Which Australian sports stadium in best to attend as an AFL fan? It’s a question that every sport fan in Australia will debate for hours on end.
This year I’ve indulged in sports tourism and travelled to watch AFL matches in all six states.
Watching your team play at home is always fun but there’s a different kind of thrill in seeing a victory in enemy territory.
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I’ve now been to every team’s main home ground and can definitively rank them from worst to best. Apologies in advance if your favourite isn’t higher.
9. The Gabba (Brisbane)
I’ve been going to the Gabba to watch AFL and cricket since I was growing up in Brisbane, so I take no pleasure in ranking it at the bottom of this list.
Putting aside my Queensland bias, I can regrettably report that this stadium is a decaying, cramped concrete bowl with poor public transport options and outdated facilities.
At its best, the Gabba can still sparkle under lights on a mild winter’s evening, but at its worst it delivers an unpleasant experience for players and fans. This was most evident in the putrid Round 2 game between Brisbane and West Coast, played in stifling March heat in the middle of the day.
Thankfully, the iconic stadium will be demolished after the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when a brand-new stadium at Victoria Park will give cricket and footy a worthy home in the Sunshine State.
8. ENGIE Stadium (Sydney)
This ground was built to host baseball for the 2000 Olympic Games and is now used for GWS Giants and Sydney Thunder matches, and the Royal Easter Show.
It’s easy to access, has plenty of food and drink options and sells more affordable tickets than the SCG.
But its biggest negative is a lack of thrills. Outside of the Sydney Derby and finals matches, the stands aren’t quite full enough to create an intimidating feel for travelling teams.
As the Giants continue to build a fan base in the western suburbs, this is sure to improve but for now, Engie remains one of the less exciting venues for fans to attend.
7. People First Stadium (Gold Coast)
Like fellow expansion team GWS, the Suns play in a smaller ground in a non-traditional AFL market.
Their stadium at Carrara was redeveloped for the team’s entry into the competition back in 2011 and is much more modern and accessible than the Gabba up the M1.
Like the Giants’ home ground, it’s rarely full but can still deliver a decent atmosphere when travelling Collingwood or Brisbane fans help to fill the stands.
There isn’t much to split People First from ENGIE, but I’ll give it an extra point for the amusing trumpet sound after every Suns goal.
6. Marvel Stadium (Melbourne)
I don’t hate the Docklands venue quite as much as Damien Hardwick, but it certainly pales in comparison to its big brother, the MCG.
Practically, it’s great. Close to Southern Cross station in Melbourne’s CBD and with usually affordable tickets, the ground really isn’t difficult to get to, regardless of what Richmond fans may say.
Marvel’s biggest problems are footy-related.
Its hard and slippery surface has been maligned for years. Earlier this month, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon complained the turf can be like a “car park” when it gets wet.
The issue is more baffling considering Marvel has a retractable roof, which remains shut for all AFL matches. Imagine how much worse the surface would be without it.
The closed roof is also a point of contention among fans, with some accusing it of creating a stale feel.
Still, Marvel is a solid if unspectacular venue that can produce great matches when more than half of its 53,000 seats are filled.
5. Sydney Cricket Ground
The SCG is a fantastic combination of the old and new.
Its heritage-listed Members and Ladies stands date back to the late 19th century, sitting right next to the state-of-the-art Noble and Bradman stands that were only opened a decade ago.
If you sit in the eastern stands around sunset, you can also catch a superb view of the Sydney skyline.
It can be frustrating to enter and exit because all gates are on one side of the ground, but walking through Moore Park to watch a game is always a delight.
The supporters make their voices heard too. Anyone who watched last year’s epic Sydney Derby qualifying final will know how the SCG can erupt during a thrilling Swans win.
Its only major downside is capacity. Fewer than 50,000 seats compared to more than 75,000 Swans members makes it difficult to buy affordable tickets.
Still, every footy and cricket fan should watch a game at the SCG at least once. You won’t regret it.
4. GMHBA Stadium (Geelong)
After 20 years of upgrades, “Pork Barrel Park” finally looks the business.
New grandstands, plenty of entry gates and easy access from the Geelong CBD ensure Kardinia Park is a fitting 21st century home for the Cats.
But don’t be fooled. All these modern improvements haven’t made it less intimidating for travelling fans.
With 40,000 seats now taken up mostly by rabid Cats supporters, the hostility has never been greater towards visiting teams.
Supporters are usually evenly split in matches between Victorian teams, but not at the Cattery. This only makes it more fun to visit.
Watching an AFL game in a regional town where it feels like everyone is a footy fanatic is a must for all footy fans.
3. Optus Stadium (Perth)
The newest stadium on this list is the crown jewel in the city of Perth.
It cost a fortune to build but now the West Australian public can watch sport and concerts in a truly world-class venue.
Seats are close to the field, the sound is magnificent and it’s easy to access by train, bus or a short walk from the CBD.
It’s fitting that West Coast and Fremantle finally have a home worthy of their large supporter bases.
The Eagles have averaged over 43,000 fans at home this year despite their atrocious one-win season, which is testament to the fans’ dedication.
It’s a bit easier to stomach a historically poor year in such an enjoyable stadium.
2. Adelaide Oval
Like the SCG, Adelaide Oval has kept part of its heritage to retain an old-fashioned charm.
The iconic scoreboard and Moreton Bay fig trees at the cathedral end remain but almost everything else was built in the early 2010s during an extensive redevelopment.
The result is a phenomenal 53,500-capacity stadium located a short walk from the CBD, an absolute godsend for South Australian sports fans.
When the Crows or Power are in fine form, Adelaide Oval goes from a pleasant cricket ground to a thrilling arena.
Having only two teams in a footy-obsessed city only dials up the mania. Casual fans be warned: the Adelaide Oval is full on.
The food and drink options are also the best in the business, especially if you’re lucky enough to sit in the top deck.
But there can only be one overall winner on this list.
1. Melbourne Cricket Ground
The MCG isn’t as new as Optus Stadium and it doesn’t have the same visible heritage as Adelaide Oval or the SCG.
But it is by far the largest venue in the AFL, holding 100,000 spectators.
This makes it loud. Really loud.
Watching a game with over 80,000 fans in this Colosseum is a thrill almost unrivalled in Australian sport, with only the biggest cricket Tests, Matildas games, State of Origin matches and the NRL grand final on the same level.
Unlike the SCG, the MCG hasn’t retained its old members stands but the history and heritage of the ground is still embedded in its walls, quite literally.
The names of cricket and football greats are plastered throughout the venue, reminding every spectator of the feats achieved on the same patch of grass.
This is why the MCG is so special. Every match feels like a big event.
Every supporter feels a connection to their team’s home ground but the MCG connects every fan to it.
That’s why it is still the best venue for the AFL grand final.
Adelaide Oval and Optus Stadium would be more than adequate if required but the MCG best encapsulates the growth of the sport.
Evolving from a game played by a few schoolboys in nearby Yarra Park in 1858 to a grand event played in front of 100,000 people on the last Saturday in September, Australian rules football is best enjoyed in the best stadium of all.
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