Football fans attending AFL finals blockbusters at the MCG on Friday and Saturday night are strongly advised to take public transport and arrive early, with no public car parking in Yarra Park on Friday and limited parking on Saturday.
Melbourne and Hawthorn fans attending Friday night’s blockbuster AFL Semi Final at the MCG are advised to take public transport and arrive early, with no public car parking in Yarra Park.
A crowd of 90,000 is forecast, with public gates open at 5.30pm, ahead of a 7.50pm bounce.
No public car parking on Friday – utilise public transport
For safety and security reasons, there will be no public car parking available in Yarra Park for either match in the first week of the finals series.While a limited number of parking spaces will be available via Gate 3 for disability permit holders and other passholders, eligible patrons are urged to arrive early to avoid missing out.
The closure of public car parking is in keeping with measures implemented for other major events in the last 12 months, and follows consultation with local authorities around the need for a greater distance between vehicles and pedestrians in Yarra Park and the MCG concourse.
This restriction also aligns with recommendations set out in Australia’s Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism.
Fans are advised to utilise public transport to get to the MCG, as road closures and peak hour traffic are all expected to bring congestion to the sporting precinct.
While limited parking will be available on Saturday night at Collingwood v GWS GIANTS, fans are still advised to utilise public transport.
Plan ahead and allow extra time
Patrons for both matches should allow plenty of time to enter the stadium and are encouraged to be in their seat well before the opening bounce.Bag checks and wanding processes will take place at the MCG entry gates, and express lanes for patrons without bags will also be in operation.
Fans are encouraged to minimise the number of bags, or bring clear bags, in order to reduce the wait time in gate queues.
Road closures
To allow footy fans to safely access the MCG from Richmond station:• Brunton Avenue will be closed to all vehicle traffic in both directions from three hours before the first bounce until one hour after the match.
• During the same period, Jolimont Street and Jolimont Terrace will be closed to all vehicle traffic except for vehicles dropping off mobility-impaired patrons.