Crowds question MCG V Etihad

[LB#16]

The Medallion Club seats at Etihad are the best seats anywhere.

Have sat there twice, Essendon vs Port in 2012 I sat in the middle of the wing and the view was excellent. In 2014 I sat closer to the pocket where the Bulldogs ran out and we could barely see the other side of the ground, it was almost like a cheersquad view.

 

[Rob]

WTF?

So because we don't want to pay ludicrous ticket prices it's our fault clubs have terrible deals with Etihad?

Yeah, that's it. You can have dirt cheap tickets but the clubs should still be make to make millions on small crowds.

 

[Cudi_420]

Etihad is a terrible stadium.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Am I allowed to have an opinion on airports, restaurants etc.? Or only if I've frequented them over 100 times?

Flog. Quick, I can hear the next SJW bandwagon building - better jump on it.

a) If you're incapable of discussing a topic without resorting to personal attacks, ship off. Just pathetically childish.
b) Here's the thing. When you go there a couple of times, typically it's all planned. Typically you're staying nearby, you arrive nice and early, all things like that. And it'd be a fine experience like that. However, we who go every week don't always have everything go to plan like that. We go along when there's only a handful of ticket windows open and enormous lines. We go along when there's only 5 minutes until the bounce and you don't get in until halfway through the first quarter because the scanners are ridiculously slow. When you're shipped up to some ridiculous back of level 3 seat whilst dozens of reserved seats go empty. We go when things go wrong.

You can have an opinion. But your dismissal of the opinion of people who frequent the stadium much more than you do, that's stupid.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Yeah, that's it. You can have dirt cheap tickets but the clubs should still be make to make millions on small crowds.

WTF are you on about? Maybe the stadium should stop taking such an enormous cut. You realise, of course, that that's the issue. That non-Essendon clubs have to draw ~30,000 to break even at Etihad.

 

[Rob]

WTF are you on about? Maybe the stadium should stop taking such an enormous cut. You realise, of course, that that's the issue. That non-Essendon clubs have to draw ~30,000 to break even at Etihad.

Where you you think the money comes from? Thin air? If people aren't paying much to get in, where are the clubs going to get the huge stadium returns that they are supposedly entitled to?

And perhaps you can advise me. What sort of cut is the stadium currently taking, and how much should it take?

 

[ManWithNoName]

Where you you think the money comes from? Thin air? If people aren't paying much to get in, where are the clubs going to get the huge stadium returns that they are supposedly entitled to?

And perhaps you can advise me. What sort of cut is the stadium currently taking, and how much should it take?

We make money much easier than other clubs. Our deal is different to other clubs. So clearly it can be done. This has been an issue for years.

 

[Rob]

We make money much easier than other clubs. Our deal is different to other clubs. So clearly it can be done. This has been an issue for years.

- you draw bigger crowds
- your supporters pay higher prices (no GA on level 3)

It should come as no surprise you make more money. The 20,000 or so seats on level 3 that cost an extra $15-$20 are worth hundreds of thousands per game. That's millions a year.

 

[ManWithNoName]

- you draw bigger crowds
- your supporters pay higher prices (no GA on level 3)

It should come as no surprise you make more money. The 20,000 or so seats on level 3 that cost an extra $15-$20 are worth hundreds of thousands per game.

We have GA on level 3.

And we do have a vastly different deal to the other clubs. We make a profit with smaller crowds than other clubs do.

 

[Rob]

We have GA on level 3.

Sorry, I did know there were a few blocks for selected games. Very little of it though.

And we do have a vastly different deal to the other clubs. We make a profit with smaller crowds than other clubs do.[/QUOTE]

I'd expect you would. Your fans pay more for seats.

I read an article quoting Peter Gordon the other day, he said the Dogs have 6,000 reserved seat members. I believe Essendon has about 28,000. That makes a monumental difference to stadium returns, and it's 2/5ths of * all to do with the stadium deal.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I just had a look at the available re-sale tickets for WC vs Sydney on Sunday.

Cheapest I could find was $75 each.

But yeah, Etihad is too expensive...

What’s that got to do with anything? A decent seat at Etihad is a ripoff. What’s more, the thread is specifically about Etihad v the G

Subiaco also being a ripoff somehow cancels this out?

WTF are you on about? Maybe the stadium should stop taking such an enormous cut. You realise, of course, that that's the issue. That non-Essendon clubs have to draw ~30,000 to break even at Etihad.

• “The stadium” is the owners – the people who paid for it to be built.
• The AFL couldn’t afford a their shiny new $500m toy. Not even close. They couldn’t afford it 15 years ago, and they can’t afford it now. But they had to have it.
• So they basically did a mortgage deal. Pay it off over 25 years. Except they aren’t paying it off, the clubs are.
• Then what happens? Surprisingly, those mean investors wanted their repayments. You know, the ones the AFL signed up for when they bought the joint and signed the papers.
• So the typical AFL response is to squirm and whine publicly about how the big bad stadium is ripping all your clubs off and they’re gonna kill your clubs and I know, we’re gonna build another stadium up the road and play our games there!!! Christ..

