Stuart Fox before the MCG NFL Game | MCC CEO (11.09.26)
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Why does Stuart Fox feel nervous before the NFL Melbourne game?
The chief executive of the Melbourne Cricket Club is Stuart Fox. We talked to Stuart on the big days for footy and cricket. Well, this is something else. Stuart, great to have you on SEN for NFL. Thank you,
Gerard. Thanks for having me on. How are you feeling? I feel nauseous, anxious. Yeah, I can't believe it. We do it for a living, yet you wake up this morning and I'm still nervous. It's a big show and I think I've underestimated how big it actually is.
What is your sense of scope right now, having lived the past few days in the town and sitting here looking at this glorious arena painted like never before?
Yeah, it feels like the AFL Grand Final five times bigger. It's the biggest thing we've ever worked on. Two years in the planning and it's going to be great today. It's looking a treat and just the logistics behind it has been incredible. So it's going to be a proud day for all our team today.
What are the one or two things that stick in your mind that you go, oh, gee, we worked hard to solve that and to see
it? Look, there's a whole lot of things. It's actually really complicated to explain, but nothing is normal compared to, say, AFL or cricket being in the venue.
How does the MCG’s infrastructure differ for NFL compared to AFL and cricket?
So the turf overlay, the broadcast overlay, the change rooms are just totally different. The fan experience, obviously, stadium campus is totally different to how we consume in AFL and cricket. So everything is different. And then the infrastructure that goes behind that is just phenomenal. Like, you know, people wouldn't know, but underneath this building, there's 350 car parks. There's probably two car parks today. They're now offices, they're operation centres, they're media overlays, medical rooms. There's toilets, showers. It's just unbelievable what's been achieved in probably seven days. Two years of planning, but in the last seven days to transform the place has been incredible.
What's going on outside? So I can legitimately make the case it's bigger than anything I've seen at a Super Bowl. Some of that is the proximity of the city and the campuses you explain it, the parklands, the superstore is the biggest thing I've ever seen here. In the aftermath, we go, what are we learning? But what do you think of the experience today that Melbournians are having who have been coming here weekly their whole lives?
Yeah, well, I think the NFL have done a great job in making Melbourne theirs. And if you look at some of the pubs and restaurants, all week that build-up's been incredible. And then having stadium campus is pretty cool because people come in, obviously, through a perimeter fence and then into the parkland. So once you're in... You're actually in, but you're not in the stadium.
What makes the fan experience at the NFL event unique for Melbourne locals?
So the crowd's spread out and there's just so much activity. As you said, merchandising, there's corporate events on outside. So there's a real atmosphere. And I think that's the difference, is that they've put so much into the whole experience for the week and it makes it for a pretty special event.
There's a certain genius to having the gates a long way away from the doors, isn't there? The experience of getting in, there's so many people outside. It was brilliant.
Yeah, and one of the philosophies of the NFL, they do not like queues. So they overdo the infrastructure to get in and set everything back. And I do feel like that creates a bit more festival atmosphere, whereas the way we would normally do it, you enter the stadium and then you're in, and you're sort of more congested once you're in the building. So I think there's something to be learnt by... um opening up the parkland it's such a such a beautiful uh spot and we can we can capitalize on that for major events the turf yeah
so first of all it looks sensational i love when it when you go to a stadium that's going to host a super bowl and you get in the day before and you're able to walk around and they're great keepsakes to collect the memories to take photos i was here yesterday and able to do that at the mcg which it She's a beautiful grounder. She can surprise you. What do you think of the way that it's come up with the NFL field on the oval?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does Stuart Fox feel nervous before the NFL Melbourne game?
0:00–1:12
2
How does the MCG’s infrastructure differ for NFL compared to AFL and cricket?
1:12–2:45
3
What makes the fan experience at the NFL event unique for Melbourne locals?
2:45–4:39
4
Why is the NFL’s stadium layout designed to avoid queues and create a festival vibe?
4:39–6:09
5
How is the NFL field being installed on the MCG’s oval and what are the turf challenges?
6:09–8:04
6
What is the timeline and process for removing the AFL turf and laying the NFL surface?
8:04–9:02
7
How will the MCG balance future AFL finals with recurring NFL events?
9:02–9:31
8
What does Stuart Fox predict about attendance and success on kickoff day?
9:31–9:32
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Whateley
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