Which blockbuster MCG games will be fully ticketed, and which won’t, as the cost of living hits fans of Hawthorn Hawks, Geelong Cats, Collingwood Magpies, Essendon Bombers, Carlton Blues and Melbourne Demons
With less than 12 days until the Easter Monday clash between Hawthorn and Geelong, the Hawks have yet to decide whether they will make the blockbuster match fully ticketed, in a sign of a changing landscape for ticketing in the AFL.
Hawthorn confirmed late on Wednesday that they had not decided whether this annual major event game, which drew more than 88,000 people among the preliminary finalists last Easter Monday, would be fully ticketed; this would force club members and others to purchase a ticket in advance to gain entry.
A Hawthorn spokesman said: “The match is not a fully ticketed match at this time.” The Hawks, like many clubs, are careful not to make decisions on ticket sales until relatively later when they have a clearer picture of ticket demand. Clubs and the AFL noted the decline in first-round crowds at Carlton v Richmond and Essendon v Hawthorn; both matches were fully ticketed, drawing several thousand less than the initial estimate.
It remains open for the Hawks to make Easter Monday a fully ticketed match on demand, but Hawthorn’s call is just one of several examples of high-draft clubs in Melbourne carefully weighing whether to go the route of full ticketing.
The Carlton v Collingwood match on Thursday 16 April (the night before the Victorian school holidays) was fully ticketed by the home team, Carlton.
However, Richmond confirmed that the clash between Richmond and Melbourne on the eve of Anzac Day, which attracted more than 80,000 people and was made a major event game, would not be fully ticketed in the seventh round.
The “Dreamtime at the ‘G” game in round 11, which celebrates the Indigenous contribution to the coda and the AFL, is the only Richmond home game scheduled to be fully ticketed this year, according to the Tigers, who are rebuilding the long-term roster.
According to an unnamed club source familiar with the club’s plans, Collingwood does not want to offer full tickets to matches at the MCG this year if possible, considering the extra costs for members.
However, if the club’s great star, Scott Pendlebury, breaks the AFL’s match record that night, currently held by Brent Harvey, the Magpies will face pressure to hand out full tickets to Collingwood v Hawthorn in round eight on Thursday night, April 30; This would add tens of thousands of people to possible attendance. But given Pendlebury is 38 and the club plans to rest him periodically this year, he could be rested for one game in the coming weeks and play his 433rd game against Geelong in round nine – a boon for the Cats if that happens, as it is their home game.
Fans complained about paying a minimum surcharge of $13 (plus a fee for reserved seating if they do not have a season reserve seat) for games such as first-round games that attract no more than 75,000 people at the MCG.
Clubs are increasingly aware that members and fans are price sensitive at a time when there are inflationary pressures on household budgets and fuel costs are rising.
Essendon v Carlton on the eve of the King’s Birthday is another event game that can be fully ticketed or unticketed. Anzac Day Essendon v Collingwood is always fully ticketed due to popular demand.
The decision on whether to provide full tickets to games is made after discussions with the MCC, which has information about the demand for specific games. The AFL is also more closely involved in discussions about ticketing this year, mindful of the risks of angering members. However, clubs are also aware that they must avoid chaos at matches with large crowds, which may require full ticket sales in advance.
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Jake Niall is a Walkley-winning sports journalist and The Age’s chief AFL writer.Connect with: X or email.
