David Rappoccio, 42, offered two standing room tickets worth $100 each for a total of $800 to an undercover officer posing as a buyer at the Sydney-Hawthorn game.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Rappoccio exchanged mobile phones with the officer before a police detective appeared and seized the tickets.

Prosecutor Jennifer Butler on Thursday said at the time the maximum penalty for offering a Grand Final ticket at a premium was about $8856, but last year the offence for selling five or less tickets attracted a $738 penalty infringement notice.

Ms Butler sought costs totalling about $20,000 she said was warranted for seven previous listings of the case, including those for a private investigator who had refused work for four days to attend court to give evidence.

She told magistrate Peter White that previous scalpers had been fined between $600 and $800 with costs of $1500 to $2000.

Defence solicitor Matt Cookson replied that those guilty of drug offences and "beating their partners" walked from court with penalties less than what was suggested for his client.

Mr Cookson said that such a combined penalty for Rappoccio, who was not charged until 12 months after the sting, was "far too onerous to bear".

The unemployed swim coach and married father of one was a "cleanskin" - he has no prior convictions - who "regards himself as an avid Swans fan".

He had made an "opportunistic decision" to sell the tickets, he added.

Mr White told Rappoccio, of Carnegie, the legislation was enacted to "strike out this type of conduct" that some members of society regarded as "abhorrent".

He fined him $1000 without conviction and ordered him to pay $4000 costs.