- All tickets to Swans v GIANTS Final at Stadium Australia include public transport to the game;
- Gates open 1.30pm. First Bounce 3.20pm. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy the pre-game activities in Sydney Olympic Park;
- Good seats are still available from $35 here.
Julian Keith and Arthur Stanley
IT’S one of the great Sydney sporting events of 2016 – a historic first AFL Final between cross-city rivals the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS at Stadium Australia.
And the match is destined to draw a crowd fitting for such an event, with around 60,000 fans expected to pack into the Olympic venue in time for the First Bounce at 3.20pm.
Conditions should be great for the big match. The forecast is for a mostly sunny Saturday and light winds in Western Sydney on game-day after a fast-moving weather system sweeps through Friday.
The historic Final will be a fitting farewell for AFL footy at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, which is to be redeveloped as a world-class rectangular venue as the feature part of the NSW Government’s $1.6 billion investment in Sydney sporting infrastructure.
The bumper crowd on Saturday will be the 12th time Stadium Australia has hosted a massive AFL crowd of over 50,000. The first time, of course, was the first of 54 AFL footy games played at the venue . . . a Round 9 encounter against the Essendon Bombers played in front of 54,129 fans in 2002.
Fans are encouraged to take advantage of public transport included in the price of their tickets. Head here for all the event day transport information.
The highest AFL crowd ever recorded in Sydney was the 72,393 for Swans v Collingwood at the Olympic stadium in 2003. It’s also the highest AFL crowd ever recorded outside of Victoria.
With an AFL crowd average of 40,403, Stadium Australia still has the second highest AFL home & away crowd average behind Adelaide Oval (44,498).
The average Stadium Australia Finals crowd (2002-2015) is a healthy 44,372.
The strategic value of this game at Stadium Australia in Sydney Olympic Park – in the geographical centre of Greater Sydney – is that it will showcase Australian Football to a broad sporting audience.
The AFL will reach out to the wider Sydney sporting market with this unique game, with the aim of introducing new fans to the game.
If the Sydney Swans win their Week 1 Qualifying Final, they will progress to a Week 3 Preliminary Final at the SCG. Should they lose, they will host a Week 2 Semi-Final at the SCG.
Stadium Australia Gold Members will be entitled to attend this Week 2 or Week 3 Final involving the Sydney Swans as part of their Membership.
If the GWS GIANTS win their Week 1 Qualifying Final, they will progress to a Week 3 Preliminary Final. Should they lose, they will host a Week 2 Semi-Final at Spotless Stadium.
More than 2 million fans have attended 54 Sydney Swans games at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, which have included 10 Finals matches – eight of which the Swans have won.
The Greater Western Sydney GIANTS have played three times at Stadium Australia and, of course, are based at Sydney Olympic Park.
It’s merely a kick or two from the gates of Spotless Stadium to the gates of Stadium Australia across Olympic Boulevarde – and the GIANTS’ headquarters is located in Sydney Olympic Park.
Impress and indulge your clients with Stadium Australia’s Official Hospitality packages. Choose between a Private Suite, Zone box or a table of 10 in our Trophy Room to entertain your best clients. Enquiries here.
