2018 AFL Crowds & Ratings thread

[Hawkk]

Weather was putrid pre game I'm sure it would have been at least mid 70s. AFL and MCC well populated so had plenty of neutral interest

My point is that the MCC took into account the weather with its revison. Don’t get me wrong it was a good crowd but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Anything over 60,000 at the MCG for a game featuring Geelong is exceptional.

Take out Hawthorn games and it was the best Geelong home and away attendance since the 2011 Grand Final replay (75,880 against Collingwood in round 8 2012). Could have drawn more but as Richmond’s MCG average for the year is 67,000 it was par for course

Geelong 70,000 plus home and away attendances are extremely rare. Even more so on Friday night. Probably explains why they don’t give a damn if their home games against big drawing Vic clubs get scheduled at Kardina Park instead of the MCG (they would make more money out of the Geelong games anyway).

They are not the MCG drawcard that the big 4 and Hawthorn are. They are not a Melbourne club, they are Victoria’s regional club and should be treated as such...

 

[Hawkk]

AFL and MCC being well populated by neutrals usually means that the weather isn’t affecting the crowd too much. The weather wasn’t too bad, there’s has been much worse this season and in the past. 70,000 would’ve been tops I reckon, since Geelong don’t draw great crowds on a Friday night as the away team regularly. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Good crowd nonetheless.

Terrific roll up in both members. Just shows you the members reserve will fill up for decent games featuring contenders (just like last week). Hopefully it’ll be an indication of more to come over the next few weeks

 

[AstuteTiger]

My point is that the MCC took into account the weather with its revison. Don’t get me wrong it was a good crowd but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Anything over 60,000 at the MCG for a game featuring Geelong is exceptional.

Take out Hawthorn games and it was the best Geelong home and away attendance since the 2011 Grand Final replay (75,880 against Collingwood in round 8 2012). Could have drawn more but as Richmond’s MCG average for the year is 67,000 it was par for course

Geelong 70,000 plus home and away attendances are extremely rare. Even more so on Friday night. Probably explains why they don’t give a damn if their home games against big drawing Vic clubs get scheduled at Kardina Park instead of the MCG (they would make more money out of the Geelong games anyway).

They are not the MCG drawcard that the big 4 and Hawthorn are. They are not a Melbourne club, they are Victoria’s regional club and should be treated as such...

Agree with your sentiments, i was initially thinking with good weather 70K+ but at the same time thought it could fall below knowing cats fans dont travel in big numbers on Friday night games. Then as it was raining for most of the day i thought no chance to hit 70K but MCC did right to revise it down by 5-6K cause of the weather. Still 67k was a damn good crowd.

 

[Rezza Tiger]

My point is that the MCC took into account the weather with its revison. Don’t get me wrong it was a good crowd but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Anything over 60,000 at the MCG for a game featuring Geelong is exceptional.

Take out Hawthorn games and it was the best Geelong home and away attendance since the 2011 Grand Final replay (75,880 against Collingwood in round 8 2012). Could have drawn more but as Richmond’s MCG average for the year is 67,000 it was par for course

Geelong 70,000 plus home and away attendances are extremely rare. Even more so on Friday night. Probably explains why they don’t give a damn if their home games against big drawing Vic clubs get scheduled at Kardina Park instead of the MCG (they would make more money out of the Geelong games anyway).

They are not the MCG drawcard that the big 4 and Hawthorn are. They are not a Melbourne club, they are Victoria’s regional club and should be treated as such...

Hmm I always thought Geelong were a bigger draw than that

 

[aCunningPlan]

Hmm I always thought Geelong were a bigger draw than that

Definitely not, don't get me wrong for a city of 200k being a middling club support wise is exceptional but our crowd numbers aren't up the top. My regular bus to the game is usually full of diehards, tonight is was half empty because it was a Friday night game. I didn't get back home until after 12:30.

If Geelong pushed to have all home games at GMHBA, they would do well to schedule games against the big Melbourne clubs on a Friday night...would really reduce the amount of people locked out as most fair weather fans in Melbourne wouldn't consider the journey.

