Marvel Stadium in talks with AFL and clubs about tech to allow fans to sell or trade their tickets

Fans unable to take their reserved seats at Marvel Stadium would be urged to sell or trade them for incentives like tickets to other events, as part of a tech push to fill up the stadium for AFL games.

Footy fans unable to take their reserved seats in the stands at Marvel Stadium will be encouraged to safely sell them to other supporters at the AFL venue.

In a bid to get more fans into sold out matches at the stadium, members will be urged to sell their seat or trade it for “incentives” such as tickets to other events.

Marvel Stadium general manager Scott Fitzgerald revealed it was in talks with the AFL and clubs about streamlining the process and testing technology to make it easier.

“Ultimately we want to work with the clubs on what is best for them but what is best for everyone is when people want to go and they see empty pockets of seats, that doesn’t help anybody,’’ he said.

Footy fans unable to take their reserved seats in the stands at Marvel Stadium will be encouraged to safely sell them to other supporters at the AFL venue. Picture: Josie Hayden

Some AFL clubs based at the venue already give members an opportunity to on-sell their passes to matches they can’t attend at the 53,343 seat footy stadium.

But Mr Fitzgerald told the Herald Sun the AFL-owned venue wanted the service expanded for all tenant clubs — Essendon, Carlton, North Melbourne, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs.

“The big unlock for us is working with clubs in a way that is sensible, gradual and appropriate to say ‘ok, if your members aren’t coming – let’s find the right way for them and the right mechanism and incentive to return their seat to someone who would otherwise pay to go,’’ he said.

“Therefore the stadium is fuller, the atmosphere is better and all of those things but also balanced against if I’m a reserved seat holder I reserve the right to not go and keep my seat.

“I think we are trying to move on that but we are sort of 100 years of history in reserved seating, so working with clubs to get that user experience right.”

Mr Fitzgerald said technology would allow members to sell their seats to supporters of their own team, to ensure fans of a particular club are seated in the same area.

Stadium operators were working on a similar service for Medallion Club members, to make their seats available for matches they are unable to attend.

And the stadium had “capacity to do more” AFL matches than the 43 fixtured this year, as well as host finals for the first time since 2011 if the league wanted.

Sam Darcy celebrates with fans after winning the round 23 AFL match between Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“We can host finals if there is enough games in Melbourne and a second venue is needed,’’ he said.

“We are always ready and available to host them.’’

He said the venue would also consider “great” AI technology already used at MCG to search fans and scan tickets through airport style scanners, though it was “not something that was on the immediate radar’’.

“Mobile ticketing and digital ticketing, there are an infinite number of benefits to all of that and that is absolutely where we want to be,’’ he said.

“But I also don’t want to leave behind my 63-year-old father in law who just wants to pull a pdf out and walk through.’’

Originally published as Marvel Stadium in talks with AFL and clubs about tech to allow fans to sell or trade their tickets