A scarf on a seat does not reserve it: MCC decides on fans’ dilemma

June 12, 2026 — 3:40pm

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Melbourne Cricket Club members draping scarves, jackets and bags across seats to claim spots for late-arriving mates or heading for a long stint at the bar are on notice – those spots are not reserved.

In response to questions about whether the common behaviour was stretching acceptable limits at its annual meeting this week, the club nominated the practice “one of its most significant challenges” in managing its coveted section of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In a response posted online to its 160,000 members, the club said seat-saving was not encouraged and stressed placing a scarf or personal item on a seat did not qualify as reserving it, with the habit of particular concern during high-attendance games.

Essendon fan and 25-year MCC member Tony Hedley said he had seen one person reserve up to eight seats at once by draping personal items across the back of seats.

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“The worst case is where they don’t turn up at all, they might go to the bar or one of the eating areas and watch the game elsewhere and the seat never gets used at all,” Hedley said.

“They’re probably not thinking about the impact and the frustration it causes for other members that are there and looking for a seat and can’t get one.”

He said members could usually find one or two seats together in unrestricted areas but believes seat-saving has a greater impact on larger family or friend groups who struggle to find spots, calling on the club to find a way to prioritise seating for members who were physically present at events.

The MCC received some 200 questions from its members ahead of the AGM, with Hedley among 10 people who asked about seat reservation.

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“At matches where seat tickets are not distributed, unreserved areas remain just that, unreserved, and members are free to come and go from those seats accordingly,” the club said in response.

They went on to say the club is “currently investigating technology-based solutions that would deliver more consistent and fair seat distribution across all games”, however they did not provide further information.

AFL Fans’ Association president Ron Issko, who is an MCC member, said fans have mixed views on whether saving seats was acceptable but he didn’t realise it was a major issue for the club. “I really haven’t seen that many people do it, and I haven’t seen that many people complain,” he said.

Sydney Cricket Ground members and their guests are allowed to reserve seats using stickers issued by customer service staff to those at the ground. The Sydney Swans’ website states members in a certain section of the ground can reserve a spot for up to one hour after first bounce if the member is absent from their seat, but they cannot be used to save seats for latecomers.

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The MCC said they were also aware of concerns guests of MCC members are attending on visitor passes without the purchasing member present and received queries about the volume of visitor or guest tickets for the most popular events including Category 1 matches and AFL finals.

The club is reviewing whether to introduce a member-only booking window ahead of visitor pass availability for high-demand fixtures and considering a two-step validation model related to visitor access.

“The Club continues to review entry processes, including the use of new technology, to strengthen the integrity of visitor access and ensure that guests are facilitated by the member who issued the pass,” they said.

Patrolling and enforcement in the club’s alcohol-free bays is also set to be reviewed, after the MCC received feedback that compliance with rules was inconsistent.

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Rachael Ward is a journalist in the City team at The Age. Contact her at rachael.ward@theage.com.auConnect via email.

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