Plan to increase GF ticket allocation

[Art Corvelay]

You've clearly got no idea how AFL Membership works do you?

Completely agree.

The thing I don't get with all these threads bagging out the MCC/AFL Members is a lot of the whingers are interstate posters, and in reality - these arrangements have little bearing on their ability to attend games?

 

[2009premiers]

Not that I agree with the premise of the post you're responding to, but who's paying the majority of the upgrade of the GSS? Taxpayers or MCC?

Its been half a day since this was posted but my answer is still relevant.

The government is paying $30m, MCC $25m for the upgrade. The AFL and MCC built the Southern Stand in 1991 for $150m, or around $250m in todays dollars. The government in total contributed about 10% overall when both are taken into consideration. The AFL and MCC contributed the rest. Taxpayer funded seats are 5000 prorata.

For the Northern Stand, in todays dollars, the government tipped in $100m of a $500m project, or 20% of the cost. The rest came from the MCC. I and all other MCC members pay for that loan with our $590 a year subscriptions. Taxpayer funded seats are 10000 prorata.

The argument that taxpayers foot the bill for the stadium is ill-informed. I calculate about 15,000 seats over the last 20 years. Maybe the AFL and MCC restricted members should ask for more Grand Final tickets that they are locked out of.

If you want to sit in taxpayer funded seats, head over to watch the Storm at AAMI Park - there are far more of them there than there are at the MCG. AFL/MCC lobbying was the impetus for the government to tip in money, given they had just built a brand new stadium for Soccer/Union/League.

 

[Bort]

Its your guilt, guilt for rejecting the Bombers & joining the AFL

Why should ManWithNoName feel guilt? He has not rejected his club.

When he pay his money he agrees to Terms & Conditions of the Membership, which state "By nominating a club of support, you are agreeing to become a member of your nominated club ..."

Therefore, if you ask Essendon's membership dept if ManWithNoName is a member of their club, they'll say "Yes."

He has all the same rights that every Essendon member is entitled to: vote at the club's AGM, receive member-only offers, access member-only discounts, etc.

 

[Bort]

Why do Medallion Club (Etihad Stadium) members get 5,000 tickets?

Originally the Club was going to be 12,000 memberships at $10,000 per year, but this was reduced to 5,000 memberships at 5K per year. But even at this level the uptake was slow, so the AFL decided to help the stadium operators by tossing in a guaranteed Grand Final ticket.

From memory, the deal between the AFL and the Medallion Club runs for 25 years (ie 2000 - 2024 seasons). So those 5,000 tickets are fixed for another 14 years.

 

[AstroboyUK]

another partial solution that should be explored is increasing the capacity of the MCG itself on Grand Final day by installing some temporary seating over the ground keeping areas and wherver else can be accommodated: Ive looked at the stadium from this in mind a few times and believe you could accommodate about 5,000 more seats without compromising health and safety.

(it would also be a little way of offsetting MCC no-shows keeping total attendance below 100k and the aura that adds to the event)

 

[Giants FC]

The MCC allocation is set and won't change. The bottom line is that they own the ground - and they lease the entire playing area, the scoreboards, the signage and 78,000 of the seats to the AFL. The remaining area is not part of the AFL's lease - and what happens to those seats is not the AFL's issue. Whether the MCC members area is totally full or whether it is locked out and empty makes no difference to the AFL.

The bottom line is that everyone who is guaranteed access to a ticket will get one. If you're not guaranteed a ticket, then there's no guarantee you'll get one and you don't automatically have a right to get one.
Of course it's disappointing and frustrating when you've followed a club all season but don't get to go to the grand final - but it's not a startling new discovery. It's well-known what your chances are, it hasn't changed for years, and your expecatations have to be realistic.

 

[SJ]

The MCC allocation is set and won't change. The bottom line is that they own the ground - and they lease the entire playing area, the scoreboards, the signage and 78,000 of the seats to the AFL. The remaining area is not part of the AFL's lease - and what happens to those seats is not the AFL's issue. Whether the MCC members area is totally full or whether it is locked out and empty makes no difference to the AFL.

