‘The vibe has changed’: Clubland’s hopes high for return of pre-COVID crowds
The AFL is bullish fans will come back to the football in pre-pandemic numbers as clubs welcomed the return of uncapped crowds at games in Victoria.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan’s sense that Victorians are ready to put behind them the turmoil of the past two years is shared by Richmond chief Brendon Gale and several other Victorian-based clubs contacted by The Age on Friday.
Their assessment of the public sentiment will be put to the test in about a month’s time when the ball is bounced to mark the start of the 2022 men’s home-and-away season.
There was optimism 12 months ago during Victoria’s COVID-zero run that fans would again flock to the football, only for there to be a sharp drop-off in crowds due to a combination of hesitancy among unvaccinated supporters and COVID-safe protocols.
There was also disquiet among members frustrated at not being able to sit with friends and families as they had before the pandemic due to capped crowds. Tickets sales for members start on March 1, with general admission available the following day.
Under changes rubber-stamped by the Victorian government, fans can once again enter grounds by scanning their memberships, while walk-up tickets are back. Attendees must still use QR codes to check into games and wear masks when they are moving around stadiums – however, not when they are sitting outdoors.
The AFL is bullish about crowd sizes returning to pre-pandemic levels.Credit:Eddie Jim
Venues with a capacity of fewer than 30,000 people – including the under-development GMHBA Stadium in Geelong – do not require approval to host full-capacity events.
“We’ve had a tough couple of years. We are coming out of this. We need to get back to the way we lived our lives,” McLachlan said on Friday. “That uncertainty last year was understandable.
“The rules were unclear, they were changing. People now have the clarity that they can go to full capacity in the same way they did.”
The AFL is hopeful for a crowd of about 80,000 for opening night on March 16 when reigning premiers Melbourne take on their grand final rivals the Western Bulldogs, followed by another 85-90,000 for the clash between Carlton and Richmond 24 hours later.
Gale is buoyed by the change in mood he detected among fans at the tennis last month compared to 12 months ago. He is expecting a crowd of 80,000 for their game against the Blues, and is confident the fans will stay in large numbers should the Tigers return to their winning ways after a disappointing 2021.
“We’ve just had the greatest Australian Open of all time – it was incredible,” Gale said. “It’s got everyone excited for sport, big crowds and big contests. We’ve been sadly deprived of that with AFL footy in this town.
“Living with it is the new normalised environment. There’s a risk, clearly, but there’s an appetite for that risk for living with it and getting on with life and taking all the precautions they should. I reckon the vibe has changed.”
Clubs that have reported rises in year-on-year memberships believe the increased numbers are a gauge of the interest in returning through the turnstiles.
St Kilda, who host Collingwood on March 18 at Marvel Stadium in round one, welcomed the return to full crowds.
“The past two years have been incredibly interrupted and along with many things across our community, have made attending the football impossible at times,” Saints chief Matt Finnis said.
“We are thrilled at today’s announcement of 100 per cent capacity for the start of our men’s season.
“As a club, we are so much stronger together, and we can’t wait to see a great turnout at Marvel Stadium … as we take on the Pies.”
Demons premiership defender Steven May is looking forward to the unfurling the club’s first premiership flag since 1964 in front of their loyal fans, many of whom were unable to see the grand final in person in Perth.
“So excited to be playing in front of our fans, full capacity at the MCG,” May said. “We missed our opportunity last year having fans at the ground, grand final rematch, round one, to open up the season. Couldn’t think of anything better.
“Hopefully we can get everyone down there supporting us so we can kick the year off with a bang.”
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the change signalled getting back to “COVID normal”.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” he said. “I’d imagine that every Victorian who’s been through a lot – and I think we can all collectively say that we’ve been through a lot – would be looking forward to the opportunity to watch the footy in a crowd.
“The onset of this pandemic has really had a profound impact upon people’s ability to enjoy what’s great about Melbourne; our cultural, our sporting pursuits [and] what’s great about Victoria in many respects, so now hopefully, we’ll get back to COVID normal.”
The Treasurer reiterated Premier Daniel Andrews’ assurance that, if all went well in terms of COVID-19 in the coming days, authorities would likely announce masks could come off indoors by next Friday.
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