SA Footy

I’m considering signing up for a SACA membership and was hoping to hear from current or past members.

Is the membership good value overall?

On regular match days (Tests, ODIs, BBL), how hard is it to actually get a seat?

Do you need to line up early each day, or is access generally reliable?

Are there particular days or matches where it’s much harder?

Keen to hear honest experiences before committing. Thanks in advance!

When I joined I think membership was capped at 7-10 000 (last millennium)...

Membership is now 34 000 and I think it is barely a 1 year wait time. That gives you an idea on how hard it is to get a seat during the big matches (ASHES, BGT and New years eve BB).

This year it was pretty easy to get in as with over half the crowd expected to be members the whole southern entrance was dedicated to SACA members for the test. I walked straight up every day but finding a good seat a was difficult.

This years they had plenty of good bar and food options compared to previous years IMO.

Next year with the Kiwis getting a seat wont be too hard

Your first year will cost you North of $750 (inclusive of a joining fee).

the best thing I like about the membership currently is 20% off at Malt Shovel tap house and the chance to get in the committee room or Gil Langley room for footy ($250 a ticket for free food and drink)

Brad wrote:I’m considering signing up for a SACA membership and was hoping to hear from current or past members.

Is the membership good value overall?
Yes - first year is expensive as you have to pay the initial fee

On regular match days (Tests, ODIs, BBL), how hard is it to actually get a seat?
Test matches Day 1-3 can be tricky getting a seat in prime positions, but they don't fill all the way up. You get handed a sticker to save seats during the breaks and after the tea break there's no reserved seats.

Do you need to line up early each day, or is access generally reliable?
Not really. Day 1 this year I got there 90mins before play and got a decent seat in the shade. Every other day was 30mins before play and got close to my preferred seats

Are there particular days or matches where it’s much harder?
Test matches are the hardest.

Keen to hear honest experiences before committing. Thanks in advance!

I've been a member for a number of years now and the experience is so much better than being in the outer. I am also a bit of a cricket nuffy.

Used to be value.

I found the ashes this year was a real problem.

Saca clearly over sold their memberships, trying to make up for money lost in previous seasons.

It was way too packed.

I don't mind sitting next to a random stranger in footy weather, but having some flat slob sweating on you in 39 degrees isn't my idea of fun.
Most members getting to the ground an hour before the start couldn't get a seat.

This was the first year in more than 10 I didn't bother going in every day. Day 1 put me off way too much.

I am honestly considering giving my membership up.

I don't bother with BBL, shield matches aren't of interest. We generally get one ODI only, and that's often on at a weird time.

Basically it's $400 to get to two days of the test match. You can often find a package for under $300 and that includes food and drink.
Would suggest it's better off doing that twice, than fighting with the sh!tshow that the members area was this year.

Now, if you are interested in spending time out the back, then thats a different story. You'd need a membership for that. But yeah, I was more interested in watching cricket than watching 19 year olds drink on daddy's credit card.

Basically it's $400 to get to two days of the test match. You can often find a package for under $300 and that includes food and drink.
Would suggest it's better off doing that twice, than fighting with the sh!tshow that the members area was this year.

I gave away my membership years ago for this exact reason

Its not great value at all TBH, I usually go to 2-3 days of the test and 3-4 strikers games plus SANFL finals THEN you have to pay exorbitant food and drinks prices, which Im ok in doing for the test match as its just as much social as cricket for me, so all up a summer of cricket costs me around $1k.

Im 5 years from getting into the 50 year club so feel I have to hang on now

Jimmy_041 wrote:

Basically it's $400 to get to two days of the test match. You can often find a package for under $300 and that includes food and drink.
Would suggest it's better off doing that twice, than fighting with the sh!tshow that the members area was this year.

I gave away my membership years ago for this exact reason

Yep, stopped a couple of years ago for the same reason.

Jimmy_041 wrote:

Basically it's $400 to get to two days of the test match. You can often find a package for under $300 and that includes food and drink.
Would suggest it's better off doing that twice, than fighting with the sh!tshow that the members area was this year.

I gave away my membership years ago for this exact reason

X 2

Dutchy wrote:Its not great value at all TBH, I usually go to 2-3 days of the test and 3-4 strikers games plus SANFL finals THEN you have to pay exorbitant food and drinks prices, which Im ok in doing for the test match as its just as much social as cricket for me, so all up a summer of cricket costs me around $1k.

Im 5 years from getting into the 50 year club so feel I have to hang on now

They exorbitant food prices are not restricted to the members area just saying.

I get the value arguement but it is not too bad IMO.

Only saving grace from my perspective regarding the food and drinks a is that all revenue foes back to AOSMA which then gets distributed back to the the SACA?SANFL based on the distribution model in the Adelaide oval Act from 2012.

To get a decent seat (side on not looking into the sun) your looking at $80 on ticketrip-offmaster, so if you go to four test days and three BB games like I did, you're in front I believe.

Im not complaining, it always stings a bit when the renewal arrives, when I paid for my boys memberships it was $1600 all up.

We enjoy it still, tie the day in with dinner/drinks before or after in the city etc and when retire I will certainly use it more.

Dutchy wrote:Im not complaining, it always stings a bit when the renewal arrives, when I paid for my boys memberships it was $1600 all up.

We enjoy it still, tie the day in with dinner/drinks before or after in the city etc and when retire I will certainly use it more.

Yeah it's a big up front hit but having had it 28 years you lose track of what it actually costs to by a ticket. given I spent a $100 on food a drinks add a decent ticket you're not getting much change out of $200 (see example listed above).

So yes, it a big up front hit for your ticket but not real difference to what you pay for a ticket and food and drink separately, provided you go to 6-8 days of cricket each year.

So like most things/memberships the value comes in using it.

I hope this has answered your question @Brad.

Brad, for what's it's worth, I would strongly advise getting it.

Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Envy one of the seven deadly sins...

am Bays wrote:

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Envy one of the seven deadly sins...

Booney wrote:

am Bays wrote:

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Envy one of the seven deadly sins...

On a tangent seems like you and Dedja have more in common than you think...

am Bays wrote:

Booney wrote:

am Bays wrote:

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Envy one of the seven deadly sins...

On a tangent seems like you and Dedja have more in common than you think...

Things that make you feel uncomfortable.

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Bit rich coming from a bloke who joined the RM boots club...

wenchbarwer wrote:

Booney wrote:Couple a SACA membership with a school tie and you sir have the top end of SA status symbols.

Bit rich coming from a bloke who joined the RM boots club...

#gifted