Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna expecting some issues for first AFL round under new ticket system

West Coast and Fremantle fans heading to the footy this weekend will face issues getting into Optus Stadium, the venue’s boss has conceded.

But Mike McKenna is confident they will not be at the same level seen at AFL Origin.

The venue and Ticketmaster rolled out a new system featuring additional security features in January, including dynamic barcodes that refresh every 15 seconds and tickets added to digital wallets, making use of tap-and-go NFC technology.

As a result, tickets shared through screenshots will no longer scan at the gates and instead need to be transferred between Ticketmaster accounts to allow entry to the venue.

The change appeared to cause significant issues for fans who went to watch WA take on Victoria last month, with lengthy queues remaining in place at the start of the game and the turnstiles even being briefly lowered to allow them to clear.

McKenna forecast “there to be some issues at times” at the gates ahead of Fremantle’s clash with Melbourne on Saturday and West Coast coming up against North Melbourne on Sunday.

“I’m confident we’ll be able to avoid the extent of the problems we had with Origin. I daresay there’s going to be times where there’s going to be queues,” McKenna told The West Australian.

“All it takes is for someone at the front of the queue to get to a turnstile, not know what they’re doing, need help, and that slows everything down. The more we can avoid that, the less problems we’ll have.

“To do that, we’re asking people to make sure they’ve already downloaded their tickets through their Ticketmaster app and then perhaps even put it in their phone’s wallet. That’s the easiest way. Even if you get to the gate, and you’re not sure where to scan, someone can show you very quickly.”

The Dockers have put a number of prizes on offer for fans who enter the venue by 3.30pm ahead of their clash with the Demons, including passes to enter the change rooms before or after the game and the chance to be part of a guard of honour as they run onto the ground.

In the early weeks of the season, McKenna encouraged all fans to arrive at the venue half an hour before they normally would.

“That way, you can be sure of getting through, getting to your seat, and you’re ready for the start of the game and the pre-match entertainment, which is going to be fantastic for the first round,” he said.

McKenna said the earliest events held under the new ticketing system — including a pair of Ed Sheeran concerts — had run smoothly, which left the venue “a bit caught out” when the Origin issues emerged.

“Since then, we’ve had more people through, and there’s been varying experiences,” he said.