Simply the AFL at work. Etihad is a very, very, very (very) expensive project. One that really hasn’t been executed well.

 

[Brad Goodman]

I don't think Etihad is difficult to get to at all. Are you talking public transport wise or driving wise?

Probably depends where you live. Someone from the eastern suburbs going to the MCG will probably take half an hour less to get home than they would getting home from a game at Etihad, regardless of the mode of transport.

The CBD in general is just a black hole and should be avoided at all costs.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Probably depends where you live. Someone from the eastern suburbs going to the MCG will probably take half an hour less to get home than they would getting home from a game at Etihad, regardless of the mode of transport.

The CBD in general is just a black hole and should be avoided at all costs.

I used to travel to Etihad and the MCG from Warrandyte...it's a decent drive but easy enough. Now I live in the south eastern suburbs and yeah, it takes me half an hour longer to get to Etihad but that doesn't mean it's difficult.

The common complaints about Etihad seem to be that parking is expensive (I park a 15 minute walk from Etihad for free), that it's hard to get in and out of (public transport literally couldn't be easier with a train station 500 meters away, driving is pretty easy with the main roads feeding into that area), that there's a roof (I guess they enjoy being cold) and that food is expensive (so bring your own).

People just like to complain.

 

[Brad Goodman]

The common complaints about Etihad seem to be that parking is expensive (I park a 15 minute walk from Etihad for free), that it's hard to get in and out of (public transport literally couldn't be easier with a train station 500 meters away, driving is pretty easy with the main roads feeding into that area), that there's a roof (I guess they enjoy being cold) and that food is expensive (so bring your own).

People just like to complain.

People love to complain! I don't know why they worry about the preference of others though...

Personally, the G is superior to Etihad in every category I care about it. For others that won't be the case.

 

[Papa G]

We have GA on level 3.

And we do have a vastly different deal to the other clubs. We make a profit with smaller crowds than other clubs do.

How many Essendon supporters rocked up to the North game on Friday? Maybe 8-10,000 I reckon? It was a North home game, on a Friday night against what they see as their greatest rival, sensing a win and in finals contention. The crowd was 31,000. There's the problem. North only have at most 20,000 supporters that go to games. That is not the stadiums fault.

 

[HBF]

I know I am in a minority group that likes Etihad over the MCG. In fact I dislike the MCG quite a bit. Love Etihad though and are glad North play home games there.

Definitely in the minority. Would prefer to go the MCG any day. Better atmosphere and just a better ground to watch it from.

 

[ManWithNoName]

How many Essendon supporters rocked up to the North game on Friday? Maybe 8-10,000 I reckon? It was a North home game, on a Friday night against what they see as their greatest rival, sensing a win and in finals contention. The crowd was 31,000. There's the problem. North only have at most 20,000 supporters that go to games. That is not the stadiums fault.

So how come Essendon v Hawthorn only attracts ~45k at Etihad but clears 60k at the G? Surely it'd sell out Etihad? But it never does.

 

[Rotayjay]

You're spot on with this. It is my opinion that clubs should face greater restrictions in the number of reserved seats they can sell. I know it's helping clubs with their bottom lines but it's turning people away from attending games. Go to the G nowadays and the only general admission is up in the nosebleed sections, while there are thousands upon thousands of prime seats empty because they're locked away for people who haven't bothered to show up.

It's most notable at Hawthorn and at Collingwood home games, probably because they're the two clubs who have been most successful at selling these packages. It's criminal that even at games such as Hawthorn v Geelong or Collingwood v Carlton these seats still don't get anywhere near filled when the rest of the ground (with the exception of the MCC, but don't get me started on those guys) is packed.

At Adelaide we're just starting a ticket re-sale program. You put your seat up for sale if you know you're not going to attend, and if (and only if) your seat is sold, you get about $20 back. At the next game, it becomes your seat again. I believe a similar system will be rolled out by Victorian clubs soon.

 

[Rotayjay]

Especially with Melbourne winter weather, I personally prefer going to footy at Docklands than at the MCG. Honestly though I don't see why it gets so much hate as a venue. If I was a Melbournian I'd rather be under a roof in the middle of a winter's night than out in the wind...

I've never been to Etihad, and the only time I've been to the MCG was a perfect sunny July arvo. But for me, calm cold is not so bad as long as you rug up - cold *wind* in your face and blowing through your pants is the real killer.

