Hawthorn has welcomed the news that crowds will return to 100 per cent capacity for Round 1.
The AFL confirmed the change for Victorian stadiums on Friday, meaning that the MCG, Marvel Stadium, GMHBA Stadium and Mars Stadium will be able to welcome crowds back to full capacity.
Hawthorn will host North Melbourne on Sunday March 20 at 1.10pm for the club's season opener.
All 10 Victorian AFL teams will play in Melbourne in Round 1 with five blockbuster games over five days, the first time all 10 have played in the state during the same round since Round 20 in 2016.
Hawthorn Chief Commercial Officer Ash Klein said the club was delighted that its members and fans would be able to return to the football with some greater normality come Round 1.
“This is really positive news for Hawks fans who have faced two seasons of restrictions limiting their ability to watch the game they love,” Klein said.
“With three home games at the MCG in the first six rounds, we can’t wait to welcome our members back at the MCG from next month.”
AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan said he hoped footy can help bring the heartbeat of the city back.
“We want to get big crowds back to the footy, the weekly ritual of being able to go to a game and the sense of community it creates, connecting families and friends is something we have missed in the state," he said.
“On behalf of the AFL I would like to thank the Victorian State Government, specifically Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula and Minister for Health Martin Foley for continuing to work with us and safely get as many fans back to the footy as possible.
“We have a big finish to our AFLW home and away season which again has been warmly embraced by fans and supporters across the state, rolling straight into our AFL season and the Grand Final rematch on the Wednesday night at the MCG.
“Our AFLW Finals series and start of our AFL Season is an exciting time for fans, we look forward to seeing crowds return to our venues in huge numbers as well as to all the surrounding business and venues that rely on footy and big events being staged across the city.
Club members will be able to return to scanning their membership at the gate, and general public walk ups will be available at the venues.
Ticketing on-sale information will be released in the coming weeks.
Per Victorian Government guidelines attendees will be required to check-in in with the Services Victoria app to confirm their vaccination status on entry to the venue.
Masks will be required when moving around stadiums with more than 30,000 fans, however not when fans are seated outdoors.
Venues with a capacity of less than 30,000, including GMHBA Stadium and MARS Stadium, do not require approval to host capacity crowds under current COVIDSafe settings.
