THE Essendon-St Kilda preseason match coinciding with the official opening of the $3 million Wangaratta Showgrounds redevelopment on March 3 is headed for a sellout.
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More than 7000 tickets have been sold for the AFL practice match with Wangaratta Council anticipating a late rush of sales next week.
The crowd figure had originally been capped at 15,000 people, but the figure is under review in the interests of spectator comfort and could drop to 12,000.
Wangaratta’s Browns Builders have completed construction of the project which will become the Wangaratta Sports Development Centre.
Staff from the Murray Bushrangers, Victorian Country Football League and North East administration hub have started moving into the building which also has AFL-standard changerooms and warm-up areas.
Browns Builders director Dennis Backas said as many as 50 subcontractors had been working on the site since before Christmas with some working nine-hour days and six days a week to ensure the project was finished on time.
“It has been pretty hectic,” he said.
“It has come up really well and I think people will be surprised.
“As far as the changerooms go, many people up this way wouldn’t have seen what the modern standards are with a big warm-up area.”
The building has a viewing deck, which will be the VIP area for the AFL practice game.
Victorian Sports Minister Hugh Delahunty and a representative from the AFL will perform the official opening ahead of the game starting at 7pm.
The Wangaratta Magpies’ changerooms will be used by one of the teams and are being repainted and getting new carpet.
The electronic scoreboard has had new LED lights installed to be more effective under floodlighting.
Organisers have abandoned the idea of temporary seating on the cycle track around the ground because of the costs involved, but fans can sit there on their own chairs.
Car parking won’t be allowed inside the showgrounds for the match with the “park-and-ride” service available from the Ford Street bus stop, Avian Park racetrack and Olympic Pool.
