Football fans will be able to enjoy the cheapest food and drinks in more than a decade this season after the MCG slashed its prices by up to 40 per cent.
The MCC and its hospitality partner Epicure will take a annual financial hit of $2 million to give spectators better priced food and beverages in an agreement that will extend for at least the next seven years.
Collingwood is scheduled to play 14 home and away games at the MCG in 2015.
AFL chief Gillon McLachlan he was "quietly optimistic" food prices would also be cut at Etihad Stadium.
"We've been meeting with Etihad as well. They understand the agenda that we've set and we've been talking to them many times," McLachlan said.
"So I'm optimistic, but we'll keep talking to them.
"Certainly we've been having some pretty direct dialogue with them (Etihad). This is a big statement by the MCG today and hopefully we'll have an announcement out of Etihad, but we'll keep talking to them."
Favourites such as the meat pie will now be priced at $4, down from $4.80, while hot dogs will be $4, down from $6.50 - the biggest price cut from the food menu.
Bottled water has fallen from $5 to $3, which is the cheapest it has been since 2001.
Other family favourites such as hot chips and soft drinks have also fallen, as well as healthier options like salad and sushi.
Food sizes will remain the same despite the drastic price change.
MCC CEO Stephen Gough said the stadium's prices would be unrivalled around the world, with the possible exception of Augusta National Golf Course in America.
"I do think it will be the cheapest in these areas by a long way," Gough said on Monday morning.
"What other stadiums do is not my business, what AFL and cricket do with those stadiums is not my business, but clearly I would say we'd be a leader by a long way."
A spokesman for Etihad Stadium said chief executive Paul Sergeant was expected to make a public announcement about his venue's plans before the start of the AFL season.
Given the magnitude of the MCG's discounts, it's unlikely the privately-owned Docklands venue will be able to offer such a cut.
However, Etihad Stadium has already indicated it will lift the ban that prevented spectators bringing in commercially prepared food from outside the venue after it was trialled last year.
The investment in the aspect of the fan experience will cost the MCC and Epicure $14m over the next seven years.If sales stay the same as they have been in the past, both parties look set to lose $2m from the bottom line each year to sustain the prices.
But Gough said it was a "sound investment".
"If we can do something that does make difference without compromising our ability to upgrade the MCG and service the debt, we're delighted to do it," he said.
"This is a major impact and we don't need market research to tell us - we know what fans think about coming to the MCG, it's mostly very positive."
Alcohol prices are set to stay the same with discounts on such drinks not a priority, although a "beer tray" will now be free and not set spectators back $1 as it did in the past.
"We focused our attention here on the family and the fans there so alcohol wasn't a part of those considerations," Gough said.
NEW MCG FOOD PRICES
Hot chips $4; were $5.60
Four'N Twenty pie $4; was $4.80
Hot dog $4; was $6.50
Chicken schnitzel burger $7.50; was $10
Soft drink (600ml) $4, was $5
Bottled water $3, was $5
Sushi $5, was $6.80
Salad $8, was $11.50
Collingwood at the MCG
Collingwoodfc.com.au presents some stats and facts that you may not know about the club's history at the MCG.
Collingwood will play 14 games at the MCG in 2015, 10 of which will be against Victorian rivals Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne and Richmond.
The Magpies began to play the majority of their home games at the ‘G in 1994 and officially became an MCG tenant in 2000 after Victoria Park’s days as an AFL venue came to a close.
In total, the Pies have played 562 matches at the home of football since 1897, recording 298 wins, 257 losses and seven draws.
The club averages a crowd of 58,570 people per each MCG game.
AFLtables.com reports a total of 32,037,791 people have attended Collingwood games at the matches at which an attendance figure has been recorded (note that 15 of Collingwood’s 562 matches at the MCG were not attributed an attendance figure).
Dane Swan has played 150 of his 236 senior games at the MCG, the equal most of any Magpie in the club’s history (alongside former captain and current assistant coach Scott Burns).
Only seven of the 12,315 players to register a VFL/AFL game since 1897 have played at the MCG more often.
Champion full forward Sav Rocca kicked 329 goals in 99 games at the venue for Collingwood and North Melbourne, a feat bettered by only five others in the game’s history.
Travis Cloke is not far behind the big Sav, having kicked 262 of his 390 career goals at the ‘G, ranking him 11th on the all-time leaderboard.
Sav’s younger brother Anthony Rocca comes in at No. 15 on the all-time list with 236 goals at the ground.
