More AFL Grand Final Tickets for Genuine Competing Club Supporters
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Chief Executive of the AFL, Andrew Demetriou, and Members of the AFL Commission
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We, AFL Club Members and supporters, petition that a review be made to the AFL Grand Final Ticket Allocation with a view to making more tickets available to competing club members and supporters.
Currently the AFL Grand Final is held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). According to figures published by the AFL earlier this year (2008), the MCG has a capacity on Grand Final Day of approximately 100,000. The breakdown of that 100,000 was anticipated to be: 16-26,000 to Competing Club Members; 16,000 (i.e.1000 each) to the 16 AFL clubs; 16-26,000 to the MCC reserve; 13-23,000 to AFL members; 4,500-5,000 to AFL/Medallion Club Members; 5-15,000 to AFL Entitlements/Contractual Obligations; and 1,500-2,500 to Competing Clubs.
For the 2008 AFL Grand Final, on the basis of the numeration of Club Member Ticket allocation published on the Geelong Football Club website, and assuming Hawthorn had an equivalent allocation, the eventual Club Member Allocation was 23,000 tickets. On the basis of the figures given in the posting of Geelongs Grand Final Ticket Ballot results, 9,068 Geelong Football Club Members whom registered for the ballot were unsuccessful in obtaining a ticket through the ballot. The Hawthorn Football Club published 2,035 registration numbers of members whom had been unsuccessful in their ballot. Providing Hawthorn's listing included all members whom were unsuccessful, that makes a total of 11,103 Competing Club Members whom missed out on obtaining a Grand Final Ticket through the club allocation and ballot.
Of the 16 AFL clubs, 15 enumerated the distribution of their 1,000-ticket allocation on their club websites. For those 15 clubs there was an average of 446 tickets (almost half) allocated which were to be onsold. Likewise, many of the contractual obligation tickets are onsold, usually as part of expensive corporate packages. It is a well-known fact that, though officially prohibited, many tickets that have been obtained through AFL membership, corporate allocation, or other means are also onsold. In each of these three scenarios, the tickets eventually become available to genuine footy/club fans at prohibitively elevated prices. This onselling is detrimental to the interest of club members and fans, and does nothing for the benefit of the AFL (with the exception perhaps of the club onselling which helps provide funds for the individual clubs), whilst greasing the palms of greedy middlemen.
We propose that a greater Club Member Allocation be achieved by reducing the allocation to: non-competing Clubs; AFL Entitlements/contractual obligations; AFL members whom do not hold support packages for either of the competing clubs; and if it can be negotiated, for the MCC Reserve. By this means, we would hope that an extra 10-20,000 tickets could be allocated to competing club members, thereby satisfying the demand for tickets by most competing club members. We understand that this may necessitate a rise in ticketing prices, but would be willing to wear this for a greater opportunity to witness our clubs participate at the pinnacle of this great game. In the unlikely event that any tickets remained unsold after the completion of each years Club Member ballot, we propose that remaining tickets could be released for general sale thus allowing a greater number of proud and passionate fans to witness their team and add to the atmosphere of this great event.
Currently the AFL Grand Final is held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). According to figures published by the AFL earlier this year (2008), the MCG has a capacity on Grand Final Day of approximately 100,000. The breakdown of that 100,000 was anticipated to be: 16-26,000 to Competing Club Members; 16,000 (i.e.1000 each) to the 16 AFL clubs; 16-26,000 to the MCC reserve; 13-23,000 to AFL members; 4,500-5,000 to AFL/Medallion Club Members; 5-15,000 to AFL Entitlements/Contractual Obligations; and 1,500-2,500 to Competing Clubs.
For the 2008 AFL Grand Final, on the basis of the numeration of Club Member Ticket allocation published on the Geelong Football Club website, and assuming Hawthorn had an equivalent allocation, the eventual Club Member Allocation was 23,000 tickets. On the basis of the figures given in the posting of Geelongs Grand Final Ticket Ballot results, 9,068 Geelong Football Club Members whom registered for the ballot were unsuccessful in obtaining a ticket through the ballot. The Hawthorn Football Club published 2,035 registration numbers of members whom had been unsuccessful in their ballot. Providing Hawthorn's listing included all members whom were unsuccessful, that makes a total of 11,103 Competing Club Members whom missed out on obtaining a Grand Final Ticket through the club allocation and ballot.
