Opinion Have the MCC and the AFL ruined the MCG?

[Mr Meow]

There were 93,000 at the MCG preliminary final this year between Geelong and Brisbane, a 20% increase on the two teams facing off in the same fixture two years earlier (with Sydney hosting the other preliminary final both times). In 2016, Geelong's preliminary final against an interstate team with similar Melbourne roots attracted 71,000.

Whatever they're doing (it certainly doesn't seem to have anything to do with ticket prices as far as I can tell), I don't think it's turning off fans from coming to the MCG to watch a game. Quite the opposite, actually.

Yeah but there are less people like Aristotle Pickett at games.

So really the whole development scheme has been an unmitigated success.

 

[Foxman98]

Do we think if we got some inflatable palm trees and strapped them down to the great southern stand that we would significantly increase crowd sizes or do we need to invest in real ones and some extra large pots?

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Do we think if we got some inflatable palm trees and strapped them down to the great southern stand that we would significantly increase crowd sizes or do we need to invest in real ones and some extra large pots?

It's about how the ground has been rebuilt just to make more money and the people come second.

 

[Foxman98]

It's about how the ground has been rebuilt just to make more money and the people come second.

So we've gone from it needs trees and "pretty" stands to its there to make money

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

So we've gone from it needs trees and "pretty" stands to its there to make money

It is designed for corporates and their sponsorship. You can't have nice things becsuse there's less space for corporate boxes and advertising space.

 

[Mr Meow]

It is designed for corporates and their sponsorship. You can't have nice things becsuse there's less space for corporate boxes and advertising space.

These are ground breaking insights.

Next you're going to tell me the AFL isn't a not for profit organisation?

 

[Foxman98]

These are ground breaking insights.

Next you're going to tell me the AFL isn't a not for profit organisation?

The MCC should tell the members dining room to GAGF and plant some trees there so AP has something to look at in his 5 hour wait before the game!!!!

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

These are ground breaking insights.

Next you're going to tell me the AFL isn't a not for profit organisation?

The MCC is meant to be not for profit and it's their ground not the AFL's ground.

 

[Mr Meow]

The MCC should tell the members dining room to GAGF and plant some trees there so AP has something to look at in his 5 hour wait before the game!!!!

I don't understand why they haven't turned all of the bars into greenhouses.

There's also not enough ancient art.

The sooner we convert the venue into some kind of nature reserve/museum, the better. Can we even organise free entry?

I would go to the G 8 hours before a game starts.

 

[Mr Meow]

The MCC is meant to be not for profit and it's their ground not the AFL's ground.

So are you proposing any changes? Are you boycotting the ground? Or just want a general moan?

Hundreds of thousands of people most weeks seem pretty comfortable with what the G offers.

There's plenty of other venues where you can go and look at trees for 5 hours before games of footy commence.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

So are you proposing any changes? Are you boycotting the ground? Or just want a general moan?

Hundreds of thousands of people most weeks seem pretty comfortable with what the G offers.

There's plenty of other venues where you can go and look at trees for 5 hours before games of footy commence.

It's too late for anything now, they've already wrecked it.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

It's about how the ground has been rebuilt just to make more money and the people come second

Stadiums are for profit and to cater for events. The MCG is one of the largest capacity wise and serves its purpose. Independent services such as food, amenities etc may require uplift but honestly your whinge is about the fact the stands are modern.

Don't like it. Don't go.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Stadiums are for profit and to cater for events. The MCG is one of the largest capacity wise and serves its purpose. Independent services such as food, amenities etc may require uplift but honestly your whinge is about the fact the stands are modern.

Don't like it. Don't go.

The MCC's edict is not to just make profits but in effect that's how they operate.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Stadiums are for profit and to cater for events. The MCG is one of the largest capacity wise and serves its purpose. Independent services such as food, amenities etc may require uplift but honestly your whinge is about the fact the stands are modern.

Don't like it. Don't go.

