- Rising food and drink prices at MCG will anger AFL fans
- Meatloaves, hot dogs, beers and bottled water will cost more
- The cost of living crisis could lead to fewer crowds on match day
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Football fans this season will need to have plenty of cash thanks to huge price rises on many popular foods and drinks at the MCG.
The iconic Four n Twenty cake, hot chips and 600ml bottles of soft drink will cost $6.20, up from $5.50 last year, an increase of almost 13 per cent.
Bottled water has increased by 70 cents and the price of coffee has increased by 50 cents.
Beer drinkers won’t be happy either: schooners will now cost $11.50 and Carlton Draft pints have risen eight per cent, from $12.50 to $13.50.
AFL Fans’ Association spokesperson Sheridan Verwey warned that the increases, which will come during the current cost of living crisis, could see crowds dwindle at the ‘G in 2024.
Football fans this season will need to have a lot of money following the sharp rise in prices of many food and drinks at the MCG (pictured, a St Kilda fan enjoying a pie)
Beer drinkers at the MCG on match day won’t be happy either – schooners will cost $11.50 and Carlton Draft pints have risen from $12.50 to $13.50 (pictured, a Geelong fan)
AFL Fans’ Association spokesperson Sheridan Verwey warned the league after the increases, some as high as almost 13 per cent, were made public (Tigers star Shai Bolton pictured) .
“Increasing food and beverage prices for fans by more than 10 percent will make it more difficult for fans to justify spending limited discretionary money,” he told the Herald of the sun.
“This will likely impact attendance at AFL games and make an affordable football experience more difficult.”
MCC chief executive Stuart Fox was on another page, pointing to an increase that suppliers had to pass on to operators, before pledging to “maintain an affordable price for fans.
It’s also the second year in a row that prices on pies, chips, hot dogs and beer will increase by $1 on game days.
Better news for fans is that two new public bars and a chain of Mexican restaurants will be up and running inside the MCG when the traditional AFL season opener arrives on Thursday between Richmond and Carlton.
Cocina Mexicana will have four locations in use, with tacos, nachos, quesadillas and Mexican bowls on the menu.
And in a digital nod to the future, fans will be able to skip the queues at two new ‘MCG Express’ outlets on the Ponsford stand that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to serve food and drink.
Users simply need to tap their bank card and select which items they want.
A loading will then follow as fans return to their assigned seats.