Football … On An Oval? Experiencing AFL for the First Time

Alexander Bebendorf

Growing up in Köln, my sporting world revolved entirely around football. The kind with eleven players, a round ball, and constant singing and chants from the Südkurve. Now, I find myself in an entirely different sporting world. So, in the coming months I’ll be working on a series of articles exploring the gameday experience of Australian sport. For each match, I’ll be rating key aspects of the experience out of five stars, from accessibility to atmosphere.

My small group of Australian friends made sure that, for my first stop, there was only ever one option. So, a few days ago, I found myself on a flight to Melbourne, preparing to watch an AFL rivalry match between Carlton and Collingwood.

The AFL

For the uninitiated (like me, until recently), Australian Football is a fast-paced, entirely Australian sport played on a very large oval-shaped field with a similarly-shaped ball. Scoring is attempted by kicking the ball at a set of four posts. A goal (between the inner posts) is worth six points, while a behind (through the wider posts) is one point. Think a total chaotic mix of elements of rugby and football. It’s brutal, skilful, and, according to my Aussie friends, quite addictive to watch.

Tonight’s match is part of the AFL (Australian Football League), which is the country’s top-tier competition, and apparently the only professional league in the world. On one side, we have Collingwood, the club currently sitting comfortably atop the ladder with 13 wins from 15 games, boasting the league’s tightest defence and riding a dominant seven-game winning streak. Their opponents? Carlton, who are currently struggling in 11th place with only six wins this season and two straight losses coming into tonight.

Getting There

The ticket-buying process was very straightforward. When researching, I learned of an ongoing initiative by the AFL to make matches more affordable. Thanks to their price freeze initiative (now in its seventh season) general admission tickets for all MCG matches remain accessible, with adult tickets at $27, concession at $18, juniors (14 and under) at $5, and free for kids under four. This is no doubt a welcome program for many locals. I opted for reserved seating, booked easily through Ticketek, which even lets you preview the view from your chosen seat.

Travelling to the ground was also simple. From the hotel where I am staying, I took a short tram ride to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner, before joining the throngs of fans making a 20-minute walk through the city streets to the stadium. The closer we got to the stadium, the thicker the crowd became, which made it almost impossible to miss my destination.

Rating: ★★★★★

Affordable tickets, smooth purchasing, and an easy, atmospheric walk to the ground made getting there as simple as can be.

The Venue

The MCG itself certainly didn’t disappoint. Even after seeing countless photos, its sheer size and presence hit me when approaching. The wider Melbourne sports precinct is also impressive, with AAMI Park and the Australian Open tennis facilities nearby. The stadium seats 95,000 and has room for 5,000 more standing.

Approaching the stadium on foot, it looms impressively, seeming to grow larger with every step. I was surprised by the ease of the entry process. Despite the busy throng outside, it took me less than a minute to pass through a metal detector, scan my ticket, and push through the turnstile.

Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and well-maintained everything was. One noteworthy detail: I found the seats were remarkably comfortable.

The announcer did a solid job building energy, and the stadium’s steep stands provided excellent aerial views of the action. However, one frustrating aspect was the clock. It counts up, not down. That wouldn't ordinarily be a problem, were it not for the fact that AFL games do not have a set length. Thus, the lack of a meaningful countdown made it hard to track how much time remained in each quarter.

A fun touch was the interactive QR code allowing fans to vote on which song would play at the third quarter break: a small but engaging idea. Fan cams made their usual appearance as well. One quirky, unexpected moment was the arrival of a huge flock of seagulls during halftime, swooping through the stands, resting on vacant seats, and stealing more than one person's food: apparently a known phenomenon at the MCG.

Merchandise was readily available from several stalls both inside and outside the ground. Halftime entertainment consisted of Auskick junior games on the field and music over the speakers: fairly standard, if uninspiring. Exiting the stadium was a bit of a bottleneck, with large crowds creating a jam trying to leave.

