I sent the club an email this morning and have received a response:

Thank you for your email and feedback in regards to the additional cost of a reserved seat at our upcoming Etihad Home Game. At the end of season 2010, the club was proactive in finalising our membership packages and renewals prior to the 2011 AFL fixture being released. This resulted in the cost of the Etihad seat not being factored into our membership pricing.

As this is our first Home Game at Etihad in the past few years, we have now had to price this match separately for 2011.

In future years we anticipate to have at least one home game at Etihad stadium and will therefore work towards packaging this cost into our membership price prior to renewal notices being sent out.

Thank you for your feedback we do appreciate it and will take it on board for next year.

So looks like we'll have to get used to it. I suppose it's no diffeent to playing home games at Optus Oval in the 90s, mind you those were often against Melbourne based clubs, and back then ordinary members got to use the Carlton Social Club stand and facilities at no extra charge.

im not going.

by the time i fork out for petrol (from the country), a train ticket or carparking, lunch and [censored] seat in the pocket where i cant see anything.....

im staying at home because austar has just paid for itself.

the beer will be better too

Agree Benno

They wonder why people don't buy memberships!

next year with all games on Foxtel live and no ads it will be interesting to see what happens.

It is cheaper for a couple to have foxtel than buy 2 memberships plus all the ad ons like travel to the ground.

Memberships are going to get harder to sell.

won't affect me but I can see why people would stop being club members.

Edited July 18, 201114 yr by old dee

I sent the club an email this morning and have received a response:

So looks like we'll have to get used to it. I suppose it's no diffeent to playing home games at Optus Oval in the 90s, mind you those were often against Melbourne based clubs, and back then ordinary members got to use the Carlton Social Club stand and facilities at no extra charge.

That was back before the price gouging really got going.

The players association should realise they are helping to drive the ever increasing club costs.

Be careful you don't kill the golden goose boys.

After the last match debacle, we won't be going either.

No level 3? Unbelieveable.

stuff that. going to be impossible to get a seat.

No level 3? Unbelieveable.

Saves us a few bucks as the ground hirer. Often wonder why the MCG don't do it more often, say close southern and Ponsford level 3 for low drawing games. I remember back in the 90s they did close the entire Ponsford stand for some games which looked terrible on tv and at the ground.

Saves us a few bucks as the ground hirer. Often wonder why the MCG don't do it more often, say close southern and Ponsford level 3 for low drawing games. I remember back in the 90s they did close the entire Ponsford stand for some games which looked terrible on tv and at the ground.

They didn't outright block it off, but for the Brisbane game there was virtually no staff on Lv4 in GSS

stuff that. going to be impossible to get a seat.

If we lose the next 3 games there will be 15 000 there if you are lucky and half of them will be in the medallion area.

Getting seat will not be a problem it will be take your pick.

Update from Melbourne Football Club:

Thank you for your feedback in regards to the additional cost for a reserved seat at our upcoming Home Game at Etihad Stadium. The Club is committed to finding the best solution for our members with regard to seating and the overall cost of membership.

• Home games at Etihad Stadium come with significant additional costs for the Club, particularly in terms of offering equivalent reserved seats. Purchasing a reserved seat, comparable to the seating at the MCG, for each member at this game would cost the Club approximately $130k.

• Membership packages and renewals are priced and finalised prior to the fixture being released. We feel it is more appropriate to create pricing around an 11 game MCG model than to try and predict and charge for Etihad games that may not eventuate. (The cost for a season reserved seat at the MCG is no different for 10 or 11 games)

• Etihad have confirmed to the Club that Level 3 of the Stadium will be closed for the match. This, combined with the expectation of a relatively small crowd, and therefore ample general admission available on Level 1, led us to make the decision for members to purchase a reserved seat if they wish to secure a specific seat on the wing.

• There will be up to 21 bays of general admission seating available on level 1. It is our expectation that all Melbourne members attending the game will have access to a good seat on level 1.

