Ticketing meltdown at MCG for AFL opener

An electronic ticketing meltdown has left hundreds footy fans waiting outside the MCG for the AFL season opener in Melbourne.

Ticketek's paperless mobile phone tickets failed to load at Thursday night's match between Richmond and Carlton, leaving people waiting outside with nothing but an error message when they clicked on the link.

An hour before kick-off, ticket operator Ticketek directed people with mobile tickets to huge box office queues.

Customers took to social media to complain to the ticket operator, who said they were experiencing "technical difficulties".

"Standing in a queue, team running out - Ticketek - you are HOPELESS," Andrew Crane wrote on Twitter.

"Off to the other side of the MCG to the Ticketek booth to line up for another 30 mins with 500 other unhappy punters! Missed half the first quarter standing in queues!! Good start to a family night out," David Storen wrote on Ticketek's Facebook page.

The ticket issues weren't confined to the MCG, with customers in Adelaide complaining the issue was also affecting the Socceroos game at Adelaide Oval.