic strip

Most backyards have one worn track, usually from the back door to the barbecue. A couple of outdoor rugs or temporary stepping pavers over the worst of it will stop it turning to slop if it rains, and show you where a permanent fix would earn its keep.

Refresh existing synthetic turf

If the yard is already turfed, it probably needs a spring clean more than anything else. Blow or sweep off the debris, rinse the surface with a hose to lift dust and pollen, then brush against the grain with a stiff broom to stand the fibres back up. Flattened areas under where the outdoor furniture sat all winter will usually recover with a firm brush and a day of sun. Our artificial turf maintenance guide has the full routine.

Barbecues, heaters and fire pits on turf

Finals entertaining means heat sources, and this is where synthetic turf needs some respect. The fibres are plastic. A dropped hot coal, a sausage that rolls off the grill plate, or a fire pit sitting straight on the surface can melt a patch that cannot be brushed back.

A few habits keep it safe:

• Put the barbecue on pavers or a heat-resistant mat, never directly on turf.
• Keep fire pits and chimineas on a hard surface with a clear gap around them.
• Point patio heaters away from the turf, and keep them well back from the edges.
• Keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby when anything is burning.

Reflected sunlight is the other culprit people miss. Glass doors and windows can focus sunlight onto a small spot of turf and melt it slowly over weeks. APT, the manufacturer behind our range, recommends a 1-metre non-turf border against reflective surfaces as part of its own guidance. Our guide on why artificial grass melts goes through how to spot and prevent it.

If your barbecue zone or a reflective window is a real concern, SynRye is worth a look. The manufacturer states its nylon fibre withstands up to 220°C, which is why it is positioned for rooftops and spots near reflective surfaces. Check the SynRye product page for current pricing and the length options.

Spills, food and the family dog

Game-day spills are a fact of life. On synthetic turf, most of them are easier to deal with than on real grass, as long as you act the same day.

Spill	What to do
Beer, soft drink, wine	Rinse with plenty of water, then brush through
Barbecue fat or sauce	Scoop the solids, dab with warm soapy water, rinse well
Dropped food	Pick it up before it gets trodden in, then rinse the spot
Chewing gum	Harden with ice, then lift it off with a blunt scraper
Dog accidents	Remove, rinse thoroughly, and treat any lingering smell

If the family dog is part of the party, a good hose-down the next morning heads off most odour problems before they start.

If the yard needs more than a tidy-up

Some yards are past the point of a mow and a rake. The grass never came back after the last drought, the shaded side is permanently bare, or the dog has turned half the yard into a dust bowl. That is where synthetic turf starts to make sense, and it is worth being honest about timing.

A turf install is several days of work once the materials are on site: removing the old surface, preparing and compacting a base, laying and joining the rolls, and infilling. It also depends on delivery times to your area and on the weather being dry enough for base work. Trying to squeeze all of that into the week before a grand final is how corners get cut and seams show. Plan it for the run into summer instead, and the yard is ready for Christmas, the summer holidays and next year's finals.

Measuring and ordering

Our turf ships in fixed cut lengths, commonly 5m, 10m, 15m or a full 20m roll depending on the product, at a fixed 3.71m roll width. Lengths shorter than a full roll carry a cutting fee. For a wider yard, you join rolls side by side at that width, so the measuring job is working out how many runs you need and which length covers each one. Our guide to measuring your yard for turf walks through it.

We supply the turf only. Installation is your job or your landscaper's. We also do not currently deliver to Western Australia or South Australia, so check your postcode at checkout before you plan around a delivery.

Choosing a tier for an entertaining yard

An entertaining yard takes foot traffic in bursts: nothing for a week, then thirty people for an afternoon. That favours a turf that recovers well and handles furniture sitting on it.

Tier	Typical pile	Market price guide (supply only, inc. GST)	Good for
Budget	15 to 25mm	about $15 to $30/m²	Tight budgets, light use, smaller yards
Mid-range	25 to 35mm	about $30 to $45/m²	Regular entertaining, family use
Premium	35 to 45mm	about $40 to $60/m²	A lush look, feature lawns

Those are general Australian market ranges, not our prices. Professional installation typically adds around $30 to $70/m² on top, and DIY base materials run about $10 to $20/m². You can compare our current prices and use the length calculator on each product through the full turf range.

Longer piles look lusher but flatten more under furniture and heavy traffic, so they need more brushing. Shorter, denser piles hold up better in the high-traffic strip but look less like a freshly mown lawn. Pick based on whether the yard is mostly for looking at or mostly for using.

Heat on game day and beyond

Finals weekends are usually mild, but summer is a different story. Western Sydney University research, reported by the ABC, has recorded unshaded artificial turf running past 80°C on warm days and beyond 100°C on the hottest ones. Even APT's brochure gives 65 to 75°C as the normal design range for turf in full sun. Our guide on whether artificial grass can burn bare feet covers the numbers and the habits that manage it: shade, a quick hose-down before use, and keeping shoes on in the heat of the day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get artificial turf installed before the grand final?

For this year's AFL Grand Final, almost certainly not, and even the NRL Grand Final on 4 October is tight once delivery and a few days of base preparation are counted. A rushed install tends to show in the seams and the base. Treat this year's finals as a tidy-up weekend and plan the turf for the run into summer.

Can I put a barbecue on artificial grass?

Put it on pavers or a heat-resistant mat instead of directly on the turf. Synthetic fibres melt when hot coals, fat or a dropped sausage lands on them, and a melted patch cannot be brushed back. Keep a hose or bucket of water nearby while it is running.

How do I clean beer and food spills off synthetic turf?

Rinse beer and soft drink with plenty of water and brush the fibres through. For barbecue fat or sauce, scoop off what you can, dab the spot with warm soapy water, then rinse well. Deal with it the same day so it does not get trodden in or start to smell.

Is artificial grass OK for kids kicking a footy around?

Yes, established turf handles kick-to-kick and running games well, and it will not turn to mud in the wet. Runners are better than metal-studded boots on any home lawn. On hot days, check the surface temperature before kids play barefoot, because it heats up far more than natural grass.