• In addition, to try and minimise additional costs to members wishing to purchase a specific reserved seat, the Club will manage the reserved seat process in house, to avoid additional ticketing fees which would be experienced if tickets were to be purchased through the ticketing agency.

We understand that this is not an ideal solution for everyone however we do encourage you to come along to the game and pack out the level 1 seating to create a great atmosphere for the team, members and supporters.

Update from Melbourne Football Club:

Thank you for your feedback in regards to the additional cost for a reserved seat at our upcoming Home Game at Etihad Stadium. The Club is committed to finding the best solution for our members with regard to seating and the overall cost of membership.

• Home games at Etihad Stadium come with significant additional costs for the Club, particularly in terms of offering equivalent reserved seats. Purchasing a reserved seat, comparable to the seating at the MCG, for each member at this game would cost the Club approximately $130k.

• Membership packages and renewals are priced and finalised prior to the fixture being released. We feel it is more appropriate to create pricing around an 11 game MCG model than to try and predict and charge for Etihad games that may not eventuate. (The cost for a season reserved seat at the MCG is no different for 10 or 11 games)

• Etihad have confirmed to the Club that Level 3 of the Stadium will be closed for the match. This, combined with the expectation of a relatively small crowd, and therefore ample general admission available on Level 1, led us to make the decision for members to purchase a reserved seat if they wish to secure a specific seat on the wing.

• There will be up to 21 bays of general admission seating available on level 1. It is our expectation that all Melbourne members attending the game will have access to a good seat on level 1.

• In addition, to try and minimise additional costs to members wishing to purchase a specific reserved seat, the Club will manage the reserved seat process in house, to avoid additional ticketing fees which would be experienced if tickets were to be purchased through the ticketing agency.

We understand that this is not an ideal solution for everyone however we do encourage you to come along to the game and pack out the level 1 seating to create a great atmosphere for the team, members and supporters.

This makes a lot more sense now. I also sent an email to the club expressing my displeasure of being forced to pay extra for to have a reserved seat, but the fact that level 3 will be closed off does mean that we'll have access to areas around the ground on level 1 for GA.

I hope the club petitions hard for us not to play a home game away from our home, unless we get good compensation for it.

fully understand the clubs position here...

and this is why i hate that stadium.

I DON'T WANT A SEAT ON LEVEL ONE!

I WANT A SEAT ON LEVEL THREE ( much easier to see with my son)

Ah well, foxtel it is.

I'd pay a tenner to sit on level 3 and actually see the game instead of watching 90% of it on the TV screens.

Still, I'm a slave to this club so will be there anyway. God help us if we get thrashed for the next three weeks, there will be 17 people at the ground.

The most disturbing thing coming out of all this is the email Rich Demon received which said the club anticipates home games at Etihad in the future.

This pisses me off. Why are we getting home games at Etihad? Blind Freddie knows we don't pull crowds anywhere except the MCG. We're a tenant of the MCG. We're a part of the MCC FFS. More than 20% of MCC members are also MFC supporters. And we're on the way up, not down. Yet now, after all these years, we're being sent back to playing home games at Etihad.

I don't get it. And I sure as hell don't like it.

The most disturbing thing coming out of all this is the email Rich Demon received which said the club anticipates home games at Etihad in the future.

This pisses me off. Why are we getting home games at Etihad? Blind Freddie knows we don't pull crowds anywhere except the MCG. We're a tenant of the MCG. We're a part of the MCC FFS. More than 20% of MCC members are also MFC supporters. And we're on the way up, not down. Yet now, after all these years, we're being sent back to playing home games at Etihad.

I don't get it. And I sure as hell don't like it.

I'd imagine they anticipate it due to there being more interstate clubs and more matches, I agree it is disturbing but i reckon if the AFL was fair (which they sure as hell aren't) they would recognise how much crap it is that they're sending us away from our ground against our will for home games, and compensate us accordingly due to the lower crowd numbers.

And as a side point, I actually got exactly the same response from my email. Certainly tells me there has been enough angry responses to this farce.