 

[walhawk]

Hawthorn supporter much prefer MCG.
Unless you are driving from the eastern suburbs, it is just as easy to get to, but it lacks 'warmth' (character) and cheap car parking.
My dad refuses to go to Etihad under any circumstances even though he is on the train. No specific reason.
My group goes to all MCG games, and Etihad home game only. No specific reason. It's just what we do.
Watching on TV tonight but would be there if MCG. With kids the extra 15 minute in the car each way is enough to keep us away.

 

[Wallaby]

I just don't like indoor football. I've been to the rugby a Etihad as well a few times, and it doesn't feel right (yes, I'm an old man). Although it's a much smaller stadium, somehow you feel further from the action than at the MCG. It's something to do with the closed roof. Somehow I find it difficult to comprehend that amount of space being inside.

I also think the MCG has a better atmosphere outside the ground - more space, grass for the kids to have a kick.....................

Other than that - facilities, access - much the same (Etihad better for country trains).

 

[KissKiss]

At Adelaide we're just starting a ticket re-sale program. You put your seat up for sale if you know you're not going to attend, and if (and only if) your seat is sold, you get about $20 back. At the next game, it becomes your seat again. I believe a similar system will be rolled out by Victorian clubs soon.

That is well over due for Australian sports/stadiums. Great news on Adelaide rolling that out

 

[Scotland]

a) If you're incapable of discussing a topic without resorting to personal attacks, ship off. Just pathetically childish.

LOL, harden up.

b) Here's the thing. When you go there a couple of times, typically it's all planned. Typically you're staying nearby, you arrive nice and early, all things like that. And it'd be a fine experience like that. However, we who go every week don't always have everything go to plan like that. We go along when there's only a handful of ticket windows open and enormous lines. We go along when there's only 5 minutes until the bounce and you don't get in until halfway through the first quarter because the scanners are ridiculously slow. When you're shipped up to some ridiculous back of level 3 seat whilst dozens of reserved seats go empty. We go when things go wrong.

So not only do you dismiss my opinion because I've "only been there a few times" but you go one step further and summarise my experiences at the ground for me. Please do tell me, how many times have I been to Etihad? On which days? Which teams did I see play? Where did I commute from? How did I get to and from the ground?

"Here's the thing", I call your grievances petty because - wait for it - your grievances are petty. If you are worried about ticket windows, buy a ticket (better yet, a membership!) before you go. If you are worried about scanners 5 minutes before the game, try not arriving 5 minutes before the game. If you want a nice reserved seat how about buying a nice reserved seat... I can assure you that your grievances are not Etihad Stadium specific.

Let me guess: 'oh but this doesn't happen at the MCG...'? All the petty grievances about Etihad Stadium (apart from it's too cold, which is just absurd) boil down to the fact that Victorian footy fans think it is their right to rock up 5 minutes before any game, buy a GA ticket straight away for $20 and sit wherever they want. And they wonder why their clubs don't make any money...

You can have an opinion. But your dismissal of the opinion of people who frequent the stadium much more than you do, that's stupid.

As opposed to you who dismisses the opinion of anyone who doesn't attend the ground every week?

Do you go to the MCG and complain that a GA ticket doesn't get you into the Long Room? You sound like someone who would do that.

 

[Scotland]

So how come Essendon v Hawthorn only attracts ~45k at Etihad but clears 60k at the G? Surely it'd sell out Etihad? But it never does.

Probably because they'd have to buy a proper ticket.

The differential is easily explained by MCC members and people who can't get a $20 GA ticket and sit in prime seats.

 

[ManWithNoName]

LOL, harden up.

No. It's simple. Personal attacks = Nope. If you're incapable of dealing with that, then you're a waste of everyone's time.

So not only do you dismiss my opinion because I've "only been there a few times" but you go one step further and summarise my experiences at the ground for me. Please do tell me, how many times have I been to Etihad? On which days? Which teams did I see play? Where did I commute from? How did I get to and from the ground?

"Here's the thing", I call your grievances petty because - wait for it - your grievances are petty. If you are worried about ticket windows, buy a ticket (better yet, a membership!) before you go. If you are worried about scanners 5 minutes before the game, try not arriving 5 minutes before the game. If you want a nice reserved seat how about buying a nice reserved seat... I can assure you that your grievances are not Etihad Stadium specific.

Let me guess: 'oh but this doesn't happen at the MCG...'? All the petty grievances about Etihad Stadium (apart from it's too cold, which is just absurd) boil down to the fact that Victorian footy fans think it is their right to rock up 5 minutes before any game, buy a GA ticket straight away for $20 and sit wherever they want. And they wonder why their clubs don't make any money...

So you have a go at me for summarising your experiences, and then immediately proceed to summarise the opinions of every single Victorian fan?

As opposed to you who dismisses the opinion of anyone who doesn't attend the ground every week?

Do you go to the MCG and complain that a GA ticket doesn't get you into the Long Room? You sound like someone who would do that.

No. I don't dismiss it. I acknowledge and disagree with it. You say "lol pathetic Victorians". That's just stupid.