Preliminary Final Venue?

[mcs]

Do you have any idea - or care - how alienating your love of Olympic Park over the best interests of the Sydney Swans footy team is?

don't bother Go Swannies, don't bother!

[mcs]

I sent a tweet to ANZ stadium asking about confirmation of the venue as the host of the Prelim final- this is what I got in response.

Screen Capture.JPG

Also, article that has just gone up on the Swans website says still subject to availability.
Swans prelim final tickets on sale next week - sydneyswans.com.au

This is contrary to advice given to ANZ members - which is a bit bizarre to me (surely if ANZ stadium is willing to confirm to ANZ members, then it must be confirmed). But that is the line that the AFL, ANZ stadium and the Swans are all running with, which suggests to me there is still doubt about the venue availability.

[barry]

This is contrary to advice given to ANZ members - which is a bit bizarre to me (surely if ANZ stadium is willing to confirm to ANZ members, then it must be confirmed). But that is the line that the AFL, ANZ stadium and the Swans are all running with, which suggests to me there is still doubt about the venue availability.

mcs you are clutching at straws and sounding rather shrill. My only advise to you to avoid disappointment is to stop wasting your time.
Alianz will host the friday semi final. It is hosting both sydney finals this weekend.

[Ampersand]

It's pretty much dependent on the NRL results and given the tickets don't go on sale until after those games I wouldn't expect final confirmation until this Sunday.

[floppinab]

- - - Updated - - -

Sadly Jewels I think its more about 'what level of monopoly pricing can we use to maximise profits' than 'what can we do to get the biggest crowd at the game'.

If we are going to continue to long term play finals at ANZ, then the AFL has to see that, if they want huge crowds at games, they are going to have to price it accordingly - or at very least look at other incentive mechanisms to get people to go to games.

Completely agree mcs. I think you would find, with respect to yesterdays crowd, there were plenty of people that had to pick and chose, knowing the Swans had another final coming, they were happy to save their pennies last Sat. to go to the Prelim. Based on that they'll get a better crowd for the following Fri. night but will depend on the opponent.

Was trying to remember what prices were like for say the 70k+ crowd they got there for the 2003 Prelim???

[ernie koala]

It seems a 99% fait accompli that the game will be at ANZ, but it is not confirmed yet.

I think you're right. Given the NRL aren't going to use ANZ this weekend for the Souths v Manly game or the Roosters v Penrith game...

It's hard to imagine they would go to ANZ for week 2 finals, which will most likely involve interstate teams and therefore draw less people.

[Ampersand]

Quite frankly, I think if we'd woken up to a bright sunny day there would have been another 5,000+ people at the game who decided to go along last minute and we would have had one of our strongest crowds of the season.

[mcs]

Barry I do not understand what your problem is!

I don't give a flying stuff where the game is. All I am trying to get it get proper 'public' confirmation - mainly to help out some friends that are planning on coming across from Adelaide for the game (they would like to know where to book accomodation at!) - and was passing on what information I had recieved. What is wrong with that????

I also know other ANZ members that were provided with the same information you have been provided with.

However, I do find it strange that they have provided that information to them, but aren't willing to publically confirm it. Explain to me where the AFL, the Swans, or indeed ANZ stadium benefit from not publically confirming the game? That to me suggests reasonable doubt in relation to the issue, or at very least there isn't agreement amongst all parties that is needed.

Enough with the pot shots...

[barry]

The AFL have dropped ticket prices this weekend, after two 70K+ crowds.

Surely they will do the same in Sydney for the prelim.

[mcs]

- - - Updated - - -


Completely agree mcs. I think you would find, with respect to yesterdays crowd, there were plenty of people that had to pick and chose, knowing the Swans had another final coming, they were happy to save their pennies last Sat. to go to the Prelim. Based on that they'll get a better crowd for the following Fri. night but will depend on the opponent.

Was trying to remember what prices were like for say the 70k+ crowd they got there for the 2003 Prelim???

I don't know about 2003, but in 2006 tickets were between $70 and $100 according to this article (Swans tickets a fair price, says AFL - AFL - Sport - smh.com.au). So that's a pretty decent change in prices - although it would appear the cheapest tickets are still much the same as then.

I think part of the issue is that Grand Final Tickets (and getting to Melbourne) is such an expensive exercise that many have to, as you say pick and choose finals games, because they want to be able to afford to go to the Grand Final if we make it.

[mcs]

I think you're right. Given the NRL aren't going to use ANZ this weekend for the Souths v Manly game or the Roosters v Penrith game...

It's hard to imagine they would go to ANZ for week 2 finals, which will most likely involve interstate teams and therefore draw less people.

The NRL will definitely play one final at ANZ in Week 2 (I don't think ANZ would be happy to have no NRL finals there in Week 1 or Week 2 as its one of the so called big drawcards), but you would think the logical conclusion is that they would play it on the Saturday night, and the AFL game on the Friday night. Hence I can't understand, unless there is another issue at play (such as the NRL digging their heels in for the sake of it) why it isn't being publically confirmed - it all is a bit odd.

[Go Swannies]

Interesting pressure at SEN:

Maher: No more ANZ Stadium
Joshua Papanikolaou

9.52AM 8-9-2014
The use of ANZ Stadium for blockbuster games in Sydney should be scrapped, according to Andy Maher who told SEN that the SCG should always be used for the good of the game.
There is a contractual financial incentive for the AFL to keep using the venue at Sydney Olympic Park as well as the ability to hold more than 30,000 people than the SCG for finals and other big clashes.
?In Sydney, if you want to represent the game at its very best you play football at the SCG ? this is not a revelation, everybody knows this.
?The ANZ Stadium came up okay on the weekend given the amount of rain they had, but Nick Smith said that 35,000 was a little bit disappointing,? Maher said on Morning Glory.
The condition of the field has been a big talking point over the last few weeks.
Even after considerable resurfacing of the turf there were multiple muddy and water-logged patches on Saturday for the Swans? qualifying final against Fremantle.
?If the AFL is fair dinkum about developing the game in the northern markets you play the biggest games in Sydney at the SCG.
?They have to get out of this contract and do the right thing by the game.?

[barry]

The NRL will definitely play one final at ANZ in Week 2 (I don't think ANZ would be happy to have no NRL finals there in Week 1 or Week 2 as its one of the so called big drawcards), but you would think the logical conclusion is that they would play it on the Saturday night, and the AFL game on the Friday night. Hence I can't understand, unless there is another issue at play (such as the NRL digging their heels in for the sake of it) why it isn't being publically confirmed - it all is a bit odd.

Its not just ground avaliability that they are working through. They may be working how to structure tickets, access, entertainment, a whole host of reasons.

Tickets wont be on sale until both teams are confirmed, so no rush.

The only one with an issue to this approach is you.


Andy Maher. Lol.

[Xie Shan]

Another thing to consider is that if the final is played at the SCG we can't purchase extra finals tickets with our memberships like we can for finals at ANZ Stadium. I usually have a couple of friends who aren't members who come to these big games and are Swans fans, but are unable to attend home and away games for various reasons.

I much prefer going to the SCG personally, but if we must play finals at ANZ, I won't complain, as based on previous years, preliminary finals there have attracted bigger crowds than the SCG can hold, and given our finals record at ANZ I really don't think we have to worry about losing our home ground advantage.

[The Big Cat]

The thing that worries me about playing at ANZ is that the shape of the ground mirrors Kardinia Park. Whose advantage is that to?