Rating: ★★★★☆

The MCG impresses with its sheer scale, comfort, and cleanliness, though minor issues like the confusing time display and crowded exits keep it just shy of perfect.

Food and Drink

As expected for such a large venue, the food offerings were plentiful. According to the MCG's website, the stadium boasts eleven different outlets serving pies, chips, hot dogs, jam donuts, and fish and chips. There are also a few more interesting options like Mexican food and Mediterranean pizza.

Prices were typical for a major stadium: $6.20 for hot chips or a meat pie, $15.50 for fish and chips, $12.50 for nachos, $13 for a cheeseburger, and $8.20 for a fruit salad. You’re allowed to bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, which is worth considering. I also passed quite a passed a nice-looking sit-down restaurant within the stadium for those after something more upscale.

For stadium food, the quality was actually decent. Nothing groundbreaking, but solid enough.

Rating: ★★★★☆

A solid mix with decent quality for venue food, including a full restaurant.

Crowd and Atmosphere

The crowd was sizeable but not a full house, with roughly 75,000 in attendance. Despite it being a Carlton home game, it felt (to my eyes, at least) like Collingwood fans were in the majority. I suspect this is likely due to their strong season so far. The crowd was diverse, with all ages represented. I sat near several young families and even spotted a few three-generation groups enjoying the match together.

In terms of atmosphere, my bar is admittedly set high thanks to growing on a diet of FC Köln games in Germany, known for their passionate and ceaseless singing and coordinated chants. By comparison, the crowd tonight was more reserved. Fans of both teams sit mixed together, and while there are frequent cheers and calls for free kicks, there’s less of the constant chanting. In between significant plays, the stadium could tend to fall rather quiet. This was something of a surprise for me, considering the massive hype built up around the event by my Australian friends. A couple of big flags dotted the stands, and sporadic chants broke out, such as the Carlton call accompanied by drums. About fifteen minutes into the third quarter, the atmosphere markedly improved. I first heard the haunting “Collingwood” chant spread through the stadium after they extended their lead to 74-31. The chant returned with greater frequency and vigour as Collingwood ran away with the match, and I was finally treated to something of the environment i was promised.

Overall, the atmosphere certainly brought highlights, but they were bookended by an equal number of lulls. Given the hype from my Aussie friends, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly underwhelmed.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

There were highlights, especially after halftime, but the overall energy was more subdued than I had expected, leaving the atmosphere somewhat inconsistent.

The Game Itself

The match itself started evenly, with Collingwood just edging the first quarter 27-21. But from the second term onwards, they took control, extending their lead to 53-29 at halftime, and completely dominating the third quarter to lead 105-45 by the final break. They eased off a bit in the fourth, with the final score sitting at 115-59. I was particularly impressed by the athleticism of the players and size of their kicks, and the low amount of downtime compared to some other sports. I also marvelled at a couple of goals where it seemed the ball was kicked from almost seventy metres from a very sharp angle.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

An impressive athletic showing with some standout moments, though the lopsided scoreline dampened the competitive edge.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the experience was a mixed bag. The stadium itself is world-class, and the facilities, from the comfortable seating to the variety of food, exceeded expectations. The atmosphere, however, didn’t match the lofty expectations set by those around me, though it certainly still provided moments of genuine excitement.

For newcomers, the chaotic nature of the game can be tricky to follow at first, and without a team to support, it may be harder to fully engage. That being said, I am pleased that I attended the match, and believe the experience is one that would only get better the more invested you became in the sport.

I will definitely be making plans to attend more AFL games in the future, though with so many other sports on my list, it might be a while before I return. Speaking of which, the next instalment in this series takes me to a sport that is more familiar to myself, though much less-followed by the public here in Australia. I am referring to the AIHL - the Australian Ice Hockey Leage - and I am excited to be attending the Melbourne Mustangs' home clash this Sunday.