Fremantle’s preliminary final against Sydney has sold out within hours, as supporters rushed to secure seats for Friday night’s clash at the SCG.
The Dockers moved to within one victory of their maiden premiership after overcoming Geelong in Friday night’s semi-final. Their reward is a meeting with the Swans, who finished second on the ladder.
Interest in Sydney’s first preliminary final since 2015 has fuelled a surge in ticket demand, with seats disappearing almost as soon as they were released.
Airlines including Qantas have added flights to help West Australian fans travel to the SCG. The match will be Fremantle’s third consecutive sell-out of this year’s finals campaign.
However, the crowd will be considerably smaller than the WA club’s record attendance for last week’s semi-final against Geelong, when 59,725 people watched Fremantle win at Optus Stadium.
Sydney’s largest-ever SCG crowd was 46,323 for the 2017 elimination final against Essendon. That figure is also below the nine consecutive crowds of more than 50,000 Fremantle attracted at Optus Stadium during the home-and-away season on their way to becoming minor premiers.
The Swans will be without stand-in captain Callum Mills, who was injured in their upset qualifying-final victory over reigning premiers Brisbane. They will also miss the suspended “Pullman Five” for the preliminary final.
