MCG needs to increase capacity

[tigertigertiger]

Can’t make seats smaller , people getting fatter!!

As high as it currently is the view isn’t great that far up wouldn’t bother going if had to sit any higher

 

[Konrad2709]

When they rebuild the GSS (20+ years away IMO) they will make it a bit bigger but not much.
Maybe get seating back to 100k, currently it's a few thousand under that - it's only standing room that gets capacity to 100k. Not really practical to try for much more than that.

MCC President on April 13 2018: While there is no firm timeline or plan surrounding a redevelopment of the Great Southern Stand, we expect that such a project would be delivered in the next 10-15 years.

 

[Scotland]

Games that will sell out this year:

ANZAC Day
Richmond vs Hawthorn QF
Richmond vs whoever PF
Maybe Hawthorn/Collingwood hosting a PF
Grand Final

Capacity is fine. You could make it 150,000 and the AFL still wouldn't give the extra 50,000 seats to the fans.

 

[LordLucifer]

Knock down the northern end and extend the playing surface 25-metres into the parkland so the playing area is more of an oblong than a circle. Move the goal-posts to the south & north ends too so the players aren't looking into the sun.

Cricket would benefit from the alteration even though there would be no minimal change to the north-south facing pitch area.

The old MCC gates & statues out the front would have to be moved too but that is a minor issue.

With the additional stretch on the playing surface, there would additional space created in the grandstands & seating area.

 

[treefingers]

I have been to 6 grand finals now, 2 of them I organised in the last week. All of them I have done on packages. If you want to go to the Grand Final it is not hard to get a ticket. Just have to cough up serious cash if you want to go. Always packages available somewhere. The problem is that many Victorians think it is their right to get into the game at ticket face value and if they can't they then think it is unfair.
You can always go if you are prepared to pay. It's that simple.

Same - I got tickets to two of our recent grand finals through hassling people on gumtree, bigfooty, friends of friends etc. I even called up non-competing clubs membership departments and had a few offers through that channel.

 

[Pessimistic]

I would convert more of the back of the five bays behind the goals to safe standing. bigger capacity for big games and for quieter games, add bouncy castles etc for kids - will boost the attendance for not attractive games

 

[Gralin]

you have to also look at the Victorian predicted population boom. its going to get bigger and bigger, clubs will have even bigger memberships

Where is the rule that says everyone has to get a ticket though. Sure it's shit when you miss out but that's life. Nobody builds infrastructure for peak demand, it's too expensive.
The reality is that more people want to go to the grand final than can attend on average but I'd much rather see my tax dollars go on improving Public transport and other infrastructure that will be overloaded year round with population growth than the Stadium that is overloaded once or twice a year for a couple of hours

It only sells out on GF Day. Capacity is pretty much spot on 100k. MCC reserve is 23k, which leaves 77k.

For GF Day... say 2k for AFL officials, life members, all that jazz... leaves 75k.

37.5k for each club. Rank members by no of games attended throughout the year and award tickets that way. Some clubs dont even have 37.5k members, or there aren’t that many travelling to Melbourne, so the other club may get even more.

It’s actually plenty. I just laid out a simple plan in 100 words. The AFL and the clubs are behind every single reason why it doesn’t happen that way.

Number of games attended throughout the year... not very fair to interstate or country members, or you know people who work weekends, have family commitments, play sport themselves etc.

Plenty of people pay good money to their clubs to increase their chances come grand final time, don't see the clubs wanting to give away that income stream either

 

[Konrad2709]

For finals only - remove the two bays of seats behind each goal and re-introduce standing room available only to members of the competing clubs.

Would increase capacity by at least a few thousand.

OH&S in a nanny state will never allow that to happen. Think of all the short people/vertically-challenged/children getting trampled on!

 

[Konrad2709]

Nobody builds infrastructure for peak demand, it's too expensive.

Ticketek's mantra.

 

[TiggerMan22]

The way the MCC is set up for grand finals is shit. Most members who actually support a team playing on the day can’t get in because you need to be a full member. They should allow you to nominate a team and if they are playing in the grand final you have access on grand final day

Yeh if Richmond make the grand final I will have attended every Richmond game at the MCG this year, but almost certainty wont be able to get into the grand final.

 

[HolyWars]

Irrelevant Vic trash (VFL clubs living off gambling etc) you bring up. Look at the best new stadiums around the world. I don't do research for the dull.

Viewing is fine.
The condition is fine.
Facilities are fine.
The surface is fine.

No need to tear it down.

 

[blue harvest]

MCC President on April 13 2018: While there is no firm timeline or plan surrounding a redevelopment of the Great Southern Stand, we expect that such a project would be delivered in the next 10-15 years.

Yep I remember the 10 year thing being mentioned when the GF 2057 contract was announced but IMO it will be 20+ because the GSS is still too good a facility. They just finished fixing up the entrances and facilities a couple of years back, it would be crazy to pull it down in 10 years.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Spend millions to increase the capacity for one day a year... ???

 

[mr bagcroft]

If they made the ground dimensions the same as Kardinia Park the capacity could be increased to 120,000

And it would all be government funded too, Geelong freeloader style.

