AFL confirms 100% capacity for Victorian stadiums as ticket prices are frozen
The AFL has confirmed 100% capacity for the MCG, Marvel Stadium, GMHBA Stadium and Mars Stadium to kick-off the 2022 AFL season but will capacity crowds return to stadiums?
The 2022 AFL Premiership Season begins with a Footy Festival extravaganza in Victoria. Leading in from the last round of the AFLW season, all 10 Victorian AFL teams will play in Melbourne in Round One with five blockbuster games over five days. It’s the first time all 10 have played in the state during the same Round since Round 20, 2016.
A rematch of the 2021 AFL Grand Final will kick off the season, with reigning Premiers Melbourne unfurling their flag against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Wednesday, March 16.
Carlton v Richmond, which has traditionally been the season opener, will occur on Thursday night at the MCG, followed by St Kilda v Collingwood at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Geelong will host Essendon in their annual Country Game at the MCG in a traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot of 2:10pm, with Hawthorn v North Melbourne to close out the footy festival at the MCG on Sunday March 20 at 1:10pm.
“We want to get big crowds back to the footy, the weekly ritual of being able to go to a game and the sense of community it creates, connecting families and friends is something we have missed in the state.” AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan said.
Victorian venues with a capacity of less than 30,000, including GMHBA Stadium (which is being redeveloped) and MARS Stadium, do not require approval to host capacity crowds under current COVIDSafe Settings.
Other stadiums around Australia are all operating at 100%, with the exception of South Australia, with the Adelaide Oval currently capped at 35,000 or 65% of its capacity.
While most stadiums can operate at full capacity, the question remains if fans will return, as a result of ongoing personal concerns about safety in crowds and changing consumer habits as a result of lockdowns.
According to sports attendance figures on Austadiums, all sports leagues have suffered a dramatic drop in crowds.
AFLW crowds have fallen to just 1612 per game – the lowest ever for the AFL women’s competition and down from almost 6000 prior to COVID. The recent BBL 2021/22 season reached a new low, with an average of just 7371 spectators per game.
The A-League is currently averaging 5617 per game – on par with last year’s impacted season and the lowest in the competition’s history, while the NBL’s average attendance this season is 4653 – a long way from the heights of 2019/20 when the average was 7003.
Prior to Covid, the AFL had more than 7.5 million spectators attend matches, at an average of more than 36,000 per game.
Meanwhile, the AFL has announced a price freeze on general admission tickets for all matches at the MCG and Marvel Stadium across the 2022 AFL season.
Ticket prices have remained as is since 2019, with general admission tickets at $27 for adults, $18 for concession and $5 for children. Kids under 4 continue to be free.
In a new initiative for 2022, a $50 family ticket has been introduced, which consists of 2 Adults and 2 Children, normally $64.
Tickets for the opening five rounds of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season go on sale March 1 for AFL and Club Members and March 2 for General Public.
AFL tickets can be purchased on the Austadiums Tickets Hub.
The AFL also announced that for the first time since the pandemic, club members will be able to scan their membership at the gate without reserving tickets online, and general public walk ups will be available at stadiums.
