Exclusive: State government under pressure to increase crowd capacity at AFL season opener
MANDY SQUIRES, Sunday Herald Sun
March 14, 2021
Fans, businesses and the Lord Mayor are all calling for crowd limits for Thursday night’s AFL season opener to be increased to 75,000.
Ron Issko with Carmen, 12, and Phillip Blumenthal are ready for round 1. Picture: Alex Coppel.
Pressure is mounting on the state government to allow an extra 25,000 fans at the MCG for the AFL’s return to the home of footy.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp, business groups and fans have joined the crowd asking for a last minute decision to let 75,000 people watch the blockbuster season opening match on Thursday night between Richmond and Carlton.
The final decision on increasing capacity from 50 per cent to 75 per cent will rest with chief health officer Brett Sutton.
The Sunday Herald Sun understands senior figures in the Andrews Government would like to see the capacity at the MCG increased ahead of the game.
Ms Capp said Melbourne needed to get as many people back into the city as possible and she backed increasing the capacity at the MCG ahead of the start of the AFL season.
“Every extra person that can safely attend the footy this week will help bring back the buzz to our city,” the Lord Mayor told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“We want the roar of the crowd back at the G and Marvel Stadium. We want to see crowds spilling out onto our streets and into city restaurants and bars.
“Nowhere does sport like Melbourne and we encourage everyone heading to the footy to support our local businesses and have a great time. I can’t wait to get back to the G on Friday night.”
Justine Caldwell and her son Koby, 11, are ready for round 1. Picture: Alex Coppel.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said: “Given our run of zero cases and vaccines now being rolled out we want a change to 75 per cent, given indoor venues like theatres are already above that.”
Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) chief Felicia Mariani said increasing numbers at major events like the footy presented a picture to the rest of Australia and the world of Melbourne as “a confident city”.
“The more that we can get those images out of Melbourne returning to what we’re used to Melbourne being, the more that will help us in the long run, and to encourage visitors back as well,” Ms Mariani said.
“Melbourne is known as the home of AFL and a footy city, so need to get back to what it did best.”
It will be 256 days between the last game at the MCG of 2020, the Round 5 match between Richmond and Melbourne, and Thursday’s match.
And it will be 537 days between the last AFL game there with fans – the 2019 grand final – and this week’s big season opener.
AFL Fans Association president Cheryl Critchley said fans would be delighted if the cap on crowds for Round 1 was increased.
“We definitely would support an increase in the cap if the health advice supports it,” she said.
“Being able to lift the limits would be fantastic – Victorian fans are match-starved at the moment and can’t wait to see the football.”
Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin and Carlton captain Patrick Cripps. Picture: Michael Klein
Restaurant and Catering Australia chief Wes Lambert said: “The Victorian Government needs to develop strategies and relax restrictions, as we must learn to live with COVID-19, including increased capacity at the MCG.”
Almost 250 extra train and tram services will be put on during the first two rounds of the
2021 AFL Premiership season, helping footy fans return to the game easily.
AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan told the Sunday Herald Sun he can’t wait for the season to begin.
“For many Victorians, football is the lifeblood of this state and so many of our weekly rituals and interactions with family, friends and work colleagues is built around the footy,” he said.
“The opening round is as much about our supporters as it is the players, the coaches and the clubs.
“The AFLW season has been amazing with great crowds and TV ratings and we know how excited people are about having the AFL back and how much they are looking forward to the opening match of the AFL season on Thursday night.
“I can’t wait to see people streaming into the MCG and – like a lot of people – I just want to hear that familiar roar as the umpire holds the ball aloft and then bounces the ball to start what will be another great season.
““I just want to thank all our members and supporters for their loyalty to our game and to their clubs – our clubs could not have got through the last year the way they did without the incredible backing of their members and we are incredibly grateful for that support.
“We are also incredibly grateful for the work and dedication of all the health and essential workers who made our season possible and have us in a position to play once again. On behalf of everyone in the footy community, I thank you for all your efforts.”
The state government is under pressure to increase crowd limits for the AFL. Picture: Mark Stewart
SMELL OF FOOTY IN THE AIR FOR MCG RETURN
For diehard Richmond fan Ron Issko the return of footy in Melbourne is the moment he’s been waiting for.
