Number-one ticket holder

A number-one ticket holder is a person who holds membership ticket number 1 of a particular sporting club. Possession of the number one ticket is largely symbolic. The tradition of having a number one ticket holder is mainly observed in Australia, particularly in the Australian Football League. The ticket is often given to a celebrity or past player in order to raise the profile of the club.

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is the premier Australian rules football competition in Australia. Most clubs nominate a number one ticket holder each year.

2015 AFL number one ticket holders

Club	Ticket holder
Adelaide Football Club	Lleyton Hewitt [1] Kate Ellis [2]
Brisbane Lions	Melanie Wright [3] Spencer Grammer
Carlton Football Club	Sam Smorgon[4] Vivienne Kerr
Collingwood Football Club	No number one ticket holder [1]
Essendon Football Club	Ken Lay [5]
Fremantle Football Club	Ben Roberts-Smith [6]
Geelong Football Club	Rebecca Maddern[7] Robert Doyle[8] Keith Fagg[8]
Greater Western Sydney Giants	Melissa Doyle [9]
Hawthorn Football Club	Dulcie Kennedy [10]
Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club	Ricky Ponting [1]
Port Adelaide Football Club	Hugh Sheridan [11]
Richmond Football Club	Ken Grenda[12] Evelyn Danos
St Kilda Football Club	Eric Bana [13]
Sydney Swans	Adam Spencer (2016) [14] Duncan McPherson [15]
West Coast Eagles	Daniel Ricciardo |[16]
Western Bulldogs	Alan Johnstone [17]

National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the premier rugby league competition in Australasia. Known dates are included in brackets.

Club	Ticket holder
Brisbane Broncos	Lachlan Murdoch (2006–09)[18][19][20][21] Andrew Fraser ("until he left politics" in 2012)[22] Kevin Rudd (2013-14)[23][24]
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Canberra Raiders	Mark Webber (2010)[25]
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	Scott Morrison (2016) [26]
Gold Coast Titans
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	Tony Abbott (2014–16) [27][28]
Melbourne Storm	Molly Meldrum & Julia Gillard (2010) [29]
Newcastle Knights
New Zealand Warriors
North Queensland Cowboys
Parramatta Eels
Penrith Panthers	Mark Geyer (2012-2016) [30][31]
South Sydney Rabbitohs
St. George Illawarra Dragons	John Howard [32]
Sydney Roosters
Wests Tigers	Lee Hagipantelis (2014–15) [33]
North Sydney Bears

A-League

The A-League is a professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand.

Club	Ticket holder	Reference
Melbourne Heart FC	Jon Bon Jovi (2010)	[34]
Central Coast Mariners	Julie Goodwin (2016-)	[35]

ANZ Championship

The ANZ Championship was the premier netball league in Australia and New Zealand that existed between 2008 and 2016.

Club	Ticket holder	Reference
Queensland Firebirds	Anna Bligh (2008)	[36]

See also

• Fan (person) § Sports

References

1. Wortman, Jeff (2 April 2009). "Who's your No.1?". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
2. "Kate Ellis joins Crows" (Press release). Adelaide Football Club. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
3. "Wright & Grammer: Lions No. 1 Ticket Holders". 30 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
4. "Fisher back for Blues". The AFL. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
5. "Number One Don - essendonfc.com.au". Retrieved 5 October 2015.
6. "Roberts-Smith the No 1 ticket holder at Freo". WAToday. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
7. Nash, Jonno (28 June 2012). "Cats' No.1 ticket holder Rebecca Maddern says it was either like football or there was no TV". Herald Sun. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
8. "Cats crown new number ones". Geelong Cats Football Club. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
9. "Giants announce Melissa Doyle as number one ticket holder" (Press release). Greater Western Sydney Giants. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
10. "Dulcie Kennedy, female number one ticket holder". 12 March 2014.
11. Port Adelaide Football Club Number 1 ticket holders. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
12. "Tigers announce No. 1 ticket holders". Richmond Football Club. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
13. Tullberg, Julie (25 June 2010). "Actor Eric Bana named Saints No. 1 ticketholder". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
14. "Spencer named Number One Ticket Holder". Sydney Swans. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
15. "Duncan's number one". Sydney Swans. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
16. "Daniel Ricciardo has been named as West Coast's No. 1 ticket holder". Triple M. 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
17. "Johnstone named no.1 ticket holder". Western Bulldogs Football Club. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
18. Chenoweth, Neil (5 August 2005). "Lachlan's legacy: $560m lost on Super League". The Australian Financial Review. South Sydney Rabbitohs. Archived from the original on 14 March 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
19. Murphy, Mitchell (5 October 2007). "Bid to take over Broncos". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
20. Heming, Wayne (3 March 2008). "Broncos recruit powerful player in Rudd". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
21. Flynn, Michael (4 December 2009). "Who's Number One?". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
22. Ludlow, Mark; Cranston, Matthew (1 October 2015). "Queenslanders face off in battle for league's best". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
23. Kelly, Joe (21 August 2013). "Tony Abbott scores at Kevin Rudd's home ground with $5m for Broncos upgrade". The Australian. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
24. Masters, Roy (13 August 2014). "Brisbane Broncos cross the line in political divide". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
25. Hind, Richard (23 March 2010). "Webber the formula for success". The Age. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
26. "Scott Morrison the '#1 Ticket Holder'". sharks.com.au. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
27. Geddes, Jon (1 March 2014). "Prime Minister Tony Abbott's new role as Manly Sea Eagle number one ticketholder". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
28. Patterson, Robbie (28 June 2016). "Tony Abbott pledges extra cash for Brookvale Oval upgrade". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
29. Duck, Siobhan; Collier, Karen; Hudson, Phillip (22 April 2010). "Melbourne Storm number one ticket holder Molly Meldrum 'devastated' by NRL penalty". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
30. Glover, Ben (29 February 2012). "Mark Geyer says Penrith star Michael Gordon is the next Billy Slater and should play fullback for the Panthers". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
31. Logue, Matt (8 September 2016). "Mark Geyer calls on Penrith fans to show their passion and turn up for the NRL elimination final". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
32. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/no1-ticket-holders-dumped/story-e6frexnr-1111114977570?nk=0e0327e6e518e2982a147505f396fe13-1479542021
33. "Brydens Lawyers commit to Wests Tigers". weststigers.com.au. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
34. "Jon Bon Jovi named Melbourne Heart's No.1 international ticket holder". Fox Sports. 24 July 2010.
35. http://www.ccmariners.com.au/article/julie-goodwin-unveiled-as-mariners-number-1-ticket-holder/15j7qd78yon3o153j1i4xfjuul
36. "Brand New Queensland Firebirds". Australian Netball. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2016.