 

[Aramis]

The way the MCC is set up for grand finals is shit. Most members who actually support a team playing on the day can’t get in because you need to be a full member. They should allow you to nominate a team and if they are playing in the grand final you have access on grand final day

Completely agree with this... But look you do ya time.... I was restricted member for 2008-2015.... 5 grand finals I had to shell out for packages... Finally got full in 2016.

Everyone gets their turn.

 

[Konrad2709]

Yep I remember the 10 year thing being mentioned when the GF 2057 contract was announced but IMO it will be 20+ because the GSS is still too good a facility. They just finished fixing up the entrances and facilities a couple of years back, it would be crazy to pull it down in 10 years.

A 'redevelopment' doesn't mean a full tear down. They can gut the structure and increase the efficiency of seating, add more tech, etc.

 

[HotSausage69]

How do you do that?
You can’t go higher you can’t go longer.

I've been doing a bit of thinking on this one actually and I think I've come up with an idea. If we set up some wires or ropes across the roof, we can get people into some harnesses, attach them to the rope and send them out to have a birds eye view of the game. I haven't seen it done anywhere in the world. We could be real innovators if the idea works. Now what I've illustrated above is just a sketch to share the general concept of it all. But now that I'm thinking about it, the ropes could even be set up like a spider web to fit more people in. And people could be given a buzzer remote that could send drones up to them with food or drink they can order. And big tubes they can attach to their pants to discard the waste when they need to use the toilet.
Just throwing some ideas out there.

 

[smasha]

All about locking people out to create high demand and in turn ramp ticket prices.

 

[radiojake]

There was nothing worse than seeing Melbourne supporters in their scarves lining up for MCC on Grand Final day, then seeing Adelaide fans that have travelled 700km holding signs up offering $15,000 a ticket. It’s not right.

cool story regarding this last year


my best mate (who is not into footy at all) had his brother drive over from Adelaide for the GF - His brother had a ticket, but another mate came along who didn't have a ticket

Anyway they both got down to the 'G nice and early to try to buy another ticket so old mate could get in - He was decked out in Crows gear and a sign basically saying 'Drove from Adelaide Need Ticket'
Anyway Brendan Gale ended up walking past the two of them and asked 'how many tickets do you need?' - 'Just one'

Gale handed them a ticket

Thought that was pretty nice for the Richmond CEO to hand a Crows supporter a free GF ticket

 

[FootyJunkie]

Sure, but we'll have to deduct it from their membership as the GF ticket is already included.

I'm not sure of the latest figure, but let's call it 62,500 full members, each paying an additional $150 over a Restricted member, which is said to be the 'cost of GF entry', regardless of whether they attend or not. Subtract about 20,000 who attend (assume 3k are guests, conservatively). So 42,500 x $150 = $6.375M. So the MCC will receive $6M less to maintain and improve the MCG and Yarra Park.

Or, you know, don't play FOOTBALL at the Melbourne CRICKET Ground.

Waverley

 

[jacksgh]

the AFL should buy back the parcel of land at Waverley and construct the stadium they initially planned to seat 160,000. Sorry homeowners football is more important.

 

[Konrad2709]

Completely agree with this... But look you do ya time.... I was restricted member for 2008-2015.... 5 grand finals I had to shell out for packages... Finally got full in 2016.

Everyone gets their turn.

I remember the MCC investigated how they allocated tickets to the GF a few years back and ended up sticking with the same system because they figured it was the fairest.

Don't forget that full members pay for the privilege of GF access and cannot turn it on or off on a whim. If people propose to bias MCC GF access to competing club members, then what compensation do those full members get who support consistently poor-performing teams like Carlton, or Richmond prior to 2017)? I'm a Tigers Supporter, full member since 2000. For 16 of those years, I would have been paying for GF access as a full member and not being able to get it. I can't imagine what it would've been like if I was a full member since 1983!

 

[SwampCreature]

Hey mate good idea but do you mind making a few tweaks to your design for clarity?

I reckon it would be a lot easier to understand if you switched the purple for orange, made the circles representing people squares, changed the colour of the ground to blue and made the ropes Christmas lights.

 

[Cudi_420]

There was nothing worse than seeing Melbourne supporters in their scarves lining up for MCC on Grand Final day, then seeing Adelaide fans that have travelled 700km holding signs up offering $15,000 a ticket. It’s not right.

yeah this didn't happen.

 

[Cudi_420]

I've been doing a bit of thinking on this one actually and I think I've come up with an idea. If we set up some wires or ropes across the roof, we can get people into some harnesses, attach them to the rope and send them out to have a birds eye view of the game. I haven't seen it done anywhere in the world. We could be real innovators if the idea works. Now what I've illustrated above is just a sketch to share the general concept of it all. But now that I'm thinking about it, the ropes could even be set up like a spider web to fit more people in. And people could be given a buzzer remote that could send drones up to them with food or drink they can order. And big tubes they can attach to their pants to discard the waste when they need to use the toilet.
Just throwing some ideas out there.

just peed my pants a little.