Paltry crowd turns out at MCG for Saturday afternoon footy
As authorities consider lifting crowd capacities at footy games, spare seats in a vast MCG made for a lacklustre spectacle on a fine Saturday in Melbourne.
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A paltry crowd of just 21,365 turned up at the MCG to watch Melbourne open its AFL season against Fremantle.
With the AFL and state government meeting on Monday to discuss lifting crowd capacities to 75percent, spare seats in a vast MCG made for a lacklustre spectacle on a fine Saturday in Melbourne.
Despite Essendon’s Saturday night clash with Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium being sold out with a reduced capacity of 28,961, the Bombers failed in their request to the AFL to move the match to the MCG.
In contrast, the Demons’ clash with the Dockers looked more like the empty stands fans watched on TV last season than the joyous return of spectators witnessed at the MCG on Thursday and Friday night.
The Saturday Herald Sun revealed crowd capacities were likely to be increased for next Thursday’s Carlton-Collingwood blockbuster with 75,000 fans expected to be allowed.
But someone must have forgotten to tell Melbourne fans about the push to get spectators back to the footy, with Saturday’s turnout more like an NRL crowd than a usual AFL atmosphere.
It comes as ticket touts try to take advantage of footy fans locked out of the Bombers-Hawks showdown.
With the match sold out due to capacity being reduced in line with government regulations, fans have been told no further tickets to the match are available.
But foreign owned secondary ticket seller Viagogo was advertising “standard” tickets to the match for up to $329.
Level three seats were advertised for $112, plus a $5 delivery fee, despite general admission tickets at the AFL-owned venue this year retailing for $27.
Another site, billed as an “AFL authorised onseller’’ was advertising seats for between $179 and $229.
The AFL has urged fans not to buy tickets from secondary sellers, saying it cannot verify seats sold by third parties and spectators risked being turned away at the gate.
“Any tickets that can be identified can be cancelled without a refund,’’ the AFL said.
Given AFL seats were harder than ever to get this season, AFL Fans’ Association president Cheryl Critchley said no-one should be reselling round one tickets “and certainly not at inflated prices’’.
“Given the crowd capacity is reduced, that makes it even worse,’’ she said.
“Essendon members who missed out on tickets have every right to be angry that this is happening.
“We would urge the AFL to do all it can to prevent such onselling, especially for high demand games.
“So many Victorian fans did not see a live men’s game last year and every effort should be made to ensure as many as possible can do so this year without having to pay a premium.”
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