Of the 16 AFL clubs, 15 enumerated the distribution of their 1,000-ticket allocation on their club websites. For those 15 clubs there was an average of 446 tickets (almost half) allocated which were to be onsold. Likewise, many of the contractual obligation tickets are onsold, usually as part of expensive corporate packages. It is a well-known fact that, though officially prohibited, many tickets that have been obtained through AFL membership, corporate allocation, or other means are also onsold. In each of these three scenarios, the tickets eventually become available to genuine footy/club fans at prohibitively elevated prices. This onselling is detrimental to the interest of club members and fans, and does nothing for the benefit of the AFL (with the exception perhaps of the club onselling which helps provide funds for the individual clubs), whilst greasing the palms of greedy middlemen.
We propose that a greater Club Member Allocation be achieved by reducing the allocation to: non-competing Clubs; AFL Entitlements/contractual obligations; AFL members whom do not hold support packages for either of the competing clubs; and if it can be negotiated, for the MCC Reserve. By this means, we would hope that an extra 10-20,000 tickets could be allocated to competing club members, thereby satisfying the demand for tickets by most competing club members. We understand that this may necessitate a rise in ticketing prices, but would be willing to wear this for a greater opportunity to witness our clubs participate at the pinnacle of this great game. In the unlikely event that any tickets remained unsold after the completion of each years Club Member ballot, we propose that remaining tickets could be released for general sale thus allowing a greater number of proud and passionate fans to witness their team and add to the atmosphere of this great event.
26 Signatures
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Elaine Owen
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Hawthorn
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Mitch
- AFL Club Member
- No
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Mark Owen
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Richmond
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Katrina Thompson
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Richmond
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Mark Duffett
- Comments
- Get rid of non-competing club allocation
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Adelaide
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Lynda Hadlow
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Collingwood
- Years of Club Membersip
- 28
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Peter Hatley
- Comments
- Reduce the Club allocations to 250 not 1,000.
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Sydney
- Years of Club Membersip
- 26
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Ingrid Hickman
- Comments
- I cannot afford to pay exorbitant prices for tickets or the top membership packages, yet am a PASSIONATE supporter. Think about the REAL fans of the game and not the bloody hangerson who don't give a toss!
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Hawthorn
- Years of Club Membersip
- 1988 - 2000, 2002-present
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Paul Hohnen
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Sydney
- Years of Club Membersip
- 5
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Heather Preston
- Comments
- Competing Club Members filling less than one quarter of the MCG on Grand Final Day is a disgrace. Give the game back to the people who have driven its success throughout the season.
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Heather
- Years of Club Membersip
- 1986; 1999 - 2008
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mellisa cox
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- geelong
- Years of Club Membersip
- 12 years
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Alison Fitzgerald
- AFL Club Member
- No
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Greg McLean
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Geelong
- Years of Club Membersip
- 5
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Tom Mueller
- AFL Club Member
- No
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Ramiz Makkar
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Adelaide
- Years of Club Membersip
- 3
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Narelle Warden
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Geelong
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Chris Bacon
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- St Kilda
- Years of Club Membersip
- 2
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Nicole Murnane
- Comments
- We have been lucky enough to receive Grand Final tickets through our club ballot in '07,'08 and '09. In two of these years we were given standing room tickets and in '08 we sat in the second last row of the top level of the Southern Stand. We are fully paid up members who attend 90\% of Geelong games played in Victoria. We have stayed in pouring rain, hail and wind to support our team. Yet we as supporters are given limited access to support our team on the day it really counts. Those club members lucky enough to obtain tickets are given some of the worst views in the ground. It's time to lift your game AFL- without the support of club members where would this great game be?
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Geelong Cats
- Years of Club Membersip
- 6
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Kerrie Murnane
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Geelong
- Years of Club Membersip
- 7
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Elle Matthews
- Comments
- very unfair system
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- St. Kilda Saints
- Years of Club Membersip
- 8
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christine coppock
- Comments
- not good enough
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- geelong
- Years of Club Membersip
- 20+
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Nick Woolford
- Comments
- Time for AFL to give back to the fans, and not to their overflowing pockets
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Adelaide Crows
- Years of Club Membersip
- 18 years
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Andrew Gibson
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Saints
- Years of Club Membersip
- 5
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David Bickers
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Geelong
- Years of Club Membersip
- 10
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Betty
- AFL Club Member
- No
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Kylie Hutchison
- AFL Club Member
- No
- Name of Club
- Collingwood
- Years of Club Membersip
- 14
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26
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