The Docklands debate

[DavidSSS]

Hmmm i did read somewhere that 26,000 at GMBA the cats make more money than 70,000 at the g

Not sure about that given they do request the home game at the MCG. Surely Kardinia Park is the default for a Geelong home game so they must have a reason to want to shift the game.

I would have thought they would make more at the MCG because they will get more Richmond supporters who have to pay to get in.

DS

 

[Baloo]

The other reason Kardinia isn't a great example is because the cats allocate 5k tickets for the opposition. Really isn't a good example

 

[AngryAnt]

Not sure about that given they do request the home game at the MCG. Surely Kardinia Park is the default for a Geelong home game so they must have a reason to want to shift the game.

I would have thought they would make more at the MCG because they will get more Richmond supporters who have to pay to get in.

DS

Not sure this is right, my understanding is that they request all home games at the cattery.

 

[Total Tiger]

So it's OK for Geelong to say they want 11 games at Kardinia Park but not OK for us to say we want 11 at the MCG? Righto ...

My point is that we've for years ridiculed them for whinging about the home games at KP issue and demanded that they play their home game against us at the G. Eventually we got the AFL on side. Got the 17 QF final where we wanted it and home games since then. Now we're whinging about this, pissing the AFL off in the meantime. What do you think the long term consequences of that will be? The club have played this all wrong. We used to have a "Bring it on. We'll do you anywhere" kind of attitude. That's gone now.

 

[Legends of 2017]

The other reason Kardinia isn't a great example is because the cats allocate 5k tickets for the opposition. Really isn't a good example

We shouldn’t be playing there because we are a professional elite team and professional elite teams shouldn’t be playing on suburban grounds, no matter how glitzed up it is

 

[Ian4]

I'll give you an example of the stupidity of the media. Does anyone know Sam Hargreaves? He does “Sporting Capital” on SEN after 6pm.

The other day he did a commentary piece criticising Richmond for its stance on Marvel. He argued we’d just came out of COVID and we should be happy to be playing in Melbourne. He actually stated Richmond has “read the room wrong,” and claimed the best way to get all your home games at the MCG is to encourage your fans to fill Marvel when you play there.

Point 1: The COVID reference is a bit of a cheap shot. People seem to use that chestnut a lot when pushing a narrative. “Last year was bad because of COVID, so you're not allowed to hold that view.”

Point 2: I reckon the media fell for this hook, line and sinker. Benny Gale originally brought this up last Friday to deflect from the Bolton/Rioli controversy. Dimma doubled down on it. And it worked beautifully.

Point 3: Hargreaves has “read the room wrong” by suggesting Richmond has “read the room wrong.” The club is standing up for its supporters, they do not give a stuff what the wider AFL community think. They are simply sending the message to city hall that the fans hate the place.

Point 4: If Richmond filled Marvel against a team such as GWS, they will schedule more games for us there, not less. I remember we played Sydney at Marvel in 2018 and pulled 45,000. The AFL then scheduled us to play them at Marvel again the following season.

Then there was the PR debacle that was the 'lock in', where people couldn't get a pass out in order to buy cheaper food and drink on the concourse. Again, a bad decision, with greed at its heart, that had to be overturned.

Thats not correct. I was able to get a passout at half time on saturday night and was able to have a sneakly full strength beer at a pizza joint on the Marvel concourse.

Hmmm i did read somewhere that 26,000 at GMBA the cats make more money than 70,000 at the g

I reckon that has likely changed a little since Kardinia Park has been redeveloped. What we have learnt from the building of Marvel Stadium, AAMI Park and Optus Stadium, is that the bigger the concrete jungle with all the bells and the whistles, the more costly it is to run. I'm not suggesting Kardinia Park is as expensive to run as those stadiums, but I’m tipping the profits aren’t as good as what they once were.

 

[Ian4]

The other reason Kardinia isn't a great example is because the cats allocate 5k tickets for the opposition. Really isn't a good example

This is why I always find the “We deserve to play home finals at Kardinia Park” argument a joke. Firstly, they have played 1 home final in Geelong in 120 years, and all of a sudden, they think they have a god given right to play finals there, when the MCG has always been the home of finals footy in Victoria.

The stadium holds 36,000. Let’s imagine Geelong v Richmond at Kardinia Park in a qualifying final.

The public reserve at the MCG is 54% (46% for MCC, AFL members and corporates). So, let’s be conservative and say corporates will get 33% in G-town. That leaves 24,000 public tickets. Geelong fans will assume they’ll get the bulk of those tickets. Incorrect. It will be split 50/50 between the competing teams. That’s 12,000 for Geelong and 12,000 for Richmond. In comparison, competing clubs in the GF are allocated 17,000 tickets.

Geelong have 65,000 members. By my calculations, that means only 18% of Geelong members will get a ticket to a final in Geelong, compared to 26% who will get a GF ticket, and 41% who will get a ticket to a regular final at the MCG.

In summary, the whole concept of Geelong playing finals in Geelong against other Victorian teams is a pipe dream, and always will be.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Not sure this is right, my understanding is that they request all home games at the cattery.

Yeah I think that's correct. But every second Easter Monday game v Hawthorn is a Geelong home game and they have never ever complained about playing that match at the MCG. Surely there is some sort of arrangement in place regarding that game that prevents Geelong getting 11 games at Geelong.

