On Monday night, Chris Scott labelled the AFL’s decision to rule the MCG as the grand final host for the next 40 years as a “travesty”.
From this, many comments on social media called for the competition’s biggest game to be shared around the major cities and their premier stadiums. Now that Adelaide and Perth both have new renovated arenas, the debate will intensify over the AFL’s long term decision.
Despite these calls for the AFL to change their decision and give the other states a chance, I don’t think it should happen.
The primary reason may be the most heavily disputed one. That is, that the MCG is the spiritual home of AFL football and no other stadium or place could create the atmosphere and event that the grand old ‘G does.
The attendance is a big part of it. Sure, Adelaide Oval and Optus Stadium can both produce a fair bit of noise, but a packed MCG feels like it’s shaking when a roar emits.
Working at the MCG for the past four years, decibel measurements of the crowd noise when the national anthem concludes before the grand final doesn’t do it justice.
It’s pure hair standing up on the back of your neck, a noise so loud yet so full of passion. You could be walking around the ground without a clue what sport was being played and hear that roar to instantly realise it is 100,000 passionate supporters waiting for a grand final to begin.
It’s the build up before the game. The line of people out the front of Gate 2 at dawn that spirals its way messily up past Jolimont Station. The BBQs and gatherings in Yarra Park hours before the match.
The kick-to-kicks that burst out everywhere like spot fires. The sudden burst inside and the empty outside, only for the noise upon entering the colosseum to drown out any thoughts you have in your head.
Fans of the Bombers at the MCG. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
This is nothing against other grounds – they have their own unique aspects that make them amazing in their own way. But for a stadium that has seen so many great moments, so many dazzling marks and Premiership-winning goals, can any newly built ground rival this history?
You can feel the energy in there. The old boy has facilitated this history. You can’t just go wrench its crowning jewel away from it. That would be a travesty.
The other main reason why I disagree with Scott’s comments is the economic benefit the game has. Not just for the AFL, but for Victoria and hence Australia. The entire grand final week is one long celebration in Melbourne.
There are public holidays, events all around the CBD and the press is dominated by the game.
Everything relates to the MCG on that Saturday, and therefore more money is spent. Local businesses around the east Melbourne area would make enormous profits. Then the hotels all in Victoria would benefit immensely.
AFL Fans leaving the MCG (Charles Van den Broek/flickr)
That isn’t including the actual game. grand final tickets, despite there being over 100,000 of them available, are so highly sought after.
Corporate packages are snapped up (perhaps by the wrong type of ‘supporters’) and hordes of people trek to the ground even if they don’t have a ticket.
It’s a crucial day for the AFL to make money. The TV deals and viewership allow ads and sponsorship, equalling more money.
If there’s 40,000 fewer tickets available, the monetary loss would be pointless when you could host it at a venue that has been used for the majority of the game’s history.
Therefore, this is why I think Scott’s comments are misguided. Maybe it’s a push for Geelong to host a final at their home ground.
But it doesn’t mean you can tarnish the history of the AFL, grand finals and the sanctum that is the MCG.
Parko
Guest
I went to the 2019 Grand Final not supporting either team and was very dissappointed with the one sided atmosphere. Right from the start it was obvious it was a Richmond home Grand Final. They had what seemed like 60k supporters compared to around 5k for the Giants. If the AFL really want a true Australian wide competition, they need to change not only the rule that the Grand Final is only played at the MCG but also the other matches in which only Victorian teams with large supporter bases play in (ie. Anzac Day). What happended to Geelong this year highlights the current inequality. The AFL need to be careful as non-Victorian supporters are starting to go back to their local leagues. Congratulations to Richmond.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
"I would rule out Sydney and Brisbane as options because the city doesn’t get behind the sport like the others." ---- Aside from the fact that that is true. Australian Football started in the 19th Century in Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide and Perth. Rugby League started in the 20th in Sydney and Brisbane. Australian Football is more part of the fabric in their cities than is the case with Rugby Leagues in theirs. ---- AFL crowds stand in the freezing cold of Melbourne, Launceston and Adelaide and the wind of Perth. Brisbane and Sydney wouldn't stand for that. Look at the crowds. NRL 120k per round. AFL north of 300k. When its warm, in Brisbane and Sydney, they go elsewhere and when its cold it's too cold. ---- I know Sydney well enough as resident of NSW for 30 years.