 

[gaelictiogar]

Most of the comments about the Tiges VS Cats crowd are sensible. It was a great crowd for a Geelong Friday night. Richmond home average so far is over 60,000 with a potentially massive turnout to come the week after next.

 

[Aucklander]

Beautiful night for footy with just a light shower after halftime. Thought the crowd looked a little smaller, but just goes to show how hard it is to judge in such a huge stadium.

 

[Tassieboy]

Really good crowd. The MCC looked quite well populated which, for two mid-ranking MCC club support teams, indicates a good neutral attendance which is positive for the game.

Olympic Park only saw 1.6mm before and during the game so, whilst uncomfortable, conditions weren’t too bad. It maybe kept the crowd from being 70k.

Richmond and Geelong has never been a great crowd puller; neither has Hawthorn and Essendon. The underlying reason has been the awfulness of Richmond and Essendon this century. Bigger games between Essendon and Hawthorn have also had the uncanny knack of being scheduled at Docklands, which doesn’t help. Today will probably see a similar crowd to last night.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Really good crowd. The MCC looked quite well populated which, for two mid-ranking MCC club support teams, indicates a good neutral attendance which is positive for the game.

Olympic Park only saw 1.6mm before and during the game so, whilst uncomfortable, conditions weren’t too bad. It maybe kept the crowd from being 70k.

Richmond and Geelong has never been a great crowd puller; neither has Hawthorn and Essendon. The underlying reason has been the awfulness of Richmond and Essendon this century. Bigger games between Essendon and Hawthorn have also had the uncanny knack of being scheduled at Docklands, which doesn’t help. Today will probably see a similar crowd to last night.

Looking from level n in the GSS pocket:

Olympic full except MCC part
MCC top deck reasonably full but not back to rafters
AFL reserve more full than for stock standard RFC game
Ponsford too deck GA fair amount of empty (on par with MCC and AFL)

Definitely indicates AFL and MCC turned out as you said, and Ga was a bit softer than your normally get at tigs games (and expected with the rain)

Good crowd all considered

 

[NoobPie]

Definitely not, don't get me wrong for a city of 200k being a middling club support wise is exceptional but our crowd numbers aren't up the top. My regular bus to the game is usually full of diehards, tonight is was half empty because it was a Friday night game. I didn't get back home until after 12:30.

If Geelong pushed to have all home games at GMHBA, they would do well to schedule games against the big Melbourne clubs on a Friday night...would really reduce the amount of people locked out as most fair weather fans in Melbourne wouldn't consider the journey.

It’s a bit misleading to talk of a city of 200k in regards to Geelong’s support. Geelong has a shite load of support in Melbourne - it’s a 160 year old football club

 

[Our Game]

It’s a bit misleading to talk of a city of 200k in regards to Geelong’s support. Geelong has a shite load of support in Melbourne - it’s a 160 year old football club

Yep they are not a regional club in any sense. I think I read some where they have many more members outside of Geelong.

 

[Professor Knowall]

Beautiful night for footy with just a light shower after halftime. Thought the crowd looked a little smaller, but just goes to show how hard it is to judge in such a huge stadium.

I wouldn't call the 6 hours of wet weather leading up to half time as "a beautiful night for footy". It was wet and cold. The crowd may have looked a little smaller in the exposed lower decks as many sought undercover seating up out of the rain.

 

[Aucklander]

I wouldn't call the 6 hours of wet weather leading up to half time as "a beautiful night for footy". It was wet and cold. The crowd may have looked a little smaller in the exposed lower decks as many sought undercover seating up out of the rain.

Nothing more than a light sprinkle just after haftime and that was it. Even walking down to the game it was only light. Cold, sure, but it's winter.

 

[NoobPie]

660k metro fta ratings for last night

Edit: and 287k on fox taking the total to 947k before regionals

 

[dave10]

What a feast for MCG footy fans this weekend. Last night 67,000 turn up to a Friday night for the premiers Vs it’s latest challenger. The AFL and MCC reserves were very crowded indicating neutral support was strong.

