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Round 1 Ticketing and Other Discussion
- Thread starter Ian4
- Start date
Not sure I'd say that. There won't be many tickets left if they're going on sale two days before the game. Will be surprised and pleased if I get one.
I guess there's still a chance they'll raise the capacity before Tuesday.
The public reserve holds 56K. MCC 23K, AFL members 21K (but I've also been told that AFL reserve holds 22K, MCC 23K and Public reserve 55K).
The word is that most clubs will allow 1,000 tickets to the away team. But AFL has also said the clubs can negotiate with the home team for more, hence why Cain Liddle talking to Benny.
The more I think about it, stuff Carlton give them 1,000. Its our home game., paid-up members and we should have as many as our members in as possible.
When we play them again it's likely there will be no restrictions so we don't owe them anything.
Membership Dept said we have about 20K reserve seat holders + 2,000 Coterie.
At a guess, anything from 5-8K will be available for GA members.
We're unfurling the flags. Liddle should be happy if he's allowed in himself.
Not going to be a lot of money in the gate if it's all pre-paid members.
I've heard away games will be based on historical attendance against the home team. Meaning those who have attended year in year out will get first shot at tickets, as it should be. This is not set in stone, we'll know soon enough.
EDIT: I should also add that if no cases arise in the coming weeks, we are likely to go to 75% capacity in either RD's 2 or 3
Spot on, must be a tiger house to witness the unfurling of the back2back flags.
Wow, I would be surprised and pleased if that's how it works.
No, NSW, SA, QLD are all at 75%, and WA as of Monday next week will also be at 75% capacity.
I suppose I originally thought GA members would be lucky to see many tickets at all but it looks like there will be at least some thousands of tickets available to GA members. It's better but lots will still miss out.
Yep, definite revenue hit there. We should really be pushing for bigger capacity given we are unfurling flags but somehow I doubt it as I suspect they want to see if 50,000 at the MCG has any effect first.
DS
I respect your last point DS. But there is zero logic behind this. The notion (not yours) that we will all of a sudden risk an outbreak from nowhere just because the crowd capacity is increased to, say 75% when there is zero reported cases in the community is ridiculous and frankly, tiresome.
What the article meant in saying tickets away team members will be based on past attendance records is if the away team has previously drawn large crowds vs the home team they will be allocated more tickets.
It’s not individual.
eg Richmond will get more tickets as the away team vs Geelong than what north Melbourne would.
I'm hoping to go to this game, but I have no intention on booking flights til i know i have a ticket. I have no idea how this process would work or whether i have any chance at all of scoring a ticket.
mate, there was a case who went to the test cricket. some people have short memories.
Tony Braxton-Hicks
There are no stupid ideas, just stupid people
There are no international flights at the moment, but that won't be for much longer and then anything can happen.
I love your content Ian, but you need to reconcile the facts.
A. The patron was not infectious whilst attending test;
B. There were no infections as a result of the above;
C. There were some community transmissions at that point as a result of the Northern Beaches cluster. There is no community transmission now. We have also commenced the vaccine rollout as a key preventive measure, albeit slowly.
D. There is absolutely no reason Vic cannot align with other states and have at least a 75% crowd cap.
How Richmond members will get a ticket to the MCG for Round 1 (paywalled)
Jon RalphHerald Sun
March 11, 2021
Richmond says the “vast majority” of its members will gain access to Thursday night’s season opener against Carlton.
As AFL clubs attempt to satisfy both rank-and-file members and those paying for premium access, the Tigers have successfully catered for all of their reserved seat members seeking a ticket in the ballot to the season opener.
While Richmond has 87,496 members so far this year, club chief executive Brendon Gale told the Herald Sun on Thursday that most, if not all, of their paid-up, full members who were seeking tickets would gain entry.
Richmond’s general admission members will find out next Tuesday if they can get to the game.
The AFL has given clubs permission to prioritise the most expensive membership categories.
Power clubs including Richmond, Essendon and Collingwood have taken this path.
Collingwood will allow a two-hour window for its Legends and Club 5 categories when it opens up its ticket sales next Tuesday.
Under Richmond’s ballot system, successful reserved seat members will be able to sit in their customary MCG seating areas, while those who were unsuccessful in the ballot will still get tickets but in a different area allocated by Richmond.
They are then guaranteed they will sit in their normal seats the next time they enter the ballot.
The Herald Sun understands a decision to lift the state’s guidelines to phase two — which would allow up to 75,000 fans at the MCG — will likely run out of time.
But Gale said the club was keen to see more than 50 per cent crowds back at the footy.
“All the club’s eligible reserved seat and reserved bay members that successfully entered the Round 1 ballot have been allocated a ticket,” he said.
“Beyond that we anticipate the vast majority of members that want to attend the game will be able to do so, but that picture will become clearer next week.
“Our members have been very understanding and patient — this is a different environment we are working in and it can change very quickly.
“If we can get 50 per cent crowd capacity at our games we are confident that the vast majority if not all our members that want to attend will be able to do so.
“But clearly we want more — 50 per cent is a long way off meeting overall supporter demand. We need as many people back at the football as possible within the current constraints.”
The league has not lost all hope of as many as 60,000 fans filling the MCG, but it likely running out of time.
The State Government would have to decide ahead of Tuesday, when tickets go on sale, that it wanted to see an enhanced COVID-safe plan for more than 50 per cent capacity.
The league will await the State Government’s direction rather than directly pushing, aware that it should not take a short-term opportunistic approach when it can show how safely 50,000 fans can be seated at the MCG.
Its view is that once that is proven the State Government might quickly increase capacities, with state Sports Minister Martin Pakula saying on Saturday increased crowds by Round 1 were unlikely but not impossible.
Collingwood’s tickets for the Friday night blockbuster against the Western Bulldogs go on sale on Tuesday.
The Pies’ Club 5 and Legends members will get two hours of priority access before members with reserved seats receive another period of access.
Tickets left over will go to normal members including 11-game members for the MCG clash.
A Collingwood’s Legends Membership is a $750 membership, while the Club 5 membership is a five-year package which guarantees a Grand Final ticket should the club qualify.
Essendon, still angry the AFL did not schedule its game against Hawthorn at the MCG, will also allow its premium members first access.
The club’s High Mark and Silver reserved seat members are in Priority Group 1, with Priority Group 2 the bronze reserved seat members, with general admission access members in the third group.
The difference is pure numbers. 75% of Adelaide Oval is 40,000. 75% of Optus Stadium is 45,000. 75% of the MCG is 75,000. 30,000 more is a massive difference in a compacted area.
And going back to your point B, the first community case from the Northern Beaches cluster popped up in Melbourne on December 31 (after the test had finished). they had found someone at the cafe had attended the cricket during contact tracing efforts. Something similar could happen with the footy, but here you will have much bigger numbers to deal with.
That’s not to say the crowd cap won't be lifted. the state government has already hinted about lifting the cap as the season progresses. I reckon the first 2-3 weeks will be a test of how quickly we can get people in and out of the stadium at 50%. If it all goes smoothly, then I’m sure it’ll increase incrementally.
Tony Braxton-Hicks
There are no stupid ideas, just stupid people
FWIW I was at the Palais last night and the crowd was apparently 1/3 capacity and the seating allocations very sparse.