BBQ Bill
Guest
It's either a national competition or it's not a national competition? What it actually is, is an enlarged VFL comp pretending to be national! If it's truly national, then the GF should rightly be played at the host stadium. With 8 interstate teams and 10 Victorian teams (there's no bias is there?), there's still plenty of chances for games at the MCG. Fans from other states have to travel to Vic most GF's to watch their team, unfair! Everything is sucked into the centralised Vic/AFL vortex. If it's a national game and a level playing field why was the MCG 50 yr deal rushed through so quickly without proper discussion? No genuine respect was shown to other states. No genuine attempt to equalise. It was fixed, it's corruption, it's biased. The movers+shakers are all based in Vic and we all know who they are. The spiritual home, the economic home etc, that stuff only means something if you're Victorian-it means zip to other states! So your article or opinion is biased. You can keep your tradition, other states have theirs also, most equally as old and proud, but we would like to progress, move forward, evolve away from Vic-central football games, commentary, GF's and biased TV footy programs and tabloids and websites!!!
Parer Ben
Roar Rookie
Ahh, yeah... nah! It’s biased alrIght. I’m a Victorian and love the G especially on GF day, but just because I love the cricket on Boxing Day at the G doesn’t mean I don’t love the hill below the scoreboard at the Adelaide Oval, or the closeness of the SCG. Any of these grounds a) have their own heritage and b) would provide extra dimensions to a Grand Final. Your economic view is moot as pointed out by others that the same economic benefits would and are able transferable by location. What you also failed to discuss was growth of the game. The GF at the G doesn’t grow the game exponentially, but the potential certainly is there to grow if it was held interstate. I actually think there is a fair case to argue that focus in Victorian on the top end game is having a negative effect on growth at a grass roots level which appears to being largely ignored by the AFL much to local clubs anger.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Fairness V Tradition? Gee, it’s a hard get! —- And did I miss about 80 years?
Sean Mortell
Roar Guru
Not as much so if it were continued at the same venue for over 200 years
IAP
Guest
Probably, but perfection is innate; it can't be trained.
Angela
Guest
'No matter though we from interstates can still smash the Vics even at their home, which kind of makes it sweeter????????' Much sweeter, even so it would be nice to pass that home ground advantage around to give the Melbourne teams a bigger opportunity to experience the sweetness of winning away from home in front of a crowd balanced towards their opponents instead of themselves.
David
Roar Rookie
Maybe they would Lois, maybe they would...
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
yeah sorry Gerry...thought I was going to Bali instead.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
It's selfish to keep such an obvious talent all to yourself.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Would it not be recorded as a historic occasion if it were held in Adelaide or Perth? History is both created and celebrated. ---- Are you born in Victoria?
Sean Mortell
Roar Guru
It's already been created, it can only be enriched by keeping it there for another 150 years
Sean Mortell
Roar Guru
Well maybe because so many of these have been changed (in some ways for the worst like certain rules) many people would rather hang onto some traditions that are famous and loved
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
History is created not just celebrated.
Gerry
Roar Rookie
I have to say although I do not like arrogant Vics that Optus should have had more capacity when built and even a closing roof. Why not have made it the largest stadium in the world. It certainly would have made up for it with revenue from massive events like Comm Games, Olympics, massive outdoor concerts. All major sports including Rugby, soccer, cricket, hockey, AFL, Tennis, Athletics and with the closed roof the weather would never have any effect. Probably a pipe dream as to costs etc. but have to agree with Pete on this point. If it was this everyone would love to come there even from the other side of the country or NZ. Also having seamless connections to the Casino, Perth and Fremantle via trains and buses and facilitating cycle access. As well as unprecedented disabled access and facilities. Child friendly and fabulous eating and drinking and maybe even shopping woahh sorry getting a bit carried away haha. Awoke from my dream. So MCG is a bit like Wembley stadium is to football back in UK. The difference is that I am sure none of the London clubs use it as their home stadium. The problem is in Melbourne too many clubs use as their home which gives them an unfair advantage. No matter though we from interstates can still smash the Vics even at their home, which kind of makes it sweeter????????
Gerry
Roar Rookie
4 hours tops
David
Roar Rookie
Oh right, for a moment there I thought it was about creating history, rather than replicating it. Well then, let's remove that point from the four and leave it with Noise, Build-Up & Money, because 'History' has already been changed a bucketload of times. The jumper designs are different, the rules are different, the teams are different, the Finals System is different etc etc. So making it a different ground would just be par for the course...
IAP
Guest
Of course it is - everyone is barracking for the same team. Give it a 50/50 split and it would be similar to the MCG. Did the noise peak when they cheered an opposition player getting injured? Very sporting crowd over there...
IAP
Guest
That's a bit mean. Losing footy clubs is never a good thing, particularly ones that are such a large part of our history.