The Vics will have full capacity crowds at the footy, but when will Adelaide Oval follow suit?

Victorian footy grounds will scrap all Covid capacity limits for the start of the AFL season, but SA’s public health chief says it’s too early to make that call here.

Pressure is mounting on South Australian authorities to lift crowd restrictions at Adelaide Oval following Victoria’s decision to scrap capacity limits ahead of the 2022 AFL football season.

Full capacity crowds of up to 100,000 will be allowed at the MCG for the season opener and grand final replay between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs on March 16.

Port Adelaide Cheer Club member Myles Neal said restrictions atAdelaide Oval – currently set at 35,000, or about two-thirds of capacity – should “100 per cent” be lifted.

“You’ve got to do it safely ... but other than that, why not?” he said.

“It comes to the point where we’ve got to start living with it.”

Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Vershoor said she hoped SA would follow Victoria’s lead soon.

“It’s been fantastic that Victoria has been able to lift crowd restrictions for AFL games and with more than 90 per cent of South Australians over 16 fully vaccinated, I hope Adelaide is in a position to do so safely at Adelaide Oval soon,” she said.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said today on ABC radio it was too early to make the call, despite outdoor events posing a lower risk of Covid transmission than indoor gatherings.

Port Adelaide plays its first home game at Adelaide Oval in round 2, against Hawthorn on March 26.

Power chief executive Matthew Richardson said the club had held discussions with the Stadium Management Authority and the government, and was confident the oval capacity would allow every member and fan who wanted to attend could watch the game in person.

“We are hoping for 100 per cent capacity by the time we get back to round 1 in just a few weeks’ time,” Mr Richardson said.

“We’re really hopeful. We’ve been in really positive conversations with the stadium and the government around that. We’ve got five or six weeks until that happens and if things continue to trend as they are at the moment we’re really hopeful that will happen.

“And really importantly for our members who have got reserve members seat memberships, the indications are that they will be able to sit in their allocated seat. So there might only be minor restrictions by the time we get to round 1.”

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas said while uncapped crowds would be ideal, he backed the health advice.

“As a footy lover and a footy-goer on a regular basis, I’d love to see 100 per cent capacity at footy games but I think that’s got to be done if it’s consistent with the health advice,” he said.

“I’ve backed the health advice for the last couple of years and that’s something I intend to maintain.”

The Adelaide Crows cheer squad in full voice. Picture: Sarah Reed

Adelaide Crows Fan Club public officer Colleen McKaye agreed that it was important to listen to the health experts, and said lifting restrictions at the oval might be premature at this point.

“I just think it’s still dangerous with Covid and I think that they still have to be cautious,” she said.

SA Health and Premier Steven Marshall have been contacted for comment.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the return of 100 per cent crowds in Melbourne for the first time since 2019 would send a powerful message.

“We look forward to seeing crowds return to our venues in huge numbers as well as to all the surrounding business and venues that rely on footy and big events being staged across the city,’’ he said.

“Footy can hopefully help bring the heartbeat of the city back to Melbourne and back to the state of Victoria.’’

The crowd comeback raises the prospect of a new single round all-time AFL attendance record being set.

The biggest previous attendance record was round one in 2017, when 400,401 fans attended AFL matches nationwide.

But with all 10 Victorian teams to play in Melbourne in five round one blockbuster games over five days, a new attendance mark looms.

Masks will be required when moving around footy matches and other major events with more than 30,000 people but not when fans are seated outdoors.

Originally published as The Vics will have full capacity crowds at the footy, but when will Adelaide Oval follow suit?