Sport
Fans the big winners at Etihad Stadium
Etihad Stadium is living the ‘Year of the Fans’ mantra of the AFL season, delivering a range of initiatives that will make it more cost effective to attend footy matches this year and beyond.
Sunday will become ‘Funday’ at Etihad Stadium with the Docklands venue announcing a number of great discounts and incentives, particularly for children to attend AFL events.
In a return back to the golden age of football attendance, kick-to-kick after the match will be trialled in April and May for all Sunday matches. AFL venues – and most sports stadiums around the world – are notoriously protective of the playing surface. But people will have a chance to enter the Etihad Stadium arena post-match, an experience that until now has been reserved for the sports stars providing the entertainment.
Kids and families will be the big winners of many of the other Sunday Funday initiatives, which include free popcorn and fairy floss for kids who attend Etihad Stadium on Sundays. Mum and Dad will be able to take advantage of $5 pots of beer and everyone can enjoy $3 pies – the cheapest of any AFL venue in Australia.
Children under the age of 15 will also get free entry for all Sunday matches at Etihad Stadium.
Etihad Stadium will host 19 Sunday matches throughout the 2015 so the focus on Sunday initiatives and incentives was the obvious choice and will be extremely advantageous for a large number of fans.
Other food items will be available at all Etihad Stadium matches at a reduced rate. The $5 pots will be available throughout the entire weekend, as will hot chips at the starting price of $4. Kids’ meal deals with hot chips, a cheeseburger, bottle of water and AFL toy will be sold at all events for $8.
Visitors to Etihad Stadium will have access to free chilled water following the venue’s announcement that it will install 10 free water fountains around the stadium. As always, fans are entitled to bring their own food and beverages into the venue (alcohol and glass excepted) and the stadium will also allow commercially-prepared food into the venue following last season’s trial.
Anyone who fancies a healthier food option will be looked after at Etihad Stadium as well. The venue was the first in Australia to open Healthier Foods retail outlets at levels 1 and 3.
The exciting changes were announced by Etihad Stadium Chief Executive Officer, Paul Sergeant, and were back by the head of the AFL, Gillon McLachlan.
Paul Sergeant thanked Etihad Stadium’s catering arm, Delaware North Companies Australia, for their commitment to the fans and praised the AFL’s stance on returning the game to the supporters.
“We concur with the AFL’s Chief Executive Officer, Gill McLachlan that 2015 is the year of the fan and we have involved all our catering stakeholders in an endeavour to produce positive results,” Mr Sergeant said.
“It does need to be understood that Etihad Stadium is a private and commercially run business. We have big overheads including significant energy costs and loan repayments – we need revenue to meet these costs but following several months of positive discussions with Gill and the AFL, we have agreed to these initiatives,” he said.
Etihad Stadium will host two matches in Round 1; the Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles on Saturday night and St Kilda versus GWS Giants on Sunday at 1.10pm.
Etihad Stadium will host 46 home and away AFL matches throughout the 2015 season. Click here to purchase tickets for Etihad Stadium matches.