The bottom line is that everyone who is guaranteed access to a ticket will get one. If you're not guaranteed a ticket, then there's no guarantee you'll get one and you don't automatically have a right to get one.
Of course it's disappointing and frustrating when you've followed a club all season but don't get to go to the grand final - but it's not a startling new discovery. It's well-known what your chances are, it hasn't changed for years, and your expecatations have to be realistic.

Pretty sure the state government owns it via the MCG Trust.

 

[Bort]

(it would also be a little way of offsetting MCC no-shows keeping total attendance below 100k and the aura that adds to the event)

Yea, I agree, and those MCC no-shows have been getting worse in recent years. Here's the recent GF attendances, to prove it:
2006 97,431
2007 97,302
2008 100,012
2009 99,251
2010 100,016
'10 Replay 93,853

That 6,163 drop from the '10 GF to the replay was really bad.

But, hang on, the MCC has announced that for the Replay "the final attendance was 3900 short of capacity." Where was the other 2,200 unused capacity? The AFL must've have sold 2,200 less tickets than they did the previous week, as there are never no-shows in the non-MCC areas.

 

[SJ]

Yea, I agree, and those MCC no-shows have been getting worse in recent years. Here's the recent GF attendances, to prove it:
2006 97,431
2007 97,302
2008 100,012
2009 99,251
2010 100,016
'10 Replay 93,853

That 6,163 drop from the '10 GF to the replay was really bad.

But, hang on, the MCC has announced that for the Replay "the final attendance was 3900 short of capacity." Where was the other 2,200 unused capacity? The AFL must've have sold 2,200 less tickets than they did the previous week, as there are never no-shows in the non-MCC areas.

There might have been for the replay.

Pretty sure 'non-replay' Grand Finals show at the MCC attendance trend is actually increasing.

 

[The Sultan]

Stop being sensible. AFL Members and MCC Members are undeserving and never show up to anything. Club members who buy their membership half way through the year as their team looks ok, and only attend 2 games a year are clearly more deserving.

edited for accuracy.....

 

[The Sultan]

the elephant in the room is the 1000 tickets given to each of the clubs, though some are given to major sponsors (no prob with that) most are on sold to companies who package them up with a pie a, sausage roll and a can of coke and sell them for $1500, other than the clubs competing the afl should give the other clubs 100 tickets to cover their sponsorship obligations, that then frees up another 14,000 odd tickets for the competing clubs

I find it funny that people believe a joker who could have jumped on board with his club membership that year is more deserving than someone who has waited for 10-30+ years (AFL or MCC) and payed up his membership year in year out, for a chance to get a GF guarantee.If your a club memeber and dont wont to become a "toff" than put $100 away every year and but by the time your team makes it you can by one of the corporate packages.

 

[TheGreatBambino]

Its absolute crap

for example, my friend knows these two people, father and son, both MCC members, wouldnt know the first thing about footy, wouldnt know Judd or Ablett if they knocked on their door, but the go to the grand final every year for the spectacle, theres 2 tickets a couple of die hards could have!

 

[Kwality]

Its been half a day since this was posted but my answer is still relevant.

The government is paying $30m, MCC $25m for the upgrade. The AFL and MCC built the Southern Stand in 1991 for $150m, or around $250m in todays dollars. The government in total contributed about 10% overall when both are taken into consideration. The AFL and MCC contributed the rest. Taxpayer funded seats are 5000 prorata.

For the Northern Stand, in todays dollars, the government tipped in $100m of a $500m project, or 20% of the cost. The rest came from the MCC. I and all other MCC members pay for that loan with our $590 a year subscriptions. Taxpayer funded seats are 10000 prorata.

The argument that taxpayers foot the bill for the stadium is ill-informed. I calculate about 15,000 seats over the last 20 years. Maybe the AFL and MCC restricted members should ask for more Grand Final tickets that they are locked out of.

