Thousands of Australian Football League "club members could miss out on finals tickets as Victoria's powerhouse clubs surge towards September," according to Peter Rolfe of the HERALD SUN.
The "strong performance of Victoria's most popular clubs, and an unprecedented growth in club memberships, mean fans will be scrambling for seats next month." The clubs "have a combined membership of almost 140,000, meaning tens of thousands of members could miss out on a seat," even if the game is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Richmond cheer squad President Gerard Egan said, "If we play Collingwood getting a ticket will be a very tough thing. We've got 60,000 members, 10,000 hangers-on and we will be everybody's second favourite team in September so Etihad (Stadium) won't hold us." The MCG "can hold no more than 100,000 fans for finals," but many seats are designated for corporate buyers and members of the Melbourne Cricket Club. Etihad Stadium "can hold an estimated 55,000 fans and is likely to host a match between a Melbourne-based club and an interstate team" (HERALD SUN, 8/13).
