praha

Reality is that the league (and clubs, albeit quietly) want to maximise competing club attendance. The only way to actually do this is to allow members to purchase multiple tickets. This maximises attendance and also ensures high density of club support in sections around the ground. Without doing so, you actually limit attendance, and non-members have to compete for a small selection of GA tickets. You might think that is that is the "fairer" option and it might be but it would actually divide the crowd and limit attendance. So the outcome is either: 1. Allow members to buy multiple tickets thus maximising attendance of supporters of competing clubs in club support-designated areas of the ground, or; 2. Allow GA ticketing in club member areas, meaning there is no guarantee you'll be sitting amongst Melbourne supporters. There's a reason why finals always have high density of supporters in "blocks" around the stadium. You don't really think we could have gotten 90k at our 2018 finals simply off the back of members buying single tickets, do you? You might not like it but being able to buy multiple tickets actually improves the amount of competing club *supporters* able to attend in weeks 1 and 2.

Still shocked at those crowds. 90k two weeks in a row for an elim and semi is a fantastic achievement.

Geelong still play like this. They haven't changed. Unless they surprise us and bring a very high contested and high pressure contest forward of the ball, it's still between one of Melbourne, Sydney and Collingwood to win it. No disrespect against Geelong but they flex too infrequently against top opposition and their fixture gifts them an easy run home every year because it's stacked with GMHBA games in the second half, and "big" and successful teams rarely travel down there (Melbourne the exception). They are a low pressure and low tackle team in the F50 when the ball hits the ground: they are highly efficient with good entry which is unsurprising given their targets down there. Realistically though, Melbourne, Collingwood and Sydney should ALL trouble Geelong *if* they defend to the peak. Each posses a strong interception games and players and on the MCG I'm sceptical of Geelong. The Cats are going to have to compromise high scoring and bags from Hawkins and Cameron. Both are going to have to perform higher up the ground as the flag this year will be won off the back of defensive transition, and centre break goals. No chance Sydney and Melbourne gift Geelong forwards easy reign in the air.

You are quite the linguist, db.

MCC expecting 70k. Good result if we can crack it.

The problem isn't so much the government. It's local councils and community groups in particular Yarra Council which is made up of Trots who have spent much of their life in the Richmond/Abbotsford/East Melbourne area and very much live in a bubble. Checkout Stephen Jolly on Twitter for insight into the clowns that run the joint, it's basically him vs the clown college. I lived in East Melbourne when both the Apple Store at Fed Square plan AND development over Jolimont Station were being floated, and there was vocal opposition to both to a psychotic degree that I have never experienced before. Honestly I felt like I was in an episode in the Twilight Zone. Locals were BEGGING for the council to do something about the injection houses and overdoses and drug dealing, and instead all resources were dedicated to opposing the Jolimont Station plan and a [censored] Apple store. Evidently I don't live in the area anymore but follow Jolly still and see he is in a new battle with Yarra counsellors who are now blocking locals from debating and contesting at meetings. No doubt the government has power over these councils but Yarra Council and those community groups are heavily influential on Spring Street particularly in left and socialist factions across Labor and the Greens. This makes any sort of development over park land or any "sacred" area in Yarra very difficult. The MCC itself is even often in a battle.

It'll dry up eventually. They're like the Utah Jazz in the 80s 90s and 2000s. Just kept topping up. Eventually players stopped going there because their brand was just "boring" and the club realised they hadn't drafted anyone decent for decades. Geelong's time will come eventually.

There's still tickets available in GA. Albeit level 4 at the back. Just did a test and seems ticket allocation is slowly but surely filling up. You'd certainly hope for a crowd of at least 70k. Sydney has a sizeable Melbourne supporter base which last I heard was around 15k Melbourne-based members. Throw in around 10k supporters coming from Sydney, and then hopefully 35k-40k (at least) Melbourne supporters and members, and then neutrals, plus corporates... 70k not outside the realm of possibility at all. 60k+ a bonus but anything below that would be a huge disappointment.

The two games we weren't leading in were Freo and Geelong. Meaning we were leading against Sydney (19 point turnaround), Collingwood (28 point turnaround), Bulldogs (23 point turnaround), and Collingwood (14 point turnaround) at 3qtr time. Not THAT damning. You can't win them all. Good news being we are in it to win in essentially every game we play.

Farmer was half the player at Freo that he was at Melbourne. Pretty sure privately he's quipped he should never have left.

AFL Reserve and MCC bordering close to capacity. GA as well. Predict 65k-70k.

so where do you get the barcode from?

AFL Reserve will set out for finals regardless of teams playing. As a Gold member I always attend finals and I reckon 30-40% of people in AFL Reserve are AFL Members attending as neutrals, or supporters of the competing teams who have used other members' barcodes. The question I have is: can AFL members use their barcodes to purchase tickets during the Club Members sale phase?

This calls for a thread...

5 tickets level 1 undercover in AFL Reserve. Happy about that.

The writing off of Collingwood is getting weird now. They get smashed in almost every stat but still win. Consistently. That is a victory of strategy and coaching. They're legit.

Freo and Dogs will both beat Collingwood. Pies only chance imo is beating Geelong. Which it can do.

The winner of Melbourne vs Swans is gifted a dream run to the GF. On the flip side, the loser faces the tough draw to the GF, having to play one of Geelong or Collingwood to get there. QF is actually a must win.

So we are barracking for Sydney but just not by too much right? REALLLLLY don't want to be fighting Collingwood supporters for a seat.

Saints as always [censored] the bed. Typical. Crap club. As soon as Carlton starting getting on top, the floodgates opened. They're a pathetic organisation.

St Kilda will [censored] the bed and get pumped. Bookmark it.

I've never been more uninspired by a minor premier as I am of Geelong. I can't wait to beat them.

Okay are we pretending we're Saints supporters? Okay here goes.... I'm a Saints supporter with an ugly face and a big butt and my butt smells and I like to kiss my own butt.

Nah he's done pretty good to get Brisbane up and about. They were a rabble when he arrived. But should have moved on two years ago.

You're an [censored].