The 2nd level at Etihad - a blight on the game

[daniel_4tw]

Anyone ever hired out a $5,000 a night penthouse suite in a hotel before? The best room in the place with the best view.

What my shock you is that this room is often empty!!

Someone go tell the hotel to upgrade people staying in twin share rooms if no one has checked in after 5pm.

 

[Blackas87]

The problem isn't just at etihad, the mcg doesn't have that much general admission on the lower levels. The AFL members on the southern stand is always empty for low drawing games. Would be much better to see these seats occupied than empty. Not sure how you could fix it with people paying high memberships for those seats

 

[BF Tiger]

Variable pricing is coming in, but I doubt we'll be seeing better seats at lower prices, only cheap seats at higher prices.

 

[Hellgood]

I wonder what the OP's thoughts on the MCC are?

 

[jwikked]

What happens if you wander down to those empty seats at quarter time?

 

[master bate]

How would it lose money by charging less than current level 2 BUt charging more than what is paid for level 3. These small games currently have near zero level 2 attendance, if they charged 10 and got 1000 who would've sat level 3 they 10000 better off. And possibly some who might not have gone as level 3 too hard might attend level 2

Finally someone agrees!

I'm pretty sure the people running the stadium have thought of all this and aren't just out to upset people.

I'm pretty sure they are very short sighted when it comes to lower drawing games. They have no incentive to boost the crowd and experience at these games because the stadium deal reward them if no one turns up they still get a cheque.

I get that it's a public company and has to make money for shareholders I just don't understand how they'd make less money by selling their attractive seats at a price that people actually want to attend.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Stadium seats really don't do the supply and demand thing.

 

[master bate]

I wonder what the OP's thoughts on the MCC are?

I've already outlined my thoughts on the MCC. The MCC can be joined by anyone who has:
1. Friends
2. Time on a waiting list
3. Can justify around 400 a year for every game of footy and cricket

Then it is largely a walk up seating venue. First in best dressed with the seats except for some reserved for special members and those booked in for lunch/dinner (which is also first in best dressed). As I've said I hope that some of the unused seats for big games could go back to the public and the MCC has softened it's stance on this the last few years.

But for small games with less than 30,000 people as I'm talking about the MCC is irrelevant. Those 30,000 can sit in lots of places at the G in the other 75,000 seats not part of the MCC.

 

[cammo78]

What happens if you wander down to those empty seats at quarter time?

You can't. There are attendants.

You could have bought Medallion Club tickets, including a car park, for about 30 bucks each for last nights game on eBay.

Same with most other "low drawing" games.

 

[master bate]

Stadium seats really don't do the supply and demand thing.

Because they have monopolies or duopolies. Which the clubs were somewhat forced to agree on. If Geelong becomes an acceptable venue for alternate home games for some teams then Etihad might have to lift it's game.

Alternatively I hope at least when the AFL take over Etihad they realise that no one is willing to pay to sit in the best seats in the house. Therefore the supply is high and demand is low and maybe by changing the ticket structure just a little for some games that more people would enjoy the AFL product.

Selling 2000 seats at a small drawing games on the second level might just get more people buying reserved seats or medallion clubs etc. If people don't go and sit there they wont know what they are missing. Plus the crowd there is so dead it discourages people (as others have mentioned in this thread).

If people don't like this idea I'd actually like them to say they have gone to a game at Etihad where there are no people on the second level and not thought it was very strange.

 

[ManWithNoName]

So if I, with my membership and L2 reserved seat, turn up to a game and find someone sitting next to me who paid $20 for their seat as per Master Bate's grand plan, am I entitled to demand some of my money back?

 

[master bate]

You can't. There are attendants.

You could have bought Medallion Club tickets, including a car park, for about 30 bucks each for last nights game on eBay.

Same with most other "low drawing" games.

Well I might do that in the future. But that isn't helping Etihad or the clubs involved is it? If those transactions take place on eBay why don't they take place on an official Etihad/AFL website and split the proceeds back to the grounds and clubs. Ticket exchanges happen everywhere else in the world.

 

[cammo78]

Well I might do that in the future. But that isn't helping Etihad or the clubs involved is it? If those transactions take place on eBay why don't they take place on an official Etihad/AFL website and split the proceeds back to the grounds and clubs. Ticket exchanges happen everywhere else in the world.

No. The owners of those seats get tickets to every match of the year (and other events).

It's up to them to use, distribute or on sell as they so choose.

At $7k per seat, per year, I'd suggest that's reasonable.

And I can assure you the Medallion Club experience (bars, outdoor terrace, video screen in (some) seats is far superior to anything else Etihad has to offer (I am not a Medallion Club member, by the way, but regularly take advantage of this method and not use my membership entry entitlement - the club doesn't suffer as they've got my cash regardless).

 

[master bate]

So if I, with my membership and L2 reserved seat, turn up to a game and find someone sitting next to me who paid $20 for their seat as per Master Bate's grand plan, am I entitled to demand some of my money back?

$33 is my most recent figure, less for concession of course. Preferably I'd keep them all in the same area, but yes you are paying for your 11 games a year or medallion club for every game, they are paying for a 1 off game that the seat otherwise would've been vacant. And they have turned up early to buy that seat.

It's unlikely to apply for Essendon games and other games that draw a large Medallion/axcess one/reserved seat member crowd.

Your reserved seat should still represent value for money for the 'reserved' component of it. And for big games such as Friday night against North. But for Essendon v GWS in late July with both teams clearly missing finals (this is hypothetical) does it bother you that if some GWS supporters turn up they can pay slightly more than L3 but still less than L2 currently sells for and enjoy the game more. If so that's pretty snobby.

