Collingwood are said to have lost out in their hopes to retain thousands of away seats at the MCG, with a new plan set to see the Magpie Army's reserved allocation in the Ponsford Stand cut from next year.
Recent outrage from rival Victorian clubs has led to discussions around the succession of Collingwood's 30-year agreement with the MCG, which is scheduled to end ahead of 2024.
Collingwood have managed to secure 15,000 seats for away matches at the MCG, with the agreement's upcoming expiry leading to questions being raised ahead of a new deal.
Richmond, Hawthorn and Melbourne are said to be among the clubs calling for change after their fans were forced out of the Ponsford Stand, with their wish tipped to be granted.
According toย The Herald Sun, 3000-4000 seats allocated to Collingwood fans in their away bay won't be available from next year, with a new agreement in place with the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire expressed his outrage when learning of the anger of other Victorian clubs over the deal.
โI am actually insulted to be honest on behalf of all Collingwood people that the MCG and the AFL would even contemplate it,โ McGuire told News Corp.
โAll these clubs had the chance to do a deal with the MCG and all of them ran out the door.
โIn the end Collingwood stayed and did the ripping deal at the MCG."
It is understood all parties are likely to be satisfied by the 3000-4000 seat cut for the next agreement, with close to 11,000 reserved away seats set to remain on offer to Collingwood fans.
The club recorded 100,384 membership sales in 2022, with that record set to be broken this year as the Magpies push for another deep finish to their campaign.
They won't be the only club expecting a spike in memberships, with arch-rivals Carlton also likely to close in on the six-figure total in 2023.
Demand for tickets at the MCG is becoming increasingly difficult with the rise in memberships across the league, with April's ANZAC Day encounter between Collingwood and Essendon already sold out to the general public.
Collingwood will open plat five away matches at the MCG in 2023, beginning with their Round 1 encounter against Geelong on Friday, March 17.
