Crowds question MCG V Etihad

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greatwhiteshark

greatwhiteshark

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts
Oct 3, 2007
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Perth
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For you guys that live in Melbourne what is the difference between going to the MCG and going to Etihad?
I was a little disappointed with the crowd at the Pies/Eagles match on the weekend and did a little research and it seems clear that people just won't go to Etihad on the surface?

Collingwood V Eagles since 2008

2008 MCG - 52968
2009 No game in Melbourne
2010 Etihad - 38781
2011 MCG - 52560
2012 MCG - 62957
2013 MCG - 41198
2014 MCG - 53049
2015 MCG - 36527

Is this common for all clubs in Melbourne? Is there a reason some fans won't go to Etihad? Is it a seating issue? Saints and Tigers never seem to have that issue on Sunday.
Just interested in your thoughts guys, not knocking anyone or any club, used Collingwood as an example against us the Eagles.
But as you can see it is a significant swell in crowds at the MCG v Eagles. Going into last weekends game I was expecting a full house at Etihad. Was way wrong.
 
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.
 
No MCC members area for a start. My membership grants me entry to all MCG games, but I have to pay for a general admission ticket to get in to Etihad (I was at the game at Etihad on Saturday FWIW).

Others would know more, but it may be more expensive in general to go to Etihad rather than the G, but again others would need to confirm this.
 

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Quivorir said:
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.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm the same, Love my seats at the G but getting in and out of Etihad is 1 million times easier.

MCG is only good for the big games with crowds bigger than 75k.
 
i have no idea why. i mean they usually put the less popular matches at etihad but pies eagles was certainly one that should have drawn a good crowd. that said the saturday twiglight fixture is possibly the worst of them for attendance. it almost requires a totally vacant saturday so can understand that matches aren't selling out at that timeslot.

but i like etihad a lot. doesn't have the same coliesium feel to the mcg but from a pure spectator point of view etihad with the roof closed is best stadium is Australia to watch footy. i get the atmosphere isn't as good but it staggers me how so many people actually dislike etihad.
 
The 747 said:
Etihad is a poorly designed stadium with crap food and awful security. It's also cold and you wind up in huge bottlenecks getting in and out of the ground. The MCG is far better.
Click to expand...
They've fixed the bottlenecks leaving the ground, albeit at the cost of atmosphere, it's just not the same walking toward the stadium over the footbridge from Spencer St and not being able to see it because of the ugly skyscrappers.

The stadium entrances need to be refurbished like the MCG's have been they are about 10 years out of date now.
 
I dont get the too cold comments. I find it can be a lot warmer in there (especially with the roof closed) than the MCG. I generally feel that I need to rug up more for MCG games.

Personally find it just as easy to get to either ground and have no major problem with either ground. I think some people might just like to complain about things too much
 
People are conservative by nature and prefer what they're used to. Etihad Stadium is not Collingwood's home ground - in fact they rarely even play away games there. Imagine if West Coast played 10 games at Subiaco Oval and 1 at the WACA. There would be plenty of people who would feel inconvenienced by that one off game and just watch it on TV.
 
No MCC members
AFL members area is tiny compared to the MCG
Getting in/out of the ground is a nightmare
Unpleasant atmosphere outside the ground with all those buildings built directly outside the stadium
Nowhere near the amount of walkup seats at the G. Understandable with the smaller capacity, but it still feels so much more restricted than the G
It's all a bit bland inside. Compared to the G with the National Sports Museum, the different stands, the views, etc. Etihad's kind of all the same.

Yes I know they're all probably minor complaints but the fact is we compare it to the MCG. So it comes up short.
 
greatwhiteshark said:
For you guys that live in Melbourne what is the difference between going to the MCG and going to Etihad?
I was a little disappointed with the crowd at the Pies/Eagles match on the weekend and did a little research and it seems clear that people just won't go to Etihad on the surface?

Collingwood V Eagles since 2008

2008 MCG - 52968
2009 No game in Melbourne
2010 Etihad - 38781
2011 MCG - 52560
2012 MCG - 62957
2013 MCG - 41198
2014 MCG - 53049
2015 MCG - 36527

Is this common for all clubs in Melbourne? Is there a reason some fans won't go to Etihad? Is it a seating issue? Saints and Tigers never seem to have that issue on Sunday.
Just interested in your thoughts guys, not knocking anyone or any club, used Collingwood as an example against us the Eagles.
But as you can see it is a significant swell in crowds at the MCG v Eagles. Going into last weekends game I was expecting a full house at Etihad. Was way wrong.
Click to expand...

{Gets on hobby horse}

Fans in general, and Collingwood fans more than most, dislike Docklands for several reasons, most of them stupid. You generally get variants on:

- It's too expensive: which doesn't explain why the thousands of people with free entry rights, including what must be at least a few thousand with free reserved seats didn't show up on Saturday and don't for any match there.

- It's too difficult to get to: even though it's in the middle of the city, accessible from every train line, with several tram lines as well. It's 2 stops further than the G for the Eastern suburbs and closer for the Western and North Western suburbs. Cry me a river.

- Parking is limited and too expensive: plenty of alternatives to the stadium car park including free street parking around North Melb station. I drive every time I go there and have never paid a cent.

- Atmosphere is no good: only when no one shows up. Get over 40k in there and watch it go off. Get close to 50k and it becomes electric. The Pies game against Brisbane in 2002 was one of the loudest crowds I've ever heard.

