Tom Elliott: Footy ticket scalping is simply the free market at work
WITH AFL finals come desperate footy fans, moaning about scalping. But it’s a process we should cheer, not whinge about, writes Tom Elliott.
Tom Elliott
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SEPTEMBER has arrived, and with it the massed moaning of desperate footy fans who’ve missed out on finals tickets.
Well, moan no more. If you want a ticket to watch Richmond take on GWS, they’re available — from scalpers, and for a price.
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Scalping is nothing more than the transfer of value from the fortunate to the committed.
And it’s a process about which we should cheer rather than whinge.
Every time a popular Melbourne-based team plays in the finals, fans complain about insufficient tickets.
Popular targets for blame include corporate sponsors, AFL members, MCC members and supporters of clubs not represented in September action, all of whom are accused of stealing seats from those diehards who “truly deserve” a spot at the MCG.
Unfortunately, all this angst completely misses the mark.
The real reason fans can’t score finals tickets is one of simple logistics — crammed to capacity, the ’G holds 98,000 spectators.
And when a club like Richmond is playing, there exists more demand for places inside the ground than there is supply.
So for those who miss out, there are two alternatives: either watch the game on TV (and miss out on all the atmosphere associated with being in the stands); or fork out hundreds of dollars to a scalper and attend in person.
Far from preying on desperate fans, scalpers fulfil a vital role in ensuring those who desperately want a seat at AFL finals are able to obtain one.
Consider the average Richmond fan, who’s endured decades of disappointment since the Tigers last won a premiership in 1980.
As a Carlton supporter it pains me to say this, but this 2017 Richmond team is the real deal.
If stars like Alex Rance and Dustin Martin play to their potential, there’s no reason they and their fellow Tigers can’t be victorious in the Grand Final.
Were I a Richmond supporter, I’d want to see this feat at the ground.
And I’d pay plenty for the privilege.
Footy is nothing more than a big game of supply and demand. Players go to whichever club will pay them the most, knowing that if they don’t they could miss out on big bucks. Clubs spend as much as they can on the best coaching and support staff, hoping this will advantage them over their opponents.
The AFL itself is a commercial organisation that maximises its profit with broadcasters, advertisers and supporters.
And when finals tickets are in limited supply, they too should flow to those willing to pay the maximum price.
Seats for the Richmond-GWS Preliminary Final are currently changing hands for more than $400 apiece.
I have no problem with this. In our society, no one bats an eyelid if a homeowner profits when their house rises substantially in value. Similarly, if you were smart enough to buy a GT Falcon in the early ’70s, why should anyone begrudge the fact it’s now worth dozens of times its original purchase price?
Footy tickets are no different. Some people are lucky enough to obtain them at a cheap price. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to resell them to those who value such things more highly?
In the late ’80s I paid a brief visit to Chicago. While I was there the local ice hockey team, the Blackhawks, competed in a big playoff game.
Because I arrived too late to obtain tickets through official channels, a friend and I purchased seats, from a scalper, at roughly four times their face value.
The game itself was a hoot. Unlike the stop-start nature of American football, ice hockey is fast-paced, full of big hits and exciting!
To this day I don’t really remember the dollar value of what I paid to watch the Blackhawks; but I do know I had a great time.
Without the scalper’s services, my trip to Chicago would not have included the ice hockey game in question. For either an American visiting Melbourne — or a diehard Richmond supporter desperate to see his team in action — the same choice presents itself.
Either they could watch the game at a pub and enjoy but a fraction of the atmosphere present at the ground.
Alternatively, they could fork out what in time will seem a trivial sum of cash and be present at the MCG in person.
Surely this is an easy choice. The scalper values his or her seat less than a willing buyer. For an agreed sum it changes hands.
We live in a free enterprise society where adults are permitted to trade goods at a price each deems appropriate.
Why should either the AFL or the Victorian Government come between willing sellers and buyers of finals tickets?
If you want a spot at the MCG tomorrow evening, then either be lucky or pay the price. If you’re a Richmond supporter, and the Tigers get up, you won’t regret it.
Tom Elliott is 3AW drivetime host, weekdays 3pm-6pm
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