The MCC will come under renewed pressure from the AFL to introduce a new ticketing system for members which prevents a repeat of the debacle on Saturday that resulted in several thousand seats left empty in the Members Stand.

The Grand Final replay drew an attendance of 93,853 - 6200 or so fewer than the week one figure of 100,016 which is considered about capacity. And the bulk of those empty seats appeared to be in the Members, high up in the third tier (as shown in the background of the picture, above).

AFL Commission figures were aghast - and angry - as they surveyed the scene across the ground from their position on the Great Southern Stand wing and it is thought Commission chief executive Andrew Demetriou and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick made their displeasure known to MCC chief executive Stephen Gough.

With the AFL under pressure each September to release more Grand Final seats to club members, especially those from the competing clubs, the sight of the empty rows of seats rankled with the hierarchy.

MCC members can go into a lottery for allocated seats but the club has traditionally allowed for several thousand walk-up starts. Because of that provision, the MCC can never be totally sure of how many people will turn up. And on Saturday, they mysteriously stayed away in droves.

It is understood the Commission will ask the MCC to explore ways it can pre-sell all its GF tickets so the club can keep tabs on how many members will be attending, and how many spare seats there might be for public sale.

Gough told the ABC on Sunday he expected a full-house, but fell short by about 3,500 members.

‘The demand, the previous grand final we were full, the preliminary final we were full, the weather was good, the demand for the allocated seats was strong. We expected a full house, and so you wait in the hope that those eligible will come, but we finished short on the day,' he said.

‘So, as I say, we have to review to see why that wasn't the case before we take any decision on changes.'

Victorian Premier John Brumby joined the chorus for an improved system for the allocation of Grand Final tickets. He suggested a ballot system, pre-sales or same-day tickets.

‘There are lots of people who would just love to get a ticket to the footy,' he said. ‘It would be their greatest dream in life, to [get to] a grand final, and they can't.

‘To see a couple of thousand seats sitting there empty, I think it's a disappointment. I'm not having a crack at the MCC but I think it's something we need to talk about to see if we can improve the system in the future.'