Sorry for my naivety, but aside from the location and the fact that it is often empty, what is actually wrong with ANZ? My first game there will be this year's GF, so interested to see how it can be improved. Is it only soulless because there are so many empty seats? Does it work well for GF, SOO? Or is there something intrinsically wrong with it?
There's nothing wrong with the location.
The clear worst thing about the stadium is the ridiculously poor gradient of the seating. It's actually unbelievable how it was ever approved being so far away from the action in so called "premium seating".
The next biggest problem for League in this stadium is that the sport just isn't popular enough outside of exhibition games and grand finals to even half fill the stadium more than once or twice a season which borderline voids the matches played there of atmosphere.
The joint will be full on grand final day though so hopefully that disguises most of the stadiums flaws and you just enjoy the day and game for what it is.