Taylor Swift Melbourne: MCG adamant ground will be ready for round 1 of AFL season

The MCG is racing the clock to have its hallowed turf ready for round 1 of the AFL season after almost 300,000 Taylor Swift fans flooded into the ground. Here’s how they’ll make it happen.

MCC boss Stuart Fox says has “full confidence” the ground’s turf will be in ideal shape for round 1 clashes despite two thirds of the MCG being relaid after Taylor Swift’s weekend concerts.

The wildly successful events drew 288,000 fans in a trio of sold-out MCG events with as many as 30,000 fans watching from outside each night in Yarra Park.

Last year after Ed Sheeran’s twin concerts the MCG was in a race against time to relay half of the MCG’s surface but believed the new turf performed well for the season opener between Richmond and Carlton only 13 days later.

Carlton star Sam Docherty labelled the surface as slippery after watching Geelong’s Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning slip and injure themselves in the second clash of the AFL season on Friday March 17.

But the MCG’s private view is that turf replacement occurs often across the season proper at any major stadium with the focus heightened by the Sheeran concerts.

Fox told the Herald Sun on Monday that with 24 days until the MCG clash in round 1 between Carlton and Richmond the ground crew would quickly get to work.

“With just under four weeks until the first AFL game of season 2024, our turf team have been preparing for the arena’s renovation for the last 18 months,” Fox said.

“The team has a proven track record in managing significant and successful turf renovations which was evident after last year’s two Ed Sheeran concerts where we faced tighter deadlines to be ready for the AFL season.

“Although we need to replace two-thirds of the turf, the absence of events scheduled after the three Taylor Swift concerts provides us with a more generous window for turnaround time.

The MCG turf was completely covered. Picture: David Crosling

“Our turf rolls, boasting a depth of around 10cm, are practically immovable once laid down. With the combination of our skilled team, months of preparation and advanced technology, I have full confidence that the hallowed turf will be to the elite standards expected of us by mid-March.”

The AFL’s Marvel Stadium has a tighter turnaround of 16 days for turf replacement after American singer Pink’s concerts in coming weeks.

Pink performs on February 23 and 24 at the Docklands venue, then again on March 12 and 13, with no AFL games at Marvel Stadium in zero round or round 1.

The first of a trio of games across round 2 is the March 29 clash between North Melbourne and Carlton.

Fox also pushed the MCG’s role as a major events destination on Monday as the venue contemplates a future revamp of the Shane Warne stand to a potential capacity of 105,000.

“We don’t want to be seen as a venue just for cricket and football,” he said.

“We have done a great job in attracting new events to the MCG. It is the people’s ground and it’s a state asset, an important asset for the Victorian community and that’s why it’s so important we keep it in top shape and continue to deliver events for the community.”