If you want to sit in taxpayer funded seats, head over to watch the Storm at AAMI Park - there are far more of them there than there are at the MCG. AFL/MCC lobbying was the impetus for the government to tip in money, given they had just built a brand new stadium for Soccer/Union/League.

My argument is that the taxpayer contributes $PLENTY & always has, and the competing teams members, central on the big day, get a haircut.

I'm suggesting there are too many MCC/AFL members seats.

I'm suggesting future $taxpayer contributions should be tied to a staged reduction in MCC/AFL members seating.

 

[Kwality]

You've clearly got no idea how AFL Membership works do you?

So you had no qualms giving Essendon the flick & joining the AFL?

Terrible reality is you deny making a choice, as do many AFL members. You took a better offer than your footy club could make.

 

[Art Corvelay]

So you had no qualms giving Essendon the flick & joining the AFL?

Give it up mate, you have no idea what your talking about. AFL Members are counted as club members if you put a team down, and money go towards the club. You're counted in the clubs members. You get the same entitlements as a normal club member.

Can you please explain how AFL Members detrimentally affect the clubs?

 

[Kwality]

Its been half a day since this was posted but my answer is still relevant.

The government is paying $30m, MCC $25m for the upgrade. The AFL and MCC built the Southern Stand in 1991 for $150m, or around $250m in todays dollars. The government in total contributed about 10% overall when both are taken into consideration. The AFL and MCC contributed the rest. Taxpayer funded seats are 5000 prorata.

For the Northern Stand, in todays dollars, the government tipped in $100m of a $500m project, or 20% of the cost. The rest came from the MCC. I and all other MCC members pay for that loan with our $590 a year subscriptions.

The argument that taxpayers foot the bill for the stadium is ill-informed. I calculate about 15,000 seats over the last 20 years. Maybe the AFL and MCC restricted members should ask for more Grand Final tickets that they are locked out of.

If you want to sit in taxpayer funded seats, head over to watch the Storm at AAMI Park - there are far more of them there than there are at the MCG. AFL/MCC lobbying was the impetus for the government to tip in money, given they had just built a brand new stadium for Soccer/Union/League.

The taxpayer starting kicking in dollars @ the MCG 50+ years back for the Olympics & they've been kicking in money ever since.
Yep, MCC members pay membership fees but its $diddly poop compared to rhe money put in by AFL footy - imagine if a cricket club had to survive on revenue from cricket.
No one is arguing MCC members rights to go to the cricket (even Boxing Day is not a sell out), I'm saying footy fans, specifically members of competing clubs should get a gig Grand Final day.

 

[____]

This is how the GF allocation should be like:
* MCC - 22,000 (can't change that)
* The two competing clubs get 66,000 tickets in total, or 33,000 each (AFL members with nominated club support for the competing clubs are included).
* The non-competing clubs get 0 tickets in total, or 0 each.
* 1300 go to the families and close friends of the competing club's players.
* The Medallion Club members get 5000 tickets
* 7500 go to AFL sponsors, function invitees and corporates.

That's a hell of a lot fairer.

As a student I finally brought a Lions membership this year, I wanted to be a member for ages but my dad didn't want to take me to every home game btu since I am now old enough I got my own membership. I got my membership after the first home game, but only missed out on one home game since (due to sprained ankle) and also attended away game v Suns. I got membership even though I knew we were going to suck this year and I attended games even though I knew we were going to get smashed. Even though I only have a $150 GA membership surely I deserve a GF ticket when the Lions next make it more than some bandwagoner who gets a membership on the year the Lions start to be good again and buys a September Membership to go with it.

Also people who are members of non-competing clubs don't deserve tickets.