Edited July 18, 201114 yr by Pates

The most disturbing thing coming out of all this is the email Rich Demon received which said the club anticipates home games at Etihad in the future.

This pisses me off. Why are we getting home games at Etihad? Blind Freddie knows we don't pull crowds anywhere except the MCG. We're a tenant of the MCG. We're a part of the MCC FFS. More than 20% of MCC members are also MFC supporters. And we're on the way up, not down. Yet now, after all these years, we're being sent back to playing home games at Etihad.

I don't get it. And I sure as hell don't like it.

Every club has to play at Etihad as part of the deal between the league and the stadium.

This is our commitment, if you remember I think we played Richmond there in 2009.

Seemed strange but that was the obligation, I think it was a Richmond home game from memory.

There will be one next year as well.

So lets just get over it, a similar problem to the away jumper but lets not go there.

Maintain the Rage....Etihad Stinks as a venue and costs a small fortune to attend.

Value for money.....i think not, it points in the wrong direction for sunlight for a start!!!! Idiots.

I think by "anticipate" they mean "we will be prepared", which will probably equate to a slight increase in membership prices to accommodate any possibly Etihad home games.

But I doubt we'll have many more there in future.

Four games there this year is enough for me. Makes me gag every time we play a game there. Terrible, horrible stadium. I hope the AFL tears it down in 2025 and builds a boutique stadium somewhere, ala. Gold Coast Stadium. Maybe out near Casey.

It was great to come home from the Darwin game to this email.

A few weeks prior to the Darwin game I contacted the membership department to confirm seating arrangements for Premium Members at Marrara only to be told it was not a home game, you had to buy a ticket and that unfortunately the cut off date for arranging tickets through MFC had passed. Apparently all this information was on the Ticketing page of the website. Why would a full membership holder ever need to look at the Ticketing page?

I was eventually provided with two complimentary tickets but they still refused to acknowledge that it was a home game, it was like talking to a call centre employee who can no longer distinguish between internal procedure and effing reality. Not a home game? Well then someone forgot to tell the AFL fixture and the MFC team manager.

Rather than a new thread, I found on the club website that reserved seat holders now have ailes 46, 47, 48, 1, 2, 3 and 4 set aside for walk up seating. IE, behind the goals at the river end, probably the worse seats on level 1. At least they have capitualted somewhat.

Rather than a new thread, I found on the club website that reserved seat holders now have ailes 46, 47, 48, 1, 2, 3 and 4 set aside for walk up seating. IE, behind the goals at the river end, probably the worse seats on level 1. At least they have capitualted somewhat.

This is a good move from the club, does make us reserved seat members feel a little more appreciated. Not really looking forward to it though, might go to the wharf hotel for lunch to support our match day sponsor, I certainly won't be giving ES a cent.

Short of a final, I think it will take exceptional circumstances to make me attend a home game (or any game) at Etihad Stadium.

Sorry to those that find the idea offensive, but that's how I feel.

I hate that ground.

Why has one of our home games been moved there? If its because they're expecting a poor crowd then why aren't more of our games moved there (not that I agree with this) eg Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Freo, etc

Just heard, as expected, Level 3 will be closed at Etihad on Sunday . Level 2 in my opinion has some of the best viewing seats in the AFL, right up there with the SCG and the two MCC mezzanine levels. So come on all you wavering members, turn up and enjoy the $50 view. To those reserved seat holders complainig about being stuck behind the goals......JUST MOVE, it wont be policed !

Well done to the MFC on behalf of us Premium Members.

Demon Seats, Trident, Redlegs and Legends members who have not reserved a specific seat through the Club can show their membership card and sit in Melbourne allocated areas in Aisles 46, 47, 48, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Seating in these areas will be on a first come, first served basis.

Victory Room

Similar to MCG games, Premium members will have access to Premium facilities in the Victory Room on Level 1 of the stadium. For this game, we welcome all 2011 members to come and experience this room where food and drink will be available, a raffle will be run and players will be in attendance after the match.