SCG hit with ticket, Welcome to Country fails before Swans clash with Carlton
Fans at the SCG were subjected to two hiccups before the clash between the Swans and Blues got underway on Friday night.
The AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls Round continued in Sydney, with pre-match ceremonies and a poignant tribute to Carlton great Robert Walls, who died this week.
Before the match got underway, however, fans were quick to point out the unusually small crowd that had filtered into the SCG.
That was due to the ground's ticketing system failing around half an hour before the opening bounce, leaving thousands of fans stranded outside.
'The SCG feels like it's only about half full right now and that's because everyone that's (outside) actually can't get in,' Xander McGuire said on Channel 7.
'From about 7.10pm tonight onwards, the turnstiles outside the ground actually froze up and completely broke.
'So for about 20 minutes, people trying to scan their tickets couldn't get in.
'I've spoken to security, they think the lines got to about 200 metres long at every single gate outside.
'So they reverted back to the old days, doing manual ticket checks now.
'People are literally streaming in and security are only looking at the tickets with a passing glance, hoping the tickets are completely legitimate.
'An incredible situation unfolding here at the SCG.'
It was all noted by footy fans on social media.
X user Matthew Carlson tweeted: 'Oh that's why the crowd's so low. Everyone stuck outside.'
Michael Green tweeted: 'They've just let everyone in. An official attendance will just be a guess.'
Another fan suggested: 'Surely you delay the game for 15 mins to let the crowd in?'
William Polak added: 'What a shambles at the SCG tonight.'
With fans still trying to get into the ground, the pre-match ceremony commenced with an impeccable moment of silence for Walls, who chose a voluntary assisted death on Thursday following a battle with a rare and aggressive blood cancer.
A triple premiership winner on the field with the Blues, Walls also coached the club to the 1987 flag.
After the tribute to Walls, the Indigenous Round celebration began, including a cultural performance, an exchange of gifts between the two captains and a warmly received Welcome to Country from local Elder Uncle Lloyd Walker.
Unfortunately, Walker mentioned the wrong sport towards the end of his speech.
'On behalf of the traditional owners of Sydney, I welcome you all today,' Walker said in part.
'I'd like to acknowledge one of our community members, Jordan Ardler, who designed the Swans jerseys tonight.
'On this special night, I'd also like pay tribute to our Indigenous NFL stars that are positive role models to our people.'
Fans were quick to jump on the error when they also took to social media to comment.
Charles Haig asked: 'Wait, did he just say 'NFL stars'?'
Charlie Cosgrove quipped: 'Love our Indigenous NFL stars.'
An account called Political Correctness is Overrated said: 'NFL gets a shout out.
Awesome promotion AFL!'
Another X account Nessing Around joked: 'Nearly Footy League NFL letssss gooooo.'
Once the game did get underway, fans had begun to fill the stands on a damp night in Sydney.
The Blues took a one-goal lead into quarter-time in an even contest, which they narrowly increased to seven points at the long break.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
'Quite happily' - inductee played hard off the field
Imagine the reaction if Max Gawn was serving an AFL suspension and spent the new few days on a trip to Lord's to watch the World Test Championship. Australian Football Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Darley freely admits he wouldn't make it as a player now. Darley gave one of the all-time acceptance speeches at Tuesday night's annual induction dinner. While at times his comments drew an uncomfortable gasp from the audience at the Melbourne black tie function, he was the hit of the evening. His best among several memorable anecdotes was being suspended in 1972 while starring as a ruckman for SANFL side South Adelaide. He was also working in sales for the then-national airline TAA and that gave him first-class international plane tickets. So without his coach knowing, Darley flew to London to watch an Ashes Test. He was at Lord's when Australian bowler Bob Massie took 16 wickets on debut. He celebrated hard on the flight home, but soon after his return had to play Glenelg. "I must have turned on the gas and we went past Glenelg, but after three-quarter time I'd run out of gas and I called the bloody stretcher," he said. "Halfway off the ground the stretcher broke and I had to get up and walk off. "Football was something I did on a Saturday and fortunately I was able to get away with it. I wouldn't today, I tell you." Darley starred in South's most recent premiership, way back in 1964, under legendary coach Neil Kerley. "He had us running through sand hills and I said 'well, that's where I used to take my girlfriends'," Darley said. "He taught (us) how to play as a team, not only on the football field, but he also offered us the opportunity to play off the football field - which I took up quite readily and happily." In paying tribute to his fellow inductees, Melbourne great Garry Lyon was particularly taken with Darley. "I'd be happy to go on a footy trip with Peter Darley - I don't know who you are, Pete, but I like the sound of you,," Lyon said. While Darley and Lyon drew the laughs, AFLW greats Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce brought the emotion with their acceptance speeches. They joined trailblazer Debbie Lee as the only women in the hall of fame. Phillips and Pearce paid tribute to Lee, while Phillips and her father Greg provided the highlight of the night. They are the first father and daughter to be hall of fame members, with Greg already inducted for his stellar playing career at Port Adelaide and Collingwood. "To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," Phillips said, her voice breaking. "And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame." South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status, while modern greats Nick Riewoldt and Luke Hodge were also inducted. Darley joined Tasmania's John Leedham and George Owens from WA as this year's historical inductees. There was a sense of sliding doors for Riewoldt and Lyon. Riewoldt was living on the Gold Coast when he was drafted to St Kilda. Another 26km closer to Brisbane, he would have been in the Lions' recruiting zone at the time. Lyon's father Peter played for Hawthorn, but not nearly enough to earn a father-son selection. Lyon never made a grand final at Melbourne and noted his career coincided with four Hawthorn premierships. "I haven't thought about it much," Lyon deadpanned, while also noting he had a "wonderful, wonderful time" at the Demons.


Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
'Quite happily' - inductee played hard off the field
Imagine the reaction if Max Gawn was serving an AFL suspension and spent the new few days on a trip to Lord's to watch the World Test Championship. Australian Football Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Darley freely admits he wouldn't make it as a player now. Darley gave one of the all-time acceptance speeches at Tuesday night's annual induction dinner. While at times his comments drew an uncomfortable gasp from the audience at the Melbourne black tie function, he was the hit of the evening. His best among several memorable anecdotes was being suspended in 1972 while starring as a ruckman for SANFL side South Adelaide. He was also working in sales for the then-national airline TAA and that gave him first-class international plane tickets. So without his coach knowing, Darley flew to London to watch an Ashes Test. He was at Lord's when Australian bowler Bob Massie took 16 wickets on debut. He celebrated hard on the flight home, but soon after his return had to play Glenelg. "I must have turned on the gas and we went past Glenelg, but after three-quarter time I'd run out of gas and I called the bloody stretcher," he said. "Halfway off the ground the stretcher broke and I had to get up and walk off. "Football was something I did on a Saturday and fortunately I was able to get away with it. I wouldn't today, I tell you." Darley starred in South's most recent premiership, way back in 1964, under legendary coach Neil Kerley. "He had us running through sand hills and I said 'well, that's where I used to take my girlfriends'," Darley said. "He taught (us) how to play as a team, not only on the football field, but he also offered us the opportunity to play off the football field - which I took up quite readily and happily." In paying tribute to his fellow inductees, Melbourne great Garry Lyon was particularly taken with Darley. "I'd be happy to go on a footy trip with Peter Darley - I don't know who you are, Pete, but I like the sound of you,," Lyon said. While Darley and Lyon drew the laughs, AFLW greats Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce brought the emotion with their acceptance speeches. They joined trailblazer Debbie Lee as the only women in the hall of fame. Phillips and Pearce paid tribute to Lee, while Phillips and her father Greg provided the highlight of the night. They are the first father and daughter to be hall of fame members, with Greg already inducted for his stellar playing career at Port Adelaide and Collingwood. "To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," Phillips said, her voice breaking. "And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame." South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status, while modern greats Nick Riewoldt and Luke Hodge were also inducted. Darley joined Tasmania's John Leedham and George Owens from WA as this year's historical inductees. There was a sense of sliding doors for Riewoldt and Lyon. Riewoldt was living on the Gold Coast when he was drafted to St Kilda. Another 26km closer to Brisbane, he would have been in the Lions' recruiting zone at the time. Lyon's father Peter played for Hawthorn, but not nearly enough to earn a father-son selection. Lyon never made a grand final at Melbourne and noted his career coincided with four Hawthorn premierships. "I haven't thought about it much," Lyon deadpanned, while also noting he had a "wonderful, wonderful time" at the Demons.

ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Live updates: Saudi Arabia vs Socceroos, FIFA World Cup qualifier in Jeddah
The Socceroos need only to avoid a catastrophic defeat against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah to qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Follow all the action from the King Abdullah Sport City, Jeddah, in our live blog or listen to live radio coverage.