AFL Grand tickets released: Mission accomplished for camping fans, fear for online shoppers
Anxious footy fans are demanding answers after details of their AFL Grand Final ticket allocations disappeared shortly after first appearing online. Meanwhile, supporters who camped out for Grand Final tickets have secured their ticket after braving the elements.
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Tigers members are in uproar after AFL Grand Final ticket details disappeared from their accounts.
Fans have taken to social media to speculate about whether they’ve secured a ticket to their side’s clash against GWS on Saturday, after they could last night see ticket allocations in the order history of their Ticketek account.
AFL Fans Association vice-president — and Tigers supporter — Cheryl Critchley said the details have since disappeared.
She added on Sunday afternoon several people contacted her saying their order histories were showing again, however Ticketek had still offered no explanation on the ongoing issue.
The problem was that stressed fans were left questioning whether they will have the same, or any, seat, she said.
“This may be part of their normal process, but people are worried,” Ms Critchley said.
“One minute they had their seat allocation on their order history and the next minute they couldn’t see it.
“All they want to know is whether they have the same seats.”
After our Grand Final seat details appeared on our @Ticketek_AU history yesterday, they have disappeared.
— Cheryl Critchley (@CherylCritchley) September 21, 2019
I’m also hearing this has happened to others. What is going on?
Can they legally change our seats after allocating them?
This needs to be clarified.#AFLTigersGiants #AFLGF
Why have the tickets that were allocated yesterday in the ballot disappeared from my order history this morning? This has happened to many Richmond fans.
— Andrew (@andrewtiger9) September 21, 2019
She added that by Sunday afternoon several people had contacted her saying their order histories were showing again, however Ticketek had still offered no explanation on the issue.
Ms Critchley said some fans who missed out on seeing the Tigers’ 2017 premiership live were particularly concerned.
“I know a guy who missed out last time but got tickets this time — he’s now worried again,” she said.
“People are worried about whether this means things are going to change.”
One fan quizzed Ticketek online about whether they should “start hitting up scalpers”, while another said: “Appears that @Ticketek_AU may be running the ballot again as I can’t even see order history now.”
@Ticketek_AU if funds haven’t been processed yet does this mean you have missed out? This is all I want to know so I can start hitting up scalpers.
— 🗯 (@pizdotcom) September 22, 2019
What happened to @Richmond_FC members who had tix appear in your online system yesterday? They’re now gone? Some comms would be good.
— Footy lace out (@footy_laceout) September 21, 2019
Just before 10am, the ticketing agency told one supporter that the ballot was “currently being processed”.
“You will be able to check the Ticketek website from tomorrow with your customer ID,” Ticketek tweeted.
The agency also told fans they would check online to see whether they were successful from 9am tomorrow.
“Payment was processed over the weekend but allocation is being released tomorrow, please check back then,” Ticketek told another concerned fan.
Meanwhile, Richmond fans who slept out for Grand Final tickets say it was worth braving the elements to be able to see their team play off for another title.
Some of the most diehard supporters queuing at the Ticketek office on Exhibition St said it had become a long-running tradition.
Peter Smith, who was the first out the door with his hands on the prized ticket, said it was his 25th year bringing down his sleeping bag and camp chair to the ticket office.
“It’s a great atmosphere, catching up swapping old footy stories,” he said.
“It’s magnificent. Can’t wait til Saturday.”
He said he was excited to see his side match up against GWS.
“It’s going to be interesting, I was looking forward to Collingwood, it’s going to be a hard game.”
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Fellow Tigers supporter Garry Leigh from Mordialloc had been in the queue since 3am Saturday after watching his team beat the cats on Friday night.
He said it will be the 51st Grand Final he will be there to witness.
“I’m just a footy fanatic I suppose. I love it, quite a few of the people here come every year. It’s good fun.”
He said he was predicting Richmond to win by 19 points.
Tigers fan Carolyn Walkley, who was lining up with her three children, said she was confident of her team’s chances.
“I think it’s going to be a pretty one-sided game,” she said.
“It’s a done deal. I’m glad it’s GWS not Collingwood.”
GWS fan Damien Kobal was the lone Giants fan there to collect his ballot ticket.
The Sydney man said he was pumped for the big game after seeing the team win in Brisbane last week and being there for Saturday night’s nail biting preliminary final.
“I’m excited for the Giant army. We’re going to win the game. It’s a great club. They deserve it,” he said.
AFL member Judy Meehan travelled from Warrnambool to the city Friday afternoon to be among the first in the queue.
The Geelong supporter missed her team’s game Friday night to keep her spot in line, watching on her phone as the Cats were knocked out.
“It’s a bit of discipline but you have to be like that,” she said ahead of what will be her 38th Grand Final.
“It’s great, lining up is fun, you see the same people every year.”
At Camberwell, dedicated fans Alan Kingston, Graham Cox, Carole Fanshaw and Brenda Cox said they forged a friendship over 30 years sleeping out for tickets.
Ms Fanshaw, who was at the front of the line, hasn’t missed a Grand Final since 1965 and said she enjoyed the bonding experience of lining up.
“It’s just fantastic. You make friends. It’s a good football tradition, you see each other once a year, you all know each other, it’s all footy talk.
“For us, we’re not that computer literate so we like to go and make sure the computer’s not going to die on us or we can’t miss out that way.”
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