Friend of Sam Newman’s son turned away from the MCG on Grand Final day

The Footy and TV legend has been a Melbourne Cricket Club member for more than 50 years but he could be facing suspension.

Footy and TV legend Sam Newman has vowed he would not attend next year’s Grand Final at the MCG if they “carried me onto the ground in a throne” after a friend of his son’s was turned away from the ground on Grand Final day for using a ticket linked to Newman’s membership.

And in further bad news, Newman, who has been a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club for more than 50 years, could be facing suspension from the hallowed club for transferring the ticket.

The Melbourne Cricket Club has tough rules governing its members and ticketing and misuse of membership cards.

The MCC’s discipline/appeal sub-committee’s penalty guide lists ‘lower grade’ abuse of ticketing/passes allocation as potentially attracting membership suspension or restrictions of between six months and two years in certain cases.

Newman confirmed on Wednesday that he had not yet been contacted by the MCC and the potential of a ban or suspension was what he had been told by his son and his friend.

He has not contacted the MCC to clarify the situation.

The MCC’s review process is understood to take some time to work through and anything related to the grand final would not have been actioned yet.

Sam Newman has vowed he would not attend next year’s Grand Final. Picture: David Crosling

Newman’s family friend attended last weekend’s Grand Final on his own, using a ticket that had been obtained via Newman’s membership.

Newman said he was told by the ticket holder that an attendant on the day informed him he was being refused access as he was not Sam Newman and that Newman could face suspension for passing on the ticket and would likely not be allowed to attend next year’s Grand Final.

Newman said he was unaware he was not allowed to transfer a ticket, but was unfussed if the Grand Final was declared out of bounds for him.

“I couldn’t care less if they suspend me or not,” he said.

“My son said ‘have you got any tickets?’ I said ‘No, but I get a ticket from the MCG because I am a member’,” Newman explained on his You Cannot Be Serious podcast.

“I said ‘why don’t you get one from the MCG’?

“So he applied and got one and he had a friend in Perth who he gave the ticket to.

“Then he called me on the day and said his friend couldn’t get in because ‘they said he was trying to impersonate you’ (Newman) and ‘that the other bit of bad news is you have been suspended from going to next year’s grand final because you have tried to sneak someone in on your ticket’.

“I had no intention of trying to sneak anyone in. I just thought if I get issued a ticket I can give it to someone.

“Ignorance is bliss. I don’t care if they ban me from every Grand Final because while they go on with that pompous, arrogant, nonsense beforehand (the Welcome to Country), I just won’t go.”

Newman is not a supporter of the Welcome to Country greeting that occurs at sporting events.

When contacted by the Herald Sun to try to get to the bottom of Newman’s claims, Melbourne Cricket Club was unable to comment.

“The Melbourne Cricket Club does not make comment in relation to disciplinary matters and all members must adhere to the Club’s Code of Conduct,” a spokesperson said.

“Eligible members of the Melbourne Cricket Club were able to access the 2024 AFL Grand Final subject to membership restrictions which were communicated to members in advance of the event.”