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AFL world blasts 'disgraceful' situation as Port Adelaide fan's photo sparks furious response

One Power fan took to social media to highlight the farcical situation at the Adelaide Oval.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read

A Port Adelaide fan has exposed the diabolical seating situation at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night for the first AFL final against Geelong, posting a photo of his restricted view despite paying for a Category 2 ticket. Anthony Alesiani was in attendance as Port were thrashed by 84 points at the hands of the Cats, although he probably wishes he wasn't.

To make matters worse after the embarrassing loss, Alesiani couldn't even see the whole field. The Port fan revealed on social media that he paid for a Category 2 ticket, which would have cost him in the hundreds of dollars.

The Port Adelaide fan's view for the Geelong match at Adelaide Oval.
One Port Adelaide fan took to social media to show their restricted view. Image: Anthony Alesiani- Twitter/Getty

But his seat had a restricted view and he couldn't see a portion of the field because of some fencing that was in the way. To make matters worse, Alesiani said he wasn't told his seat had a restricted view when he booked it.

"Look I’m grateful to be here," he wrote alongside a photo of his blocked view. "But for the next time AFL and Ticketek, this isn’t a category 2 ticket."

It meant Alesiani wouldn't have seen Jeremy Cameron's incredible goal in the first quarter, which he kicked from the pocket that was blocked from his view. Although considering Port's insipid performance, Alesiani was probably glad he couldn't see all of it.

Another person wrote: "You were the luckiest Port Adelaide supporter on the planet." However plenty more blasted the "disgraceful" and "ridiculous" situation. "That's absurd. World class stadiums shouldn't have seats like that," one person wrote. Another added: "Should get a refund for that. Gross ticketing."

Port Adelaide are licking their wounds after a fourth-straight loss in a finals game, but have to regroup ahead of their semi-final next week against the winner of Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs. They're in danger of a second straight-sets exit in two years, which would undoubtedly spark questions about Ken Hinkley's tenure.

"The next 24 hours, we have to live with that performance," Hinkley said after the 84-point humiliation. "We have to live with the facts ... our last three or four finals haven't been at the level we need them to be.

Power players, pictured here after their loss to Geelong in the AFL finals.
Power players look on dejected after their loss to Geelong. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"It's about our coaching group, it's about our playing group and it's about our footy club. I know, and I get, that it falls back to the head coach in some ways. But the reality is, we've always said, this is all of us doing this, this is all of us trying to achieve something together.

"It's not one individual but there's a figurehead and, for me, I sit in that spot. I work really hard to give the best results we can possibly get. And my team of coaches and my team of people in the footy department do everything they can not to have that result."

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The loss was Port's second-biggest in their history, only behind the 119-point capitulation to Geelong in the 2007 grand final. And it was compounded when dual All Australian and vice-captain Zak Butters went down with a rib injury and had to be substituted out of the game.