Something definitely changed around 2010. Possibly this is when too many reserved seat packages started to be sold, chewing up many of the best areas of the stadium. But just look at the figures. In the last 16 Collingwood games there (which includes the build up to our flag in 2010 and the back to back minor premierships of 2010-11) we've only cracked 45k there once. In the previous 17 games there we did this 13 times, most of which were over 48k.

It's not just Collingwood though, this is the list of the number of Docklands games over 45k:

2000 - 5
2001 - 5
2002 - 5
2003 - 9
2004 - 10
2005 - 11
2006 - 7
2007 - 11
2008 - 11
2009 - 12
2010 - 7
2011 - 4
2012 - 6
2013 - 5
2014 - 0
2015 - 1

For me Docklands is the 2nd best place to watch football (and I've been to nearly every stadium in the country). It's got great viewing angles, is warm and dry in the winter and it's a good size for footy and for viewing. What it isn't is the MCG, which remains it's biggest problem. But it's my fervent wish that the footy going public in Melbourne get over this and get back to actually showing up there again.

{Gets off hobby horse}
 
greatwhiteshark said:
For you guys that live in Melbourne what is the difference between going to the MCG and going to Etihad?
I was a little disappointed with the crowd at the Pies/Eagles match on the weekend and did a little research and it seems clear that people just won't go to Etihad on the surface?

Collingwood V Eagles since 2008

2008 MCG - 52968
2009 No game in Melbourne
2010 Etihad - 38781
2011 MCG - 52560
2012 MCG - 62957
2013 MCG - 41198
2014 MCG - 53049
2015 MCG - 36527

Is this common for all clubs in Melbourne? Is there a reason some fans won't go to Etihad? Is it a seating issue? Saints and Tigers never seem to have that issue on Sunday.
Just interested in your thoughts guys, not knocking anyone or any club, used Collingwood as an example against us the Eagles.
But as you can see it is a significant swell in crowds at the MCG v Eagles. Going into last weekends game I was expecting a full house at Etihad. Was way wrong.
Click to expand...

You weren't wearing a West Perth jumper and holding up a channel 9 logo at every opportunity were you...
 

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I don't mind going there, especially in the middle of Winter.
Seats are closer to the action, lots of food options outside the ground too.
I find the atmosphere is better than the G for the same crowd.

But it costs more for the same seats.
There are many games at the G which still have General Admission areas on level 1 where as I don't think this ever happens at Etihad, they make you pay more to sit on level 1. This also puts off a lot of people who may have home game reserved seating at the G and don't want to cough up for a similar seat at an away game. Also the level 1 AFL reserve at Etihad is quite small and you need to pay to reserve a spot, this keeps many AFL members away.
 
Collingwood fans don't like Etihad, never have. IMO the primary issues are location of the ground and seating. I find the seats closer together at Etihad, its more crammed. We also haven't played well there of late. I still go to Etihad games but it's nowhere near as good as going to the G.
 
Nice post
manicmagpie said:
Something definitely changed around 2010. Possibly this is when too many reserved seat packages started to be sold, chewing up many of the best areas of the stadium. But just look at the figures. In the last 16 Collingwood games there (which includes the build up to our flag in 2010 and the back to back minor premierships of 2010-11) we've only cracked 45k there once. In the previous 17 games there we did this 13 times, most of which were over 48k.
Click to expand...
More and more over the years I've been thinking that reserved seats are bad for sport. I have nothing to back this up, but for all the sports I go to that are pushing people into reserved seating the atmosphere seems to be getting less and less. The exception to this is probably Melbourne Victory but I think the active supporter groups make the atmosphere despite of the reserved seating
 
The comment on the cold is true, if you're undercover at the G (especially on level 1) it's actually warmer than under the roof at Etihad in the same weather condition.

Southern Cross is an absolute nightmare too. Virtually impossible to get the train from there, I had to get to Glen Iris and I was actually better off walking to Swanston St and getting the tram from there.
 
Abba Lonie said:
The comment on the cold is true, if you're undercover at the G (especially on level 1) it's actually warmer than under the roof at Etihad in the same weather condition.

Southern Cross is an absolute nightmare too. Virtually impossible to get the train from there, I had to get to Glen Iris and I was actually better off walking to Swanston St and getting the tram from there.
Click to expand...
I find the weather the opposite to be honest. It can get very very cold at the G (especially on the members side with no sun)

Getting out of the ground across the bridge is crap though. The G does at least have a few more options but the main entrance to Richmond does cause more than a few complaints
 
A lot of people complain about the crush getting to Southern Cross Station at the end of the game - but that's because people are like sheep and all follow each other. I normally exit at one of the gates near the goals, walk down the stairs between those new office towers and Nandos to street level, along that street (don't know what it's called) until I hit Collins Street, turn left and go in the Collins Street entrance to Southern Cross. The walk is a little further in distance but quicker in time and as a bonus it puts you at the far end of the platforms which are not crowded. Last game I think I saw all of about 10 people doing the same thing whilst thousands and thousands went the other way.
 
Etihad=
Great Facilities, great for playing smaller teams
Extra public transport hoop to jump through for southern/eastern suburb people to attend.

MCG=
Better atmosphere, great for blockbusters
downside no VLine train station nearby.
 
KissKiss said:
Nice post

More and more over the years I've been thinking that reserved seats are bad for sport. I have nothing to back this up, but for all the sports I go to that are pushing people into reserved seating the atmosphere seems to be getting less and less. The exception to this is probably Melbourne Victory but I think the active supporter groups make the atmosphere despite of the reserved seating
Click to expand...

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.
 
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...
 
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