The 59-year-old of Caulfield says he cannot wait to be at the MCG to cheer on his beloved team in the AFL season-opener against Carlton this Thursday.
Like thousands of fans he has missed the weekly ritual after the pandemic forced the 2020 season to be played in hubs outside of Victoria with the opening clash, which attracts about 90,000 people, played to empty stands.
“It’s exciting to have the footy back,” Mr Issko said.
“We’re going to unfurl the flags; that will be excited and when the players come out.
“Although there won’t be a banner, (we’ll) make sure it’s going to be a loud cheer for them because we haven’t seen them for so long.”
He added: “The Tiger army will be force.”
Mr Issko, a Tigers fan of nearly 40 years and an AFL member, said he was confident of snapping up a ticket which go on sale from Monday with a crowd capacity set at 50,000.
“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get a ticket,” he said, as he prepares to don the yellow and black alongside his 20-year-old son, brother, two cousins including Carmen, 12, and his nephew.
For Blues fan Justine Caldwell of Balwyn, who hopes to attend the big game with her son Koby, 11, she said it was exciting to “smell the footy in the air” and have the chance to “finally watch our Blues play at the ‘G”.
The MCG will have a COVID-safe plan in place with the venue sectioned into five zones, with digital tickets strictly in use.
– Brendan Rees
Crowds at the MCG were significantly reduced for the Boxing Day Test. Picture: David Caird
THE MCG‘S COVIDSAFE EVENT PLAN
– The ground will be sectioned into five zones including Ponsford Stand, Members’ Stand, Olympic Stand and two zones in the Great Southern Stand. Numbered 1 through to 5 in the aforementioned order.
– Hand sanitisation stations will be available throughout the ground
– Everyone wishing to attend the MCG is required to pre-book a ticket. There will be no walk-up opportunity on match days.
– Once members and footy fans have secured a ticket, via Ticketek on the on-sale dates, they will be allocated a zone, section, row and seat.
– The first row of seating on Level 1 (closest to the boundary fence) will not be sold as a measure to ensure physical distancing between fans and players.
– All tickets will be delivered digitally via Ticketek meaning ticket holders must create a Ticketek account to access their ticket.
– Therefore, digital tickets will be needed to scan into the MCG and displayed on compatible smart devices.
– Once inside the turnstiles of the MCG, attendees must register their attendance via the displayed QR codes
– Contactless (cashless) payments are required at all of the MCG outlets.
– Bars at the MCG will operate as either takeaway or service facilities, or a combination of both. The one person per two square metre rule will be applied to all food and beverage facilities within the MCG.
Footy fans Cooper, Gypsy and Lulu are excited for AFL to return this week. Picture: Michael Klein
FAN WARNING AS EXPENSIVE TICKETS APPEAR ONLINE
Victorian footy fans will begin a mad dash to get tickets on Monday morning as excitement builds ahead of the AFL season opener.
MCC members will be able to get tickets from Monday, AFL members and home club members from Tuesday and away club members on Wednesday.
If there are any tickets left over other fans can grab tickets from Wednesday afternoon.
To help with contact tracing efforts, fans must redeem a digital ticket from the relevant agent.
At all interstate games the home club will decide how to allocate their tickets to members, but an allocation for away team members will be made available.
It comes as the AFL warns fans about being ripped off, with websites selling tickets for seats worth hundreds of dollars ahead of the start of the 2021 season.
Resale site The Ticket Merchant is giving fans the option to pay for tickets to all 23 rounds of this year’s season at inflated prices, with Anzac Day tickets also promising pre-game event access selling for up to $495.
Level 2 seating at round one’s Richmond v Carlton priced at $325 per seat has already sold out.
But AFL spokesman Jay Allen told the Sunday Herald Sun no none had access to tickets until Monday, when the first release becomes available to MCC members.
Mr Allen said fans should always purchase their tickets from official sellers, with seats to early rounds available each week.
A representative from Ticket Merchant told the Sunday Herald Sun the seats available on the site came from reserved seating ticket holders who mail out the tickets closer to a match date.
While each club has a policy on members transferring tickets, clubs can revoke memberships if members are sprung trying to profit from their traceable tickets.
– Olivia Jenkins
