No chance of getting the same seat you have sat in all year. There is probabaly a member of the opposing team that sat in that same seat all year hoping the same thing. All bets are off and everyone starts from scratch (except the corporates who get the cream). Sorry! In 2000 I got M6 back row ground level near the goals.

yeah thought as much but that really sucks. So when the time hopefully comes what do I have to do to get a decent seat? Is it just a matter of getting to the front of the queue early or is it basically impossible to get ground level seats?

What level did you get though? 2 or 3? Or 1 or 4?

I'd love to be on Level 2 of the MCC for a Melbourne GF. But that'd probably require being at the top of the queue.

Never bothered trying for Level 2 or 3 because it is a bit of a mad rush when people go in, but have always managed to get a spot on Level 1 around row S in M46 or M45.

Decent spot on the wing. Obviously I'd prefer the Balcony, but I figure it's not worth fighting it out then potentially missing out and having to settle for scraps on another level.

I think posters are missing my point -- just because it is a corporate seat does not mean the person on that seat doesn't support one of the teams playing.

Surely if a corporation has access to a seat, then supporters of one of the teams within that corporation will fight tooth and nail to get the seat.

And I have been at numerous preliminary finals and the atmosphere is not as good as the GF itself IMHO.

yeah thought as much but that really sucks. So when the time hopefully comes what do I have to do to get a decent seat? Is it just a matter of getting to the front of the queue early or is it basically impossible to get ground level seats?

For a start I think there's a waiting list for Tridents m/ship that guarantees a GF ticket.

If you do have such m/ship and the Dees make the GF you queue the day before tickets are released to other Dees members.

The seating areas for each club are determined by the AFL/Ticketmaster, but there's usually a reasonable spread although club members are usually positioned behind opposite goals.

Never bothered trying for Level 2 or 3 because it is a bit of a mad rush when people go in, but have always managed to get a spot on Level 1 around row S in M46 or M45.

Decent spot on the wing. Obviously I'd prefer the Balcony, but I figure it's not worth fighting it out then potentially missing out and having to settle for scraps on another level.

Yeh that makes sense. I guess if you're not at the head of the queue the chance of getting the Balcony is limited.

Personally I'd go level 4 before level 1, for a Melbourne game anyway, as I struggle to get a full sense of the game from ground level. If it wasn't a Melbourne game though, level 1's atmosphere is quite enjoyable.

Yeah, I used to think that too, but this season I've been sitting on level 1 with friends as they have restricted memberships and found I can see the game just as well.

Maybe there are things I miss but I don't realize, but it seems fine to me.

Probably harder the get a sense of the tactics being employed, defensive setups and such, but in terms of general play I can still see things develop.

I have lined up on the day to get into the MCC members the last 3 years straight and it's not that bad.

Get there about 5am, join the queue and they let you in the ground about 8:30 iirc.

You find a seat then they come around and give you a ticket for the sit you're in.

I'd assume if the dees were playing you'd have to get there earlier, but it wouldn't change too much.

Maybe 4am? You'd think saints supporters would be there in droves too, only there's more of us.

What level did you get though? 2 or 3? Or 1 or 4?

I'd love to be on Level 2 of the MCC for a Melbourne GF. But that'd probably require being at the top of the queue.

Try 2 am if you're really keen ! May I recommend seeing the VFL grand final at Etihad then commuting to the G via a stop at Crown. Big 24 Hrs.

The situation with Grand Final tickets continues to be an absolute disgrace. The 'commercial reality' argument does not add up. All 16 clubs get tickets which they then farm out to sponsors. Does anyone really believe that these sponsors will not sponsor football if they don't get a ticket to the Grand Final? Of course not. Big soccer matches, with exponentially more sponsorship money at stake, manage to allocate more tickets to clubs in what are usually smaller stadiums.

As I said, an absolute disgrace, and a bit of shame when you look around on Grand Final day and see little pockets of colour and passion in between all the theatre goers.

Having been to about 8 out of the last 10 Grand Finals, I find the claims about a 'lack of atmosphere' to be utter nonsense.

As for the calls to take the tickets away from the non-competing Clubs who sell them to sponsors & travel agents. The revenue from those tickets is a massive percentage of the yearly income of each Club, so that romantic notion would financially cripple many clubs, very much including our own.

Having been to about 8 out of the last 10 Grand Finals, I find the claims about a 'lack of atmosphere' to be utter nonsense.

As for the calls to take the tickets away from the non-competing Clubs who sell them to sponsors & travel agents. The revenue from those tickets is a massive percentage of the yearly income of each Club, so that romantic notion would financially cripple many clubs, very much including our own.

There isn't a lack of atmosphere, but it could be a hell of a lot better if the ground was full of fans from the competing clubs.

To say that the revenue is a 'massive percentage' of incomes for clubs is an exaggeration. But, it is true that it does represent some income. Nonetheless, there are myriad other ways of replacing this for non-competing clubs, without ripping the soul out of the biggest game of the year.

There isn't a lack of atmosphere, but it could be a hell of a lot better if the ground was full of fans from the competing clubs.

To say that the revenue is a 'massive percentage' of incomes for clubs is an exaggeration. But, it is true that it does represent some income. Nonetheless, there are myriad other ways of replacing this for non-competing clubs, without ripping the soul out of the biggest game of the year.

No, it isn't an exaggeration actually. It's worth about $1 million.

I've actually had the 'social club' add on for my membership the last few years and then kept it when that was changed to 'GF guarantuee' the last two years, lol. But during the lean years I just acceptted that would be my donation to the club, given the wooden spoons.

Have done exactly the same.But our time is nigh.