Leaked confidential AFL memo reveals AFL allocation of Grand Final seats

MISS out on a ticket to the AFL Grand Final? Full details of the AFL’s allocation of seats have been revealed in a confidential memo, which the president of the league’s fans association says will annoy you.

EXCLUSIVE: AFL fans have called for a fairer share of Grand Final tickets after full details of the league’s allocation of seats to the sporting showcase were revealed for the first time.

Leaked documents show in detail how the league designates the most prized tickets on the Australian sporting calendar, with more than 16,000 given to AFL affiliates instead of fans.

Tens of thousands of lifelong Collingwood fans will miss out on witnessing the thrill of Saturday’s Grand Final, with tickets at a premium and even members struggling to score a seat.

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But a confidential AFL memo obtained by the Herald Sun shows how Grand Final tickets are split and has sparked calls for more to be allocated to competing club members and less to corporates.

The documents, detailing ticket allocations to last year’s Richmond-Adelaide Grand Final, reveal AFL commissioners received 128 tickets and the “AFL executive allocation” was 382.

They show 551 Grand Final tickets were passed on to AFL staff.

McLachlan with Jimmy Barnes and the Black Eyed Peas. Picture: Getty

And 4192 of tickets sold to competing club members were standing room or restricted view.

Of 99,870 allocated by the league, 33,957 were made available to members of competing clubs, 25,133 went to MCC members, 5905 to AFL clubs, 15,456 to AFL members and 3152 to AFL/Medallion club members.

But 16,228 were allocated to “AFL entitlements/contractual obligations”.

They included:

■ 103 tickets given to “legal associates’’

■ 108 tickets for 16 AFL presidents

■ 7281 for “corporate sale functions” and 1043 for “corporate partners’’

■ 124 for past AFL commissioners

■ 25 for “Government affiliates’’; and

■ 118 for “licensing”.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has defended the way Grand Final tickets are allocated, saying

with demand always outstripping supply, the issue posed an ongoing challenge.

“I think we are transparent about it,” he said.

“We lodge with the government all the allocations and people broadly know how they’re allocated.

“It’s an issue that there is so much demand and there is limited supply and there’s always going to be views and challenges with that. We’d love to on Grand Final day be able to get a quarter of a million people in here – we can’t, and hopefully people understand that demand always outstrips supply and it has challenges.”

“Every angle has been looked at this,” McLachlan said.

Collingwood fans line up for Grand Final tickets outside a Ticketek outlet on Sunday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“The members and the people have their say in the systems we have. Can we improve? Yes. Hopefully we’re improving year on year. But when you are putting more tickets in a certain area, you’re taking them off certain people, and they have their say.

“Ticketing is always a challenge.”

He supported the MCC’s move to endeavor to fill its section any way it could, which could include allowing access to restricted members.

AFL Fan’s Association president Gerry Eeman said the breakdown would “ruffle some feathers’’ and shows there is “clear room’’ for more tickets for competing club members.

“Tickets should not be allocated to non-competing clubs,’’ he said.

“There’s also plenty of fat in the 16,000 plus tickets to AFL entitlements/contractual obligations.

“Many of those tickets are funnelled into expensive packages and 362 tickets to the AFL executive and 252 to current and former AFL commissioners looks very generous.’’

AFL spokesman Jay Allen said the league had “many key constituents who play an integral part in growing, governing and supporting the code.”

“The 18 AFL clubs get 40,000 tickets for their members and supporters,” he said.

“They always get the largest share of the allocation and we will ensure this continues to happen.”

But Mr Eeman said the documents, which reveal details never before released by the AFL, would annoy people who has missed out of Grand Final tickets.

“Also, why don’t the AFL publicly release this full breakdown every year?’’ he said.

“Why not be transparent? The AFL is the custodian of our game and doesn’t pay tax. As the largest stakeholder, aren’t fans at least owed the facts? We are told it’s our game.’’

The documents also reveal different clubs were given different ticket allocations by the league.

One club was given 800 tickets but another 156.

The AFL’s events department used 2205 tickets in total.

The Umpires association snapped up 183 tickets.

And stadium and ticket partners used 102 tickets.

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