Storm reveals ambitions to make “AAMI Park a sellout for every home game”
AAMI Park will be full for Storm’s do-or-die final on Friday night. The club has revealed ambitions to make this the norm – and then set its sights on the MCG.
Victoria
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Storm’s sold-out home preliminary final is shaping as “the biggest Melbourne game in our club’s history”, chief executive Justin Rodski says, revealing ambitions to host future finals at the MCG.
Fans swiftly snapped up almost 30,000 tickets to the Friday night clash against the Sydney Roosters at AAMI Park.
Mr Rodski said he hoped this would set the tone for ticket sales at the stadium moving forward.
“We’ve averaged more than 20,000 fans at our home games this year, for the first time in our history. Membership’s up nearly 10 per cent year-on-year (to 37,000),” Mr Rodski said.
“We hope to build on that and turn AAMI Park into a fortress, a sold-out venue for every Melbourne Storm home game in the future.
“And if we can reach a point where we are selling out AAMI Park week in, week out, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t consider opportunities to take Melbourne Storm finals to bigger venues (like the MCG).
“That would obviously need to be in partnership with the NRL and a number of other stakeholders.”
But for now, the club has its sights on another grand final berth. Mr Rodski said the players were excited to run out to a “sea of purple in the stands” at the last AAMI Park match of the year, adding ticketholders crossing over from other codes would be treated to a high-calibre contest and “unbelievable atmosphere”.
“It’s a great opportunity for Melbourne Storm to be the showcase event on a public holiday ahead of the AFL grand final,” he said.
“We’re under no illusions of how tough the Roosters are going to be (to beat). But we’re extremely confident in our ability to win the game.
“We know our best football stacks up against the best teams.”
Mr Rodski said while the Storm didn’t need added motivation to win, the club was keen to celebrate captain Harry Grant’s 100th game in style.
“The fans love Harry Grant, the players love Harry Grant, we all love Harry Grant,” he said. “He’s a quality person, an outstanding player and has been an incredible leader for our club.”
If Storm advances to the grand final at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on October 6, it will face either a Penrith side vying for a fourth-straight premiership or Cronulla, who Storm defeated in the first round of finals.
Originally published as Storm reveals ambitions to make “AAMI Park a sellout for every home game”
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