As debate rages over decreasing AFL crowds in Victoria, the Melbourne Cricket Club is hopeful of capacity at the MCG soon being unrestricted.
Up to 85,000 people are currently allowed to attend games at the famous ground, but only the traditional Anzac Day blockbuster (78,113) has gone close to reaching that mark.
All Victorian AFL venues had their capacities lifted to 85 per cent earlier this month, joining the MCG, which was bumped up ahead of the Collingwood-Essendon game on April 25.
Attendances in Melbourne this season have failed to reach pre-COVID levels but MCC boss Stuart Fox insists he is not concerned.
"Eight-five per cent at the moment, we hope to increase that in coming weeks.
"I've been thrilled, just the fact that we can be here watching live sport again after what we went through last year - it was pretty difficult times.
"It had to start somewhere and I've been really pleased with the crowds. We're slightly down, we know that, but we should be talking it up."
Fox's comments come after only 18,798 fans turned out for a rare Richmond home game at Marvel Stadium.
The Tigers, who have won three of the last four premierships and boast more than 100,000 members, made it known before and post game they were fed up with the agreement to play one of their home matches away from their beloved MCG.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said it could take more time than anyone imagined to draw strong crowds back to football.
"I saw the aftermath of 18,000 people at Marvel, which is a poor result," he said.
"That's a broader conversation around where we're at in the post-COVID world."
