Elimination final: Sharks, Swans fans take over Sydney Cricket Ground, Allianz Stadium
A massive 65,000 fans gathered on tenterhooks for dual-code elimination finals on Friday night – with the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground heaving as the Swans took on Port Adelaide Power.
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A massive 65,000 fans gathered on tenterhooks for dual-code elimination finals on Friday night — with the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground heaving as the Swans took on Port Adelaide Power.
It was a complete sellout at the SCG, with 44,000 Aussie rules fanatics jammed into the venue to watch the Swans fight to secure their first win against the Power since 2016.
Next door, Allianz Stadium roared to life as more than 20,000 NRL-mad fans gathered when the Cronulla Sharks battled it out with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Jessica Steven and her friend Talia Buckberry were at the Cricket Ground hours before ball up, with high hopes of watching the Swans defeat their bitter rivals.
“I have been to every home-game this year and this is our reward for supporting them,” Ms Stevens said.
“The boys have proven why the fans are so committed because they alway pull through.
“They put on a show, it’s entertainment and it sport so there is really no place we would rather be.”
Both matches were do-or-die affairs for the NRL and Aussie rules, with the games taking place just 300 metres away from each other.
From 4pm fans from both codes piled in to Driver Ave, to watch the two games, with music pumping and punters socialising throughout the precinct.
Luke Shanahan and his two young sons watched Cronulla lose to the North Queensland at Shark Park in a finals match in 2022.
Tonight the family travelled from Stanwell Park in hopes of making up for their heartbreak.
“It wasn’t good, Val Holmes broke our hearts down in Cronulla,” Mr Shanahan said.
“We came up tonight hoping to reverse the score.
“It’s a great night.”
No stranger to finals clashes, this is the fifth time the Cowboys have battled with the Sharks during finals season, with North Queensland winning three of the five matches.
And while the Swans were favourites for last night’s game, fans came hoping they were not in for another 100+ point flogging.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon spent the majority of his career playing for the Sydney Roosters at the original Allianz Stadium, the Sydney Football Stadium, and said he was glad his team were given the opportunity to play in a finals match there last night.
“It’s a fantastic stadium, I’m really excited to get back there,” Fitzgibbon said in the lead up to the game.
While last night’s spectacle was the Harbour City’s last AFL game for the year, NRL-mad Sydney will get three more blockbuster clashes over the next two weeks.
Allianz Stadium is set to roar back to life tonight for yet another do-or-die elimination final, when the Sydney Roosters battle it out against the Manly Sea Eagles.
The NRL forecast the game, set to kick-off at 7.50pm, to be a sellout.
Punters heading in to watch the clash tonight will be provided free transport, although disruptions are expected amid widespread rail strike action.
Union members are expected to stand firm on their work bans throughout the massive day of sport which includes not only the NRL but the Wallabies and All Blacks Bledisloe Cup.
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Originally published as Elimination final: Sharks, Swans fans take over Sydney Cricket Ground, Allianz Stadium
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