AFL ditches Marvel Stadium booking fees

It’s good news for footy fans with Marvel Stadium ditching a much-hated expense, but will other sporting venues follow suit?

Footy fans are set for a big free kick, with the AFL to axe unpopular transaction fees for sporting events at its Marvel Stadium in Docklands.

A three-year price freeze on AFL regular season match tickets will also be announced on Friday.

The $3.15 booking fees — which fans have been forced to pay simply to buy their tickets — will be removed for footy, Big Bash cricket and A-League soccer matches at Marvel.

This will save sports fans at least $750,000 a year, but footy fanatics will still face transaction fees at the MCG and other AFL venues.

The ticket price freeze will see ­general admission seats set at $27 for adults and $5 for kids at every regular season AFL match in Melbourne, starting from Round 1.

AAFL chief Gillon ­McLachlan said the measures aimed to make games more affordable. Picture: Sarah Matray

AFL reserved seat prices, set by clubs, are due to be announced in the next fortnight. AFL chief Gillon ­McLachlan said the measures aimed to make games more affordable.

He said the axing of the booking fees “removes a barrier and provides an immediate saving for fans’’.

Mr McLachlan added: “Our commitment continues to make AFL games as accessible and affordable as possible.”

The transaction fee cull will apply to every seat at Marvel and provide a direct saving to fans, with the AFL and Ticketmaster agreeing the cost will not be passed on elsewhere.

At least 43 AFL matches will be played at the venue this season.

AFL Fans Association president Gerry Eeman applauded both decisions as “a significant commitment’’ by the league to make sport more affordable.

Bulldogs fans at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“It will help keep the game accessible, which is good for the long-term health of the game,’’ he said.

“Booking fees are often used as a licence to print money. Hopefully other ­venues take note and follow the lead of Marvel Stadium.’’

More than 1.3 million fans attended footy matches at Marvel last year.

St Kilda will play 14 matches at the ground this season with Western Bulldogs (12), Carlton (10), Essendon (nine), North Melbourne (nine), Hawthorn (five), Collingwood (three) and Geelong (two) fans also set to save.

The change will be in place when tickets go on sale to AFL club members on February 24.

Mr McLachlan also confirmed free admission for children to MCG and Marvel Stadium footy games on Sundays would return this season.

An artists's impression of what Marvel Stadium will look like lit up on a Melbourne night.

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Ticketmaster will waive all transaction fees for the AFL State of Origin Bushfire Relief match at Marvel Stadium on February 28.

The decision to axe ticket fees at the venue follows a similar decision to eliminate a $5.90 surcharge on tennis fans buying seats to this year’s ­Australian Open.

MCG spokeswoman Sophie Henderson said there was no immediate plan to remove $3.10 transaction fees at the home of football.

“Patrons purchasing tickets to AFL matches at the MCG in 2020 will incur a fee of $3.10 per transaction,’’ she said.

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Originally published as AFL ditches Marvel Stadium booking fees