I don't go, I go to the practice matches which are a much better experience.
If people want to sit in a half empty concrete stadium and pay $13.50 for a mid strength beer and $20 for junk food that's up to them.
Then there's the ads on the big screen, the voice of the G and all the other corporate promotion crap.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

I don't go, I go to the practice matches which are a much better experience.
If people want to sit in a half empty concrete stadium and pay $13.50 for a mid strength beer and $20 for junk food that's up to them.
Then there's the ads on the big screen, the voice of the G and all the other corporate promotion crap.

All good, problem solved

 

[Bunk Moreland]

No one is going to sit in a park and look at trees before the game.
Let's face it, the MCG is not a good a place to watch sport as it used to be.
The ground has been changed to cater for corporates and advertisers, it has lost it's character.
The SCG and Adelaide oval are superior imo.

If you’re reminiscing about trees at the MCG, I can only conclude you are 120 years old

 

[BigFrizz36]

I don't understand why they haven't turned all of the bars into greenhouses.

There's also not enough ancient art.

The sooner we convert the venue into some kind of nature reserve/museum, the better. Can we even organise free entry?

I would go to the G 8 hours before a game starts.

Maybe we could put a big dome over it and make it like the Eden Project? Would make it tricky humid conditions for the footy though.

 

[BigFrizz36]

I don't go, I go to the practice matches which are a much better experience.
If people want to sit in a half empty concrete stadium and pay $13.50 for a mid strength beer and $20 for junk food that's up to them.
Then there's the ads on the big screen, the voice of the G and all the other corporate promotion crap.

So you are a Tigers supporter. You don't go to the G to watch your team because it's "half empty".

Maybe you should change and barrack for one of the big teams who have the capacity to fill the stadium.

Bit of an insult to your team there Aristotle. But then again you are the person who spent a season telling us that Sydney Stack was a better footballer than Sam Walsh and the all time draft steal (clue - discipline is a huge trait for a footballer making his way, you don't have it you don't make it).

 

[darcytiger]

So you are a Tigers supporter. You don't go to the G to watch your team because it's "half empty".

Maybe you should change and barrack for one of the big teams who have the capacity to fill the stadium.

Bit of an insult to your team there Aristotle. But then again you are the person who spent a season telling us that Sydney Stack was a better footballer than Sam Walsh and the all time draft steal (clue - discipline is a huge trait for a footballer making his way, you don't have it you don't make it).

Should see his whinging on the Richmond board about knocking down the Jack Dyer stand. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him on the news chained to an excavator.

 

[Chronz]

Should see his whinging on the Richmond board about knocking down the Jack Dyer stand. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him on the news chained to an excavator.

I could definitely see him doing that.

 

[terrybull]

If you’re reminiscing about trees at the MCG, I can only conclude you are 120 years old

Thank god for stating this….

I regularly attended MCG games from 1975, and I couldn’t remember seeing any trees while in the stands. Thought I was becoming senile!!!

But I remember being at the Lakeside Oval and thinking this was the prettiest ground because of the palm trees.

So I can see the point about trees….

But the problem of big stadiums there is no room for trees (unless you plant Giant Redwoods outside the stadium).

VFL Park you couldn’t see any trees as well.

 

[boncer34]

What about the 2 hours before the game starts, you're looking at concrete.

Who the **** turns up 2 hours early to sit in an empty stadium?

 

[Chronz]

Who the **** turns up 2 hours early to sit in an empty stadium?

AP is a bit of an enigma, there's no real method or logic to his madness.

 

[Ross]

But Melbourne clearly needs a very large stadium. In 2024 there were 23 events that drew over 75k people. That’s just less than one a fortnight…

16 AFL games
4 days of test cricket
3x Taylor Swift

I don't blame you for not knowing because I had no idea either of these happened either but apparently there was also an NRL SOO game that drew 90K and a soccer game that drew 77K last year.

 

[Boxo004]

So you are a Tigers supporter. You don't go to the G to watch your team because it's "half empty".

Maybe you should change and barrack for one of the big teams who have the capacity to fill the stadium.

Bit of an insult to your team there Aristotle. But then again you are the person who spent a season telling us that Sydney Stack was a better footballer than Sam Walsh and the all time draft steal (clue - discipline is a huge trait for a footballer making his way, you don't have it you don't make it).

He is an insult to his team