How many members will get a Round 1 seat?Power clubs Richmond, Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood have plans to get Round 1 tickets for as many diehard fans as possible. Here’s how.
Paywall: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/how-richmond-members-will-get-a-ticket-to-the-mcg-for-round-1/news-story/5a867b7843e871195a950c4c7b1af63bRichmond says the “vast majority” of its members will gain access to Thursday night’s season opener against Carlton.
As AFL clubs attempt to satisfy both rank-and-file members and those paying for premium access, the Tigers have successfully catered for all of their reserved seat members seeking a ticket in the ballot to the season opener.
While Richmond has 87,496 members so far this year, club chief executive Brendon Gale told the Herald Sun on Thursday that most, if not all, of their paid-up, full members who were seeking tickets would gain entry.
Richmond’s general admission members will find out next Tuesday if they can get to the game.
The AFL has given clubs permission to prioritise the most expensive membership categories.
Power clubs including Richmond, Essendon and Collingwood have taken this path.
Collingwood will allow a two-hour window for its Legends and Club 5 categories when it opens up its ticket sales next Tuesday.
Under Richmond’s ballot system, successful reserved seat members will be able to sit in their customary MCG seating areas, while those who were unsuccessful in the ballot will still get tickets but in a different area allocated by Richmond.
They are then guaranteed they will sit in their normal seats the next time they enter the ballot.
The Herald Sun understands a decision to lift the state’s guidelines to phase two — which would allow up to 75,000 fans at the MCG — will likely run out of time.
But Gale said the club was keen to see more than 50 per cent crowds back at the footy.
“All the club’s eligible reserved seat and reserved bay members that successfully entered the Round 1 ballot have been allocated a ticket,” he said.
“Beyond that we anticipate the vast majority of members that want to attend the game will be able to do so, but that picture will become clearer next week.
“Our members have been very understanding and patient — this is a different environment we are working in and it can change very quickly.
“If we can get 50 per cent crowd capacity at our games we are confident that the vast majority if not all our members that want to attend will be able to do so.
“But clearly we want more — 50 per cent is a long way off meeting overall supporter demand. We need as many people back at the football as possible within the current constraints.”
The league has not lost all hope of as many as 60,000 fans filling the MCG, but it likely running out of time.
The State Government would have to decide ahead of Tuesday, when tickets go on sale, that it wanted to see an enhanced COVID-safe plan for more than 50 per cent capacity.
The league will await the State Government’s direction rather than directly pushing, aware that it should not take a short-term opportunistic approach when it can show how safely 50,000 fans can be seated at the MCG.
Its view is that once that is proven the State Government might quickly increase capacities, with state Sports Minister Martin Pakula saying on Saturday increased crowds by Round 1 were unlikely but not impossible.
Collingwood’s tickets for the Friday night blockbuster against the Western Bulldogs go on sale on Tuesday.
The Pies’ Club 5 and Legends members will get two hours of priority access before members with reserved seats receive another period of access.
Tickets left over will go to normal members including 11-game members for the MCG clash.
A Collingwood’s Legends Membership is a $750 membership, while the Club 5 membership is a five-year package which guarantees a Grand Final ticket should the club qualify.
Essendon, still angry the AFL did not schedule its game against Hawthorn at the MCG, will also allow its premium members first access.
The club’s High Mark and Silver reserved seat members are in Priority Group 1, with Priority Group 2 the bronze reserved seat members, with general admission access members in the third group.
