Friday night’s preliminary final could be biggest crowd in modern AFL history
THE MCC hasn’t ruled out cracking the 100,000 mark with the Friday night preliminary final crowd tipped to be the biggest in modern AFL history.
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THE MCC hasn’t ruled out cracking the 100,000 mark at a Friday night preliminary final tipped to be the biggest in modern AFL history.
MCC boss Stuart Fox told the Herald Sun with perfect weather forecast on Friday and tickets already sold out everything was shaping up for a monster crowd.
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Just under 40,000 tickets were sold to Richmond and Collingwood members with the usual Ticketek issues frustrating fans.
The MCC also sold out its portion of reserved seats, with a portion of the MCC reserve open as usual to walk-up members.
Only a large contingent of no-shows from those who have bought tickets would drop the attendance under the 98,000 mark.
Fox said yesterday a strong representation of Richmond and Collingwood fans would also get in through the MCC, AFL Members and corporate sales.
“We would expect 98,000 and love to get to the magical 100,000 mark. There is no reason why not,’’ he said.
“Everything is shaping up as a full house. We are really confident.
“The AFL and MCC will both very full and we will have some neutral supporters but it’s going to be pretty strong with fans barracking one way or the other.”
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said this year if the Pies and Tigers played off in a Grand Final the MCG would need 180,000 seats to fit all the fans in.
Combined, their fan bases add up to 176,000 paid-up members.
As it is the MCC has had a dream September, with 91,446 fans for the Richmond-Hawthorn clash, 91,767 for the Melbourne-Geelong encounter and 90,152 for the Melbourne-Hawthorn clash ahead of a likely 100,000-strong crowd for the Grand Final.