The AFL is offering five double passes to the men's grand final as part of a promotion to boost crowds at AFLW games. Fans attending selected women's matches in Melbourne and Geelong on Thursday and Friday will have a chance to win tickets worth more than $1,000 each.
The move comes as AFLW crowds average about 2,500 per match, well below the 6,000 benchmark needed to trigger a longer season under the collective bargaining agreement. The league hopes to leverage the scarcity of grand final tickets to attract more spectators to women's games.
Geelong Cats and Brisbane Lions fans have been left disappointed after member ballot draws allocated 17,500 tickets to each club, with 22,500 going to Melbourne Cricket Club members and 20,000 to AFL and Medallion Club members. An AFL Fans Association poll found 92% of respondents wanted more tickets reserved for competing club members.
Five AFLW games will be held in Melbourne and Geelong on Thursday night and Friday, coinciding with the Victorian public holiday. At three-quarter time in each game, one double pass will be given away in a raffle-style draw for attendees.
Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron encouraged fans to attend Thursday's match against Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium, noting the AFLW team's recent winning streak. Local resident Debra Ayres, who has never attended an AFLW game, said the ticket giveaway influenced her decision to consider going.