Today 7th V 11th in an old fashioned grudge match with a potential finals spot at stake. Today’s crowd could surprise and demonstrate the power of a genuine rivalry in footy is still alive. 70,000 today would be a sensational crowd. If the neutrals fill the reserves again it could potentially be closer to 72-74,000.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Nothing more than a light sprinkle just after haftime and that was it. Even walking down to the game it was only light. Cold, sure, but it's winter.

As someone who walked 90 minutes to get to the G last night, light sprinkle my arse

 

[Aucklander]

As someone who walked 90 minutes to get to the G last night, light sprinkle my arse

From the station to the ground it was only light. It may well have been wet where you were. I don't think I've stated otherwise other than saying it was a beautiful night for footy which I thought it was.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

From the station to the ground it was only light. It may well have been wet where you were. I don't think I've stated otherwise other than saying it was a beautiful night for footy which I thought it was.

given i was walking, i wasnt coming from another timezone - just the other side of the city

two serious waves of showers hit me between 5pm and 6:30pm. not downpours, but constant showers. southbank and casino concourse were pretty clear for a friday night too

 

[AstuteTiger]

Nothing more than a light sprinkle just after haftime and that was it. Even walking down to the game it was only light. Cold, sure, but it's winter.

Your not getting it the point being made here is not whether it rained a lot or not at the ground people dont make their mind up half an hour before the game. They plan hours ahead. Most of the day it was raining and even an hour before it was pissing down but it did subside once the game started.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Your not getting it the point being made here is not whether it rained a lot or not at the ground people dont make their mind up half an hour before the game. They plan hours ahead. Most of the day it was raining and even an hour before it was pissing down but it did subside once the game started.

This is the big negative of modern footy (attendance wise)

With more and more having reserved seats or memberships, if the weather is likely to be shitty I know a lot of people who now say "**** it, club already has my coin, I can watch live at home on tv"

Not a club specific thing either. Most people I know who are members are not the old school "must go to all h11 no matter what" types anymore

 

[Aucklander]

Your not getting it the point being made here is not whether it rained a lot or not at the ground people dont make their mind up half an hour before the game. They plan hours ahead. Most of the day it was raining and even an hour before it was pissing down but it did subside once the game started.

I get it. I'm not even questioning it. It looked threatening when I left home, but it did clear up and it ended out a good night and a very enjoyable game of footy.

 

[Tassieboy]

What a feast for MCG footy fans this weekend. Last night 67,000 turn up to a Friday night for the premiers Vs it’s latest challenger. The AFL and MCC reserves were very crowded indicating neutral support was strong.

Today 7th V 11th in an old fashioned grudge match with a potential finals spot at stake. Today’s crowd could surprise and demonstrate the power of a genuine rivalry in footy is still alive. 70,000 today would be a sensational crowd. If the neutrals fill the reserves again it could potentially be closer to 72-74,000.

Only single reserved seats left for sale today which is a better result than against Collingwood which ended up being 70k.

 

[Rabman]

409,000 in Melbourne watched last night game on FTA, massive numbers. 2nd highest rating program in Melbourne was 9 news with 288,000. All but proves the AFL scheduling has been major reason for the poor TV numbers this year. Schedule the right game, you'll get big numbers.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

409,000 in Melbourne watched last night game on FTA, massive numbers. 2nd highest rating program in Melbourne was 9 news with 288,000. All but proves the AFL scheduling has been major reason for the poor TV numbers this year. Schedule the right game, you'll get big numbers.

Massive own goal this year

You would hope they learn, but history tells us they will just rinse and repeat

 

[AstuteTiger]

This is the big negative of modern footy (attendance wise)

With more and more having reserved seats or memberships, if the weather is likely to be shitty I know a lot of people who now say "**** it, club already has my coin, I can watch live at home on tv"

Not a club specific thing either. Most people I know who are members are not the old school "must go to all h11 no matter what" types anymore

Spot on agree wholeheartedly. Back in the day when games weren't live against the gate or shown on delay from 8.30pm on CH 7 some regardless of weather could push themselves to go but not nowadays live games gives much choice to stay at home if cold or raining etc

Just to expand on what u said prime example My niece who along with some of her friends have reserve level 2 seats Olympic stand and as it was raining during the day her friends decided not to go, my niece goes soft 'jokingly' and sat with 11 of