AFL boss hints at grand final performers on arrival in Perth amid ticketeting quagmire

By David PrestipinoUpdated September 2, 2021 â€" 12.35pmfirst published at 8.04am

Just how many general admission tickets to Perth’s historic AFL grand final are made available will hinge on which teams make it to the decider, with the public potentially getting access to half of Optus Stadium’s capacity after seats are set aside for members, corporates and industry stakeholders.

The AFL will use traditional allocation modelling based on an MCG grand final to determine the split of tickets for the public and corporate entities, including hospitality packages.

The amount of general admission tickets released for the AFL grand final at Optus Stadium could change depending on which team makes it to the season decider â€" and what state they hail from. Credit:Getty Images

The last grand final at traditional Victorian venue the MCG, which has capacity for a tick over 100,000 patrons, allocated 17,500 seats to each competing club â€" or about 34 per cent.

An AFL spokesman said an outline of ticket allocation would be confirmed early next week, but they would not go on sale to the public until the grand finalists were known, with members of the competing clubs given priority.

“Rest assured, [grand final] club members will get priority to tickets,” they said on Wednesday.

“We have to work through our model ... and that is balancing everything up with how it’s usually split [at the MCG].”

Based on typical AFL modelling, 2021’s grand final clubs would be allocated about 10,000 tickets each for the September 25 decider, with priority allocation tiers offered to members.

The number of leftover general admission tickets would depend on how many members from each grand final club decide to attend, but more could be available if a Victorian or NSW club qualified, given people from those states can’t enter WA, whereas supporters of Port Adelaide and Brisbane can.

Melbourne, whose players are in quarantine at Joondalup Resort ahead of its preliminary final in Perth next weekend, offers priority 1, 2 and 3 allocations to its members.

A priority 1 upgrade will cost Demons fans $250 this season but guarantees them a ticket to the grand final.

AFL commissioner Richard Goyder said general admission ticket price categories were expected to be similar to previous grand finals. Adult tickets to last year’s decider ranged from $185 to $422.

“Whatever they cost we’re not going to do anything silly on that front,” he told 6PR on Wednesday.

WA-based Motive Travel owner George Michalczy, who usually sells MCG grand final tour packages, said it was a distinct advantage for WA footy fans wanting to attend if Victorian-based clubs qualified for the season decider.

“Everyone is expecting a decision to be made, but the allocation of tickets won’t be known until the grand final clubs are known,” he told 6PR on Wednesday.

Mr Michalczy said he believed the AFL normally was allocated 95 per cent of grand final corporate boxes at the MCG. Optus Stadium’s corporate allocation at AFL matches is understood to be at least 2000.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said on Wednesday corporates in those boxes would be mostly locals.

“There will be corporates in the boxes overwhelmingly from Western Australia because that helps fund the sport, that happens every single AFL game,” he said.

People interested in ticket information and corporate hospitality packagages, which is likely to be available before general admissions sales, can register interest on the Optus Stadium website.

There would be strict travel rules for interstate fans interested in attending.

Virgin has already scheduled extra flights from Adelaide to Perth, anticipating a rush of interest from Port Adelaide fans to attend the game if the Power wins its preliminary final next Saturday.

West Coast and Fremantle would likely both receive a small allocation of seats that would be set aside for corporates and sponsors before possibly members.

The AFL said tickets would likely go on sale a few days after the preliminary finals were known, as WA Consumer Protection commissioner Gary Newcombe urged people to use only official league partners to purchase them.

“Buying from the official authorised seller ensures you get in, pay the right price, avoid being scammed, and can get a new ticket or refund in the event of a date change or money back if the game is cancelled,” he said.

WA’s showpiece 60,000-seat venue was chosen as the league’s preferred back-up to traditional home the MCG for the game due in part to its bigger financial leverage than competing hosts Adelaide Oval and the Gabba, the scene of 2020’s first AFL grand final outside Victoria.

Fans from South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are currently permitted entry to WA, with Queenslanders also likely if the state next week records 28 day straight of zero community cases.

AFL boss touches down in Perth

Meanwhile, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan arrived in Perth overnight and had a COVID-19 test before entering two weeks in hotel quarantine.

“I’m pleased to be here, it’s one of the great stadiums of the world over here, it’s a mad football state and I think it’s going to do great justice to the grand final,” he told ABC News at Perth Airport.

Mr McLachlan will exit quarantine in time to host the Brownlow Medal count on Sunday, September 19 before lead-up corporate events then the grand final parade on Friday, September 24.

“It’s going to be a huge build-up over two weeks, and I’m thrilled to be here, lucky to be here, I’ll do the quarantine and then get out amongst it,” he said.

He hinted interstate performers would join WA acts as entertainment for Australian sport’s showpiece spectacle.

“It’s going to be, clearly, all Australian. There’s a great blend of old and new, and I think there’s some West Australians in there as well,” he said.

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