AFL Grand Final: Dromana Drive-In hoping Melbourne restrictions eased early
Fancy watching the AFL Grand Final on the big screen surrounded by other screaming fans? Here’s how it could happen and what you need to do to get involved.
South East
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Dromana Drive-In is hoping to save the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne with a big screen viewing that’s sure to get hundreds of fans roaring.
Victorians have been left disgruntled over the State Government’s drawn-out recovery plan which would see restrictions ease the day after the Grand Final weekend.
But with case numbers dwindling in the past week, there is hope small gatherings might be on the cards for the biggest day on the footy calendar.
Dromana Drive-In owner Paul Whitaker said despite sending emails to the State Government asking for exemptions to host a Grand Final viewing he hadn’t heard anything back.
“We haven’t been able to get far yet, but we’ve written to the Premier and about 11 other politicians,” he said.
“The only ones that have responded have been the opposition members, and they all think it’s a great idea.”
Mr Whitaker said he hoped people wanting to see the Grand Final on the three big screens at the drive-in would join the campaign and email the Premier’s office asking for an exemption to the 5km rule.
“We can hold about 500 cars but the great thing is everyone is in their own bubble while watching the game,” he said.
“So the only issue is the 5km rule, so we’re asking for an exemption that people who book tickets can be excused and head down here and watch the game.
“With our booking system we can record all names of attendants, so we would have a record of that, and the way the case numbers are going, who knows, maybe we might have an easing of restrictions early anyway.”
St Kilda’s Rd 2 game against Western Bulldogs was held as a special event for Saints members at the drive-in and Mr Whitaker said it would be “unreal” to have another night like that.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, there was tooting after goals and flashing lights, people said it was like the old VFL days,” he said.
Meanwhile, Collingwood’s ground announcer Brodie Young has had a different sort of season being stuck in Melbourne while his beloved Magpies are interstate.
Mr Young was a casualty of the pandemic and the footy season moving interstate, with his voice put on ice ready for the 2021 season.
“At the start of the season I was pretty disgruntled about a lot of things,” Mr Young said.
“Being locked down, homeschooling, not being able to go to games and then having no crowd there and not being employed to do my role was hard.
“But now I scramble to find when games are on, and they’re really something to look forward to and work towards each week.”
Mr Young said his Grand Final plans would depend on how many people he can have over, but had an idea to get people involved.
“I’ve spent the last month or so landscaping the house and we’ve been sitting on the corners of the street having kerbside drinks which gave me an idea,” he said.
“I might be able to set up a projector and have a COVID-safe broadcast out in the street.”
While fans in Victoria are forced to seek alternative measures to celebrate the biggest day on the sporting calendar, Ally Ciobo has been living the dream in Brisbane watching her beloved Collingwood more than she could’ve wished for.
“When we first heard the Pies were coming up I had to balance my excitement with the bizarre feeling of knowing why they were here and how serious it was,” Ms Ciobo said.
“To have so many games up here has been an amazing opportunity and my husband and three kids are all Pies fans, so we’ve gone to as many games as possible.
“At the first game it was such a strange feeling, we looked at each other and said we can’t take this for granted.”
Ms Ciobo said if the Pies were playing in Brisbane for any of their finals she would do her best to get there.
“If Collingwood make the Grand Final fingers crossed I can get tickets, but I think I will have more of a chance because it’s up here, so it’s an amazing set of circumstances,” she said.
“But if we don’t make it I’ll leave the tickets for fans of clubs who do make it, and luckily we can have 10 people around for a BBQ in Queensland at the moment, so we’d do that instead.”
Collingwood and Heinz have partnered to bring special packs of black and white branded sauce to fans to get them finals-ready.
To find out more or to secure your favourite player on a sauce bottle, click here.
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