The complaints roll on like a faltering kick through the point post: ''Too old, too has-been, cultural cringe, out of tune.''

Which leads us to ask: is it grand final day or grandfather day? No one is taking away from the talents of Tom Jones, Lionel Richie and, ahem, Meat Loaf.

But really, couldn't we do better?

EG editor Martin Boulton says it's time we treated the pre-match entertainment like a grand final of the best musical talent of the year.

Choose the pre-match entertainment using the framework of the best and fairest: the rising star, best club player, the team on the cusp of greatness, et cetera.

Give our best musicians a platform so that when they make it beyond the pub gigs to the international stage all Australians will have had a chance to see them play live and know them.

And if we must look overseas, let's pick from the top acts touring Australia at grand final time.

Here's who we could have picked this year.

1. Dan Sultan

Sultan is at the top of his music game and appropriately even has a football pedigree, pictured here (top left) captaining the RockDogs in the annual musos versus PBS/RRR radio charity game held to raise money for RecLink, giving football to the homeless and unemployed. Sultan's time has come to indulge his love of footy and music on one of Melbourne's biggest stages.

2. Vance Joy

When he was called James Keogh, he was a Richmond (Coburg) reserves player and in 2008 won Coburg's award for best first-year player. Now he is much better known as Vance Joy, single-handedly responsible for reviving the ukelele with his hit Riptide. Plus there's a new album, Dream Your Life Away, out in the first week of the finals. Without putting a pin in Tigers' hopes of flag victory, it could be one way to guarantee a yellow and black jumper on the ground at the MCG on grand final day. Tiger fairy tale, anyone?

3. Megan Washington

There's even a footy connection for Megan Washington, who kicked off the AFL's Hall of Fame induction dinner in 2012. She should follow on from her ex, rocker Tim Rogers, a fanatical North Melbourne supporter who entertained at the 2012 grand final. Now it's Megan's turn.

4. Spiderbait

Spiderbait's drummer-singer Kram (that's him on the right) is another charity game veteran, and pushing for selection in the firsts, Spiderbait played in the pre-match entertaiment in the Port v Adelaide local derby in March. Like Nic Naitanui's mark for West Coast in round 14 against the Blues, sure to bring a crowd to its feet.

5. Kingswood

Is there a more Aussie-sounding name than Kingswood? They're a Melbourne band with a new album that is making a bang. They're heading overseas soon where they're likely to score early goals and leave more than a few crowds battered and bruised. A grand final appearance would let us all see them before they made their debut into the big(ger) league. Hot pies! Get 'em while they're hot.

6. Painters and Dockers

''You're going home in the back of a divvy fan'' says it all, really. It has been sung countless times at the 'G, so let's have it done properly. Painters and Dockers playing the grand final would be like a lap of honour from Mark "Jacko" Jackson or Warwick Capper — everyone would like to watch, even if you were never a fan. Freo fans might also finally get to see them as a team. The band were once booked and then banned from playing a club function.

7. The Presets

They can apparently do no wrong, off the field or on it. Proven performers and multiple winners of best on field, also known as ARIA winners. Likely to become a favourite band if you don't already have one. 

8. North East Party House

These Melbourne party starters could easily fill the role played by the Cat Empire at Federation Square on grand final day when the crowd went wild. Like a goal on the run from 60 metres out when your team is two points down: guaranteed to get crowds out of their seats.

9. Justin Timberlake

A big stage calls for a big star and until AC/DC agree to come back to the stage for the biggest sports event in the calendar, Justin Timberlake could satisfy even the most hardened Tom Jones fan. He is the biggest star in the country in September and absent from its biggest stage.

10. Robbie Williams

Picture: Getty Images

He has taken a few hip and shoulders over the years and is no stranger to a football pitch, even if it's of the soccer variety. Knows how to work a big stage and a big audience with the kind of flair we expect to see on the field on grand final day from the likes of Swan Buddy Franklin or Cat Daniel Motlop. Like Timberlake, getting Williams would feature heavily on the highlights reel.