I was planning a trip to the SCG when my mate Cass was putting together his recent guide on what you can and can’t bring when going to the footy. I never realised that you can bring in your own food to the SCG. It got me thinking about what else you could and couldn’t bring in, so I did some research and put together this guide to help anyone else in the same situation.
In summary, food can be brought into the SCG, including food made and home and commercially prepared takeaway. Drinks can be brought in if they are in plastic bottles. Alcoholic drinks, cans, glass bottles, and cigarettes are not allowed in the SCG.
Food is available for purchase once inside. Prices range from $4.50 for a sausage roll to over $12 for a meal such as fish and chips.
Alcohol is also available for purchase once inside. A beer starts at $6.50 and wine from $7.50.
Here are some examples of what can and cannot be brought in to the SCG:
| Home-made sandwiches | OK |
| Chips, lollies, or biscuits | OK |
| Bottle of water or soft drink | OK |
| Can of soft drink | NOT OK |
| Alcoholic drink | NOT OK |
| Cigarettes | NOT OK |
| Backpack | OK |
In this guide I’ve included further details of the food that can be brought in (e.g. chips and snacks), drinks that can be brought in (e.g. refillable water bottles), and personal belongings that can be brought in (e.g. bags, cameras, prams).
Food
Home-made food can be brought in to the SCG. This include sandwiches, cakes, slices, and even home made pizza. Metal or glass containers cannot be brought in to the SCG. I usually use plastic or a soft insulated bag anyway.
I’ve heard commercially made takeaway food can be brought in, though I’ve never tried or seen this myself. I also never found much takeaway available in the Entertainment Quarter – the likes of McDonald’s and Subway are much further away.
Chips, lollies, biscuits and other pre-packaged snacks can be brought in. There is nowhere to buy these snacks near the SCG, I suggest bringing them from home.
Buying food inside the SCG typically costs between $4.50 and $12. Some examples of the food available inside include:
- Sausage roll – $4.50
- Hot chips – $4.90
- Sandwich – $7.50
- Fish and chips – $11.90
These prices are typical of the SCG family friendly pricing and some matches may have slightly higher prices.
Other food available inside includes burgers, pizzas, and souvlaki.
Drinks
Water and soft drinks can be brought in to the SCG if they are in plastic bottles. Bottles of drink should be sealed and only opened once inside.
Glass bottles and aluminium cans cannot be brought in to the SCG. This means that any soft drinks or water brought in must be in plastic bottles and not glass or canned.
Refillable water bottles can be brought in and be filled up inside. The bottle may be checked for alcohol on the way in, though I’ve never seen this happen. It should also be possible to bring tea in if it’s in a plastic bottle (metal containers cannot be brought in), but again I’ve never tried this myself.
Alcoholic drinks cannot be brought into the SCG. Alcohol can be purchased once inside the SCG. Some examples of alcohol prices include:
- Light beer – $6.50
- House wine – $7.50
- Regular beer – $8.50
Alcohol bought inside can’t be taken with you when you leave.
There are dry zones at the SCG. It’s typically located at bays 3-5 (in the Bradman Stand) and bays 32-33 (in the Brewongle Concourse), this can vary slightly depending on the match. Alcohol is not permitted in the dry zones.
Bags and backpacks
Bags and backpacks can be brought in to the SCG. The rule is that the bag must be able to fit under your seat. I recommend bringing in something that can be squashed or folded to make sure that it is able to fit under the seat.
Clear bags are encouraged by the SCG. Using a clear bag speeds up bag checking time when entering the ground.
Cameras
Cameras are usually OK for personal use, including digital cameras and phone cameras – taking a photo of a match is OK. The rule is that if the camera has a detachable lens of size greater than 200mm, the camera cannot be brought in.
Video cameras and commercial use film and audio recording equipment also cannot be brought in. I’d expect your mobile phone not to fall under the category of “video cameras”.
Umbrellas
Umbrellas can be brought into the SCG. An umbrella can’t be opened in the seating area while there is a match or a game in progress. I’ve found plastic ponchos readily available for keeping dry as an alternative.
Prams and Strollers
A pram or stroller can be brought in to the SCG. The pram or stroller needs to be able to be folded such that it can fit under a seat. Prams and strollers that do not fold cannot be brought in.
Items NOT to bring in
Here are some items that CANNOT be brought into the SCG:
- Alcohol
- Cigarettes, including e-ciggarettes
- Pets
- Glass bottles
- Aluminium drink cans
- Metal containers
- Drones
- Skateboards, scooters, rollerblades or bicycles
- Musical instruments, horns, whistles, sirens
- Prams or strollers that don’t fold
- Chairs or stools
- Flag poles over 1.5m in length or flags/banners over 1m by 1m in size
There are more items not to bring in – including obvious ones such as fireworks and flares – listed on the SCG’s official Conditions of Entry.
Bottom Line
To bring in food: Make it at home and bring it with you (e.g. sandwiches), or bring some snacks from the supermarket (e.g. lollies or chips). Takeaway food can be brought in, but it’s hard to find anywhere nearby to buy it.
To bring in drink: Make sure it’s in a sealed plastic bottle when you enter. Refillable water bottles can be brought in.
To bring in bags: If it can fit under the seat, it can be brought in. I recommend using something soft or fold-able so that it is easier to fit underneath.
I found the SCG to have relaxed rules compared to other stadiums around the country. There aren’t any strict rules on the dimensions of bags, or on how big bottles can be – I find the SCG takes a more commonsense approach. The overall guidance from the SCG seems to be “don’t do anything that could annoy the people around you” and if you stick to this it should be OK.
References
It’s been a while since I’ve been to the SCG. To keep the information in this guide up-to-date, I reference a number of other publications, such as:
- SCG Conditions of Entry
- SCG food prices
- SCG preference for clear bags
- Refilling reusable bottles at the SCG
- Extra conditions of entry for the footy, as published by the AFL. There isn’t much extra in here, mostly a few more rules on filming and cameras.
- A guide my mate Cass put together listing the rules on what can and can’t be brought in to each footy venue around the country.