 

[The Sultan]

the argument has always been why should some bandwagon supporter (normal club membership) get access to a ticket before an AFL/MCC member who has paid up for 10 plus years to whilst waiting to become a full member??? oh thats right club members are the "real" supporters, whilst AFL/MCC are just rich corporate snobs.

both my wife and I have full AFL membership (she Saints me carlton) we also have three kids signed up (all restricted) so I am up for well over $1000 every year I dont earn alot so this is a majority of our entertainment budget for the year, also I cant miss a year here and there as money is tight if i dont pay my membership I loose my full status and go bak to the end of the line.

The reason that we have AFL is that we get access to 40 games in melb each year i go to alot of saints games with wifey and the kids and she come to some carlton games, I also go to neutral games that i am interested in as I love a good game of footy.

If you are a real footy supporter (and live in Melb) you are mad not to have an AFL membership, 40 games a year, does not matter if it home or away you can either turn up on the day or pay $4.50 to reserve a seat, access to all nab cup games, access to first two weeks of the finals.

 

[____]

the argument has always been why should some bandwagon supporter (normal club membership) get access to a ticket before an AFL/MCC member who has paid up for 10 plus years to whilst waiting to become a full member??? oh thats right club members are the "real" supporters, whilst AFL/MCC are just rich corporate snobs.

both my wife and I have full AFL membership (she Saints me carlton) we also have three kids signed up (all restricted) so I am up for well over $1000 every year I dont earn alot so this is a majority of our entertainment budget for the year, also I cant miss a year here and there as money is tight if i dont pay my membership I loose my full status and go bak to the end of the line.

The reason that we have AFL is that we get access to 40 games in melb each year i go to alot of saints games with wifey and the kids and she come to some carlton games, I also go to neutral games that i am interested in as I love a good game of footy.

If you are a real footy supporter (and live in Melb) you are mad not to have an AFL membership, 40 games a year, does not matter if it home or away you can either turn up on the day or pay $4.50 to reserve a seat, access to all nab cup games, access to first two weeks of the finals.

I still believe I should have priority over you for a GF that the Brisbane Lions (unless if it's against Carlton or St Kilda) make it. And I can't go to 40 games a year because I live in Brisbane.

 

[Rob]

I still believe I should have priority over you for a GF that the Brisbane Lions (unless if it's against Carlton or St Kilda) make it. And I can't go to 40 games a year because I live in Brisbane.

That's the inequality - and it doesn't recognise that the AFL grand final is a national event now. A membership that is pretty much exclusively Victorian really shouldn't have the significant chunk of the ground on grand final day as it currently does. The argument might have merit if AFL membership was a truly national membership - but it's not.

 

[Visions]

If your team makes it to the GF and you want to desperately go, you will find a way. It may cost you some money, but that's life.

Watch this week for the hard luck stories of people who have been "lifelong" fans looking for tickets willing to pay nothing.

 

[MB1908]

I'm an AFL, MCC and club member via the AFL and pay a load to have these memberships. Someone who buys the general club membership pays a pittance compared to what I pay. People complaining about the AFL members should fork out the 600 dollars to become one or fork out 600 to their clubs for a guaranteed ticket. Otherwise shut up.

 

[Kwality]

Give it up mate, you have no idea what your talking about. AFL Members are counted as club members if you put a team down, and money go towards the club. You're counted in the clubs members. You get the same entitlements as a normal club member.

Can you please explain how AFL Members detrimentally affect the clubs?

You make a clear choice, your money is not sent to your club.

You chose an offer for your support:
an offer not from the Pies, you reject what the Pies have on offer.

You go with a better offer for you from the AFL, not Collingwood.

No argument with taking a better offer, BUT why do the AFL compete with Melbourne clubs for members? I know the history ...

 

[ManWithNoName]

This is just getting sad...

 

[Art Corvelay]

You make a clear choice, your money is not sent to your club.

You chose an offer for your support:
an offer not from the Pies, you reject what the Pies have on offer.

You go with a better offer for you from the AFL, not Collingwood.

No argument with taking a better offer, BUT why do the AFL compete with Melbourne clubs for members? I know the history ...

P.S. My social club membership, the offer I did not reject from Collingwood, just got me a grand final ticket, so shove it up your jumper