A crowd of up to 50,000 will be allowed into the MCG for the opening game of the AFL season with the Victorian government increasing the capacity of spectator numbers at sporting events.
Richmond are expected to unfurl their last two premiership flags when they battle Carlton at Melbourne's premier sporting venue on March 18.
It will be the biggest crowd at an event in Victoria since the women's Twenty20 World Cup final last March, which took place only days before the COVID-19 pandemic first changed the way of life in Australia.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has thanked Victorian premier Daniel Andrews for allowing fans back to the football.
"Footy fans in Victoria have been excited about getting back to matches and we have seen that with great numbers across the opening rounds of the AFLW season," McLachlan said.
"We haven't had footy crowds this big in Victoria since the match to support bushfire relief in February last year, so this announcement provides a big boost for our players and fans.
"Our team has been working extensively behind the scenes planning for multiple scenarios and all our venues will be ready to welcome fans back into the stands come next month."
