{"id":289571,"date":"2023-09-22T08:50:13","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T08:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=289571"},"modified":"2023-09-22T08:50:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T08:50:13","slug":"afl-finals-2023-live-updates-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-face-off-in-preliminary-final-fans-line-up-for-grand-final-tickets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-league\/afl-finals-2023-live-updates-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-face-off-in-preliminary-final-fans-line-up-for-grand-final-tickets\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Collingwood Magpies, GWS Giants face off in preliminary final; Fans line up for grand final tickets"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Save articles for later<\/h3>\n<p>Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.<\/p>\n<h3>Key posts<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><time class=\"_2_zR-\" data-testid=\"datetime\" dateTime=\"2023-09-22T18:42:51+10:00\">6.42pm<\/time><\/span>Listen: Real Footy Podcast<\/li>\n<li><span><time class=\"_2_zR-\" data-testid=\"datetime\" dateTime=\"2023-09-22T18:33:56+10:00\">6.33pm<\/time><\/span>Fans flocking to MCG<\/li>\n<li><span><time class=\"_2_zR-\" data-testid=\"datetime\" dateTime=\"2023-09-22T18:15:16+10:00\">6.15pm<\/time><\/span>Footy\u2019s biggest fans start camp out for grand final tickets<\/li>\n<li><span><time class=\"_2_zR-\" data-testid=\"datetime\" dateTime=\"2023-09-22T18:09:06+10:00\">6.09pm<\/time><\/span>In-demand North defender Ben McKay chooses Essendon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span>1<\/span> of <span>1<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Listen: Real Footy Podcast<\/h2>\n<h2>Fans flocking to MCG<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.18%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/0a1d8b37cd427660061a1fe5cd1f1b0795319b89\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Fans line up outside the MCG ahead of the Collingwood v GWS preliminary final.<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.255%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_4%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/1223de7481807d2c17b159ecf47020e11d316838\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Fans line up outside the MCG ahead of the Collingwood v GWS preliminary final.<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<h2>Footy\u2019s biggest fans start camp out for grand final tickets<\/h2>\n<p>Football fanatics have begun sleeping out on Exhibition Street awaiting the opening of Ticketek in the hope of securing their seats at the 2023 grand final.<\/p>\n<p>Fans with swags and sleeping bags started to queue from Wednesday night ahead of the city office opening for grand final ticket sales on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.188%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_31\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/25dc65683e25b5070dd6075c79c59fdabb68a54f\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Dean Symes, Judy Meehan and Wayne Lillingston line up for grand final tickets on Friday night. <\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Crowe<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>Essendon supporter Wayne Lillingston was lined up alongside Geelong supporter Judy Meehan and Essendon supporter Dean Symes on Friday evening, taking turns waiting for tickets with fellow grand final diehards.<\/p>\n<p>The trio have become friends over many years of queuing for grand final tickets.<\/p>\n<p>Meehan said she\u2019d been travelling from Warrnambool to line up for tickets since 1980, when they closed the regional tickets office.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy first grand final was 1966 to see St Kilda and I\u2019ve been going ever since,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been very lucky, I\u2019ve always gotten tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lillingston said the ticket line had filled up with more and more regional fans over the last 20 as Ticketek offices had closed in country towns.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.188%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_9\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/e708b8eeba976a4b77de7556e5796f84fce811b4\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Dean Symes, Judy Meehan and Wayne Lillingston line up for grand final tickets on Friday night.<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Crowe<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m from Ballarat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t trust the computers or the technology, or if you think you could have a better chance of getting them this way you just do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Symes said from a ticketing perspective it was best if Carlton and Collingwood fans didn\u2019t make the grand final as their members would likely snap up the tickets.<\/p>\n<p>Despite that, he said Victorian teams in the grand final would be something special.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCollingwood deserved to be there. They\u2019ve been a very good side to watch &#8211; which is very hard for me to say,\u201d Lillingston said.<\/p>\n<h2>In-demand North defender Ben McKay chooses Essendon<\/h2>\n<p>Ben McKay has finally made a call on his future, choosing to exercise his free agency rights and sign with Essendon.<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old intercepting defender told Sydney this week that he would remain in Victoria to continue his 71-game career, but days passed as he weighed up the Bombers and Hawthorn.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.531%2C$multiply_0.5855%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_105%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/ec647ffd4ad4947485e05ab9b5e9e3e1bf446001\" height=\"349\" width=\"620\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Ben McKay is on the move from North Melbourne.<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span>Credit: <\/span>AFL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>Senior sources familiar with the situation at all three clubs confirmed McKay\u2019s decision to this masthead.<\/p>\n<p>As McKay is a restricted free agent, North Melbourne retain the option to match the bid and force a trade if they believed they were capable of gaining a better pick in a trade than they would receive as compensation for losing McKay.<\/p>\n<p>That compensation could be as high as a selection immediately after North Melbourne\u2019s pick two, depending on what contract McKay is offered.<\/p>\n<p>Click here to read the story.<\/p>\n<h2>Good evening<\/h2>\n<p>G\u2019day everyone and welcome to our AFL live blog. I\u2019m Roy Ward and I\u2019ll be tapping the keys tonight for the preliminary final between Collingwood and GWS Giants at the MCG.<\/p>\n<p>The winner will take the first [available] berth in the AFL Grand Final, the other spot will go to the winner of tomorrow evening\u2019s clash between Brisbane Lions and Carlton at the Gabba.<\/p>\n<p>First bounce is at 7.50pm AEST.<\/p>\n<p>\u2032<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span>1<\/span> of <span>1<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Most Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theage.com.au\/sport\/afl\/afl-finals-2023-live-updates-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-face-off-in-preliminary-final-fans-line-up-for-grand-final-tickets-20230922-p5e6pr.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Key posts 6.42pmListen: Real Footy Podcast 6.33pmFans flocking <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-league\/afl-finals-2023-live-updates-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-face-off-in-preliminary-final-fans-line-up-for-grand-final-tickets\/\" title=\"AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Collingwood Magpies, GWS Giants face off in preliminary final; Fans line up for grand final tickets\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Collingwood Magpies, GWS Giants face off in preliminary final; Fans line up for grand final tickets - Sportstoft<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-league\/afl-finals-2023-live-updates-collingwood-magpies-gws-giants-face-off-in-preliminary-final-fans-line-up-for-grand-final-tickets\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Collingwood Magpies, GWS Giants face off in preliminary final; Fans line up for grand final tickets - Sportstoft\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. 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