 

[Baloo]

Yeah I think that's correct. But every second Easter Monday game v Hawthorn is a Geelong home game and they have never ever complained about playing that match at the MCG. Surely there is some sort of arrangement in place regarding that game that prevents Geelong getting 11 games at Geelong.

And only since the government upgraded the revenue generating facilities at their stadium. Before that they were requesting big games at the G. 4 a year if I remember correctly.

 

[mrposhman]

Yeah, the ticketing, even before COVID, is a huge issue at Docklands. If you are a Richmond reserved seat or reserved bay member you get Level 4 (or is it 3, I dunno) at Docklands unless you pay, and that's for a home game. Meanwhile Level 1 is half empty. They really need to fix this.

Mind you, it isn't only Richmond games where Level 1 is half empty, it seems to be all games. The ticketing there is a real turn off.

DS

I'm a reserved seat member and got Level 1 last week. Could have got 4th row but prefer to watch from a bit further back.

 

[Number8]

Thats not correct. I was able to get a passout at half time on saturday night and was able to have a sneakly full strength beer at a pizza joint on the Marvel concourse.

It is correct, Ian. Note the past tense in my post and the fact I said it was a policy that had to be overturned. The place has a wretched history of PR debacles. Saturday night is what happens when you have a reputation for being unfriendly to fans.

 

[DavidSSS]

I'm a reserved seat member and got Level 1 last week. Could have got 4th row but prefer to watch from a bit further back.

Yes, but did you have to pay for it?

And, would you have got level 1 at the MCG already paid for?

DS

 

[mrposhman]

Yes, but did you have to pay for it?

And, would you have got level 1 at the MCG already paid for?

DS

Nope $0 for my 3 tickets.

I sit on level 2a at the G.

 

[AngryAnt]

Yeah I think that's correct. But every second Easter Monday game v Hawthorn is a Geelong home game and they have never ever complained about playing that match at the MCG. Surely there is some sort of arrangement in place regarding that game that prevents Geelong getting 11 games at Geelong.

Yeah... Possibly request 11 to keep fans happy but take the revenue from the blockbusters.

 

[DavidSSS]

Nope $0 for my 3 tickets.

I sit on level 2a at the G.

Ok, you did well, maybe I should have looked harder at the tickets being offered but thought I would try level 2 at Docklands for the novelty.

DS

 

[Jason King]

We had 18k attend,that wasn't even the lowest crowd for the round. Still comfortably the highest pulling crowd numbers and an easy 10k over what Geelol pull.

It's just a case of whining at the Tigers for not filling the AFL coffers even more than the incredible amount we do.

*smile* them. Write stories about other teams not doing their share but still liking up for AFL handouts.

 

[Tenacious]

Yeah, the ticketing, even before COVID, is a huge issue at Docklands. If you are a Richmond reserved seat or reserved bay member you get Level 4 (or is it 3, I dunno) at Docklands unless you pay, and that's for a home game. Meanwhile Level 1 is half empty. They really need to fix this.

Mind you, it isn't only Richmond games where Level 1 is half empty, it seems to be all games. The ticketing there is a real turn off.

DS

The ticketing is certainly an issue and I don’t know how it works

We had Level 2 Row A reserved designated seats at Docklands for years as part of our RFC membership
Then a year or so ago they changed it to an area in Level 2 but you had to ring in the week or so before to get designated seats.

Last Saturday we were allocated Level 2 Row S despite booking a few minutes after the opening time. There were issued at no charge as part of our RFC memberships

So I really don’t understand the allocation process - but there must have been plenty of good seats unoccupied last Saturday

As a bare minimum then and following the paltry 18,000 on Sat - surely next season the AFL/RFC/Ticketek should be sweetening the deal and ensuring that Richmond members are offered the (genuinely) best possible and available seats - at no extra charge.

It should be in everyone’s interest that we have 40,000 plus there to play a GWS, Suns, Freo or the like

 

[The Lurker]

My 10yo daughter and i went last Sat night, i spent around an hour on the phone to arrange our tix next to the cheer squad that daughter has been asking to do for a few seasons. About 20mins with RFC on hold, was give a Ticketmaster number to call to sort, Ticketmaster for 35mins & once thru the Girl was helpful and understood my request. Cost was $10 for me & $7 for daughter to sit on Level 1 (as we are RFC members). When i tried to select Goals Lvl 1 online, it kept giving me seats at GWS cheer squad end. Didnt make sense that i couldnt select RFC end, given the amount of spare seats that were available next to Cheer Squad.

 

[DavidSSS]

My 10yo daughter and i went last Sat night, i spent around an hour on the phone to arrange our tix next to the cheer squad that daughter has been asking to do for a few seasons. About 20mins with RFC on hold, was give a Ticketmaster number to call to sort, Ticketmaster for 35mins & once thru the Girl was helpful and understood my request. Cost was $10 for me & $7 for daughter to sit on Level 1 (as we are RFC members). When i tried to select Goals Lvl 1 online, it kept giving me seats at GWS cheer squad end. Didnt make sense that i couldnt select RFC end, given the amount of spare seats that were available next to Cheer Squad.

This.

I have no idea what tickets they release online but it is a mess. I now just keep trying for a few hours or days until I can get a ticket I like. If only they would let us actually choose where we want to sit it would be so much easier.

Maybe I should ring Ticketek instead of going online.

DS