Collingwood fans have shared mixed reviews on the AFL grand final ballot, with some top-level members disappointed to miss out on a top-level ticket and others simply excited to be locked in.
The Pies qualifying for the premiership decider creates one of the league’s biggest headaches given their official count of 106,470 members.
But membership packages guaranteeing a ticket to the grand final have also proved to be a problem.
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Social media sites were inundated on Sunday with Collingwood supporters unhappy to find their tickets have not matched up to their Priority 1 membership and significant outlay.
“As grateful as I am for being able to get a seat as P1 Collingwood members to end up at the top of level 4 is a joke,” one wrote.
“When lower level members have category 1 and 2 allocations, it is an absolute joke. How does this happen if they supposedly allocate all P1 tickets before P2 and P3?”
Another said: “It’s a debacle! Priority 1 members have received standing room only, or category 5 and 6, or none at all. Yet (they) purchase a $1000 membership in good faith and for a guaranteed ticket. How does this happen?!”
The situation prompted the AFL Fans Association to call on the league, Collingwood and Ticketek to “conduct an urgent review”.
“We trust the review will be completed and issues fixed before tickets are allocated,” it said.
“Grand final week is about enjoyment for fans and we will do everything we can to ensure that is the case.
“Good luck to Collingwood and Brisbane and may the best team win.”
The membership ballot system in place for the grand final is largely identical to when the Pies reached the 2018 decider.
Priority 1 members are guaranteed a ticket but not a seat in any particular category, as noted by Collingwood in a letter to members last week.
“Ticketek would, using an automated system, randomly allocate tickets to priority group 1 members who registered, and then randomly allocate the remaining tickets to priority 2 members and priority 3,” the club said.
“Whilst P1 members who have successfully registered are guaranteed access to purchase a ticket, please keep in mind that Members are not able to select the location or price category of their allocated seat(s). This is where the ballot element comes into play.
“Tickets will be allocated via ballot on a next best available basis and therefore members can receive either category 1-7 reserved seat, restricted view seat or standing room ticket.
“P1 members must select that they will accept a standing room ticket to maintain guaranteed access to purchase a ticket. Although it’s unlikely that a P1 member would miss out for this reason, it is not impossible.”
The ballot has also renewed frustration that fewer than 40,000 tickets are made available to members from the two competing clubs
MCC members can account for more than 20,000 seats and AFL members around 15,000, with the remaining quarter of the MCG to be filled by corporate allocations or various other AFL partners, including the remaining 16 clubs.
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