The value of your reserved seat is dependant on Essendon and the crowds and support they get for lesser games. The value of the vacant seat next to it when a game is not drawing anyone to sit on level 2 (such as last night) is therefore a lot less than your reserved seat divided by 11.

 

[Scotland]

No I want a bunch of the EMPTY best seats to be filled. Make them 5 dollars more than third level seats or 10, not 20 or 30.

Maybe if the competing teams were less crap there would be more interest in ticket sales.

 

[Scotland]

Variable pricing is coming in, but I doubt we'll be seeing better seats at lower prices, only cheap seats at higher prices.

I dunno about that.

There might be cheaper seats available for games like St Kilda vs Melbourne, but people will still complain because the same seats will be more than they are now for say Essendon vs Hawthorn.

It's all about wanting something for nothing.

 

[master bate]

Maybe if the competing teams were less crap there would be more interest in ticket sales.

Maybe if the competing teams weren't abused by their stadium deals as well as sitting in lesser seats when good ones were empty they would be less crap. More money and more passionate and vocal support certainly wouldn't hurt their chances.

Of course if every AFL game was full we wouldn't have these problems. But they aren't. So why not help those fans who are the lifeblood of the smaller clubs, who in turn are the lifeblood of the competition to maximise attendance and enjoyment. I propose it can be done whilst maintaining financial return for Etihad and increasing long term potential of it's clients. Etihad is nothing without the dogs, saints and north and the 20,000 games. If there's a way of enhancing viewing for those supporters they are protecting themselves long term.

 

[doppleganger]

$33 is my most recent figure, less for concession of course. Preferably I'd keep them all in the same area, but yes you are paying for your 11 games a year or medallion club for every game, they are paying for a 1 off game that the seat otherwise would've been vacant. And they have turned up early to buy that seat.

It's unlikely to apply for Essendon games and other games that draw a large Medallion/axcess one/reserved seat member crowd.

Your reserved seat should still represent value for money for the 'reserved' component of it. And for big games such as Friday night against North. But for Essendon v GWS in late July with both teams clearly missing finals (this is hypothetical) does it bother you that if some GWS supporters turn up they can pay slightly more than L3 but still less than L2 currently sells for and enjoy the game more. If so that's pretty snobby.

The value of your reserved seat is dependant on Essendon and the crowds and support they get for lesser games. The value of the vacant seat next to it when a game is not drawing anyone to sit on level 2 (such as last night) is therefore a lot less than your reserved seat divided by 11.

Well in your scenario you then can't expect people to pay 7000 for their medallion club ticket....it no longer represents the same value.

 

[Dazb86]

you can sit in those seats, if you pay the extra on top of GA. It isn't all Medallion club.

This.

 

[master bate]

Well in your scenario you then can't expect people to pay 7000 for their medallion club ticket....it no longer represents the same value.

If people are paying $7000 for St Kilda v Melbourne, North v GWS etc then they've got issues anyway. Those tickets are for corporates to allow entertainment at big ticket games such as Friday nights Essendon v North mini blockbuster. My plan is not about those games.

As mentioned you can get medallion club tickets plus car parks for $30 on eBay. Selling a legitimate ticket to the second level minus the bar and other medallion club facilities for $33 doesn't impact the cost of a medallion club ticket in my mind.

 

[Lockyer24]

AFL needs a "stub hub" set up now that membership numbers are out of control

 

[Dazb86]

If you're happy getting shafted so be it. The best thing for Melbourne would be the dogs, saints or North folding.

If I had to go week in week out to Etihad and sit on the 3rd level because the gap between 3rd and 2nd level ticket prices is about $40 I'd be pretty sick of it. It sounds to me like you are just conditioned like a good little bulldogs to getting screwed by a stadium.

I'm not talking big games where it's full but small games where there are seats galore. I'd probably get 10 or so mates and just go sit in those seats after quarter time and test the mettle of the stadium staff in wanting to kick us out.

I'm suggesting something like 1000 or 2000 of the level 2 seats are freed up for general admission to the same price as 1st or just more than 3rd level as start and are then filled with passionate fans. It will be first in best dressed and therefore people will get to the game earlier and spend more on food and drink = Etihad makes the money back anyway. Atmosphere at the game then improves as more people are closer to the play. Less people sit high on the third level (low third level seats are good, high ones not so much). More people enjoy seeing the intimate sights of a footy match and more importantly hearing the intimate sounds - the whistles, the body contact plus the crowd noise.

I'm talking small changes that are good for the clubs involved, good for Etihad and good for the game in general. The second level shows up on TV. At least filling a section of it and you'd pick a strategic area also helps the TV broadcast. Nothing worse than a dull game and whatever crowd is there doesn't even show up on TV.

Perhaps he's a member and none of this is relevant to him.

Level 2 tickets cost more than elsewhere. It's always been like that at Etihad. The people that run the stadium are campaigners and won't change a thing if it puts them out of pocket at all.

I'm not sure how it works at the G. We only play there once a year normally if we are out of the finals.

 

[LosBeatles]

It looks like crap on TV. The opening match between Collingwood and Freo in particular looked bad the way such large blocks of the of 2nd level were just empty

 

[master bate]

Perhaps he's a member and none of this is relevant to him.

Level 2 tickets cost more than elsewhere. It's always been like that at Etihad. The people that run the stadium are Syds and won't change a thing if it puts them out of pocket at all.

I'm not sure how it works at the G. We only play there once a year normally if we are out of the finals.

That's what I don't get. If they are only getting 30, or 20 or even 15k people through the gate then isn't there a way that doesn't effect profits that gets people in the better seats. And wont the product of the better seats then sell the games more.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

AFL needs a "stub hub" set up now that membership numbers are out of control

Yep

Paying $7 for a decent Brooklyn Nets ticket 2 hrs before the game (Y)