How the NRL’s Vegas gamble has given a huge free kick to the AFL
By Andrew Wu, The Age
February 10, 2024 — 6.05pm
The AFL is set to capitalise on the NRL’s foray into the US with sellout crowds expected at multiple games in Sydney and Queensland for the AFL’s opening round.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys’ decision to start the NRL season in Las Vegas left the door open for the AFL to sneak into enemy territory, an opportunity the country’s biggest football code is not wasting, judging by early crowd estimations.
Some 115,000 fans are anticipated to pour through the turnstiles in the AFL’s non-traditional markets for the start of the premiership season, in an vindication of the competition’s controversial call to launch 2024 exclusively in the northern states.
V’landys’s desire to beat the AFL to the punch in the US has left its gates to Sydney and Brisbane unguarded for the rival code to play their first two games of the season in those cities. With only a minimal NRL presence that weekend, it has echoes of Geelong champion and Giants board member Jimmy Bartel’s joke last September: “While you go on holidays, we’ll rob your house.”
A crowd of 40,000 is anticipated by the SCG for the season-opener between the Swans and fellow premiership contender Melbourne on the night of March 7, a Thursday.
The only time the Swans have hosted a crowd exceeding 40,000 against the Demons came in the final round last year when 41,753 flocked to the SCG to farewell the great Lance Franklin, well clear of the next best of 33,127 on the eve of ANZAC Day in 2004 at the then Telstra Stadium.
The Brisbane Lions are hopeful of packing out the Gabba for their blockbuster Friday night clash against Carlton, the team they defeated to make last year’s grand final. The Lions recently passed 37,000 members for the fourth season in a row, and released 2000 tickets in early December which were sold within 48 hours. Another limited supply of tickets go on sale on Wednesday.
The Lions endorsed the AFL’s initiative to start the season in the northern states in a bid to grow the game outside its heartland.
“As a club, the Lions are very supportive of the opening round concept and are looking forward to returning to a sold out Gabbatoir to commence the 2024 season,” Lions chief Greg Swann said.
Expansion clubs GWS and Gold Coast are supremely confident they will sell out their season-openers despite a clash with the NRL.
A Giants spokesperson said the club was expecting tickets to sell out a week from their mouthwatering preliminary final rematch against reigning premiers Collingwood at Giants Stadium.
That game immediately follows the NRL clash between western Sydney clubs Parramatta and the Bulldogs 20 minutes down the road at CommBank Stadium.
The Giants expect to comfortably eclipse their record home crowd outside a derby or final of 15,751 against West Coast, and could push their best home attendance at Giants Stadium of 21,924 against the Swans in 2017.
The league’s youngest club had their plans of building on a historic 2019 grand final appearance ruined by the pandemic but now have the perfect opportunity harness the momentum from last year’s charge to the final four.
The reduced matches in the opening round has also delivered Gold Coast a rare opportunity to have all eyes of the football world on them.
A Suns spokesperson said the club was confident of selling out when they take on new coach Damien Hardwick’s former team Richmond at Heritage Bank Stadium.
The Hardwick factor and the elevated on-field expectations should see the Suns go close to bettering the 19,425 who watched Gary Ablett inspire his team to an upset victory in round one 2014.
The AFL’s fixture boss Josh Bowler said at the announcement of the 2024 draw the league would see how opening round fared before considering a repeat for 2025.
“This was an opportunity we had access to venues we wouldn’t have ordinarily had access to, so we’re just going to see how it goes and if the fans show up and watch at home, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t look at it in future,” Bowler said last November.
The AFL and NRL both declined to comment on Saturday. The AFL will provide an official update on ticket sales next week.
A few days old, but interesting to see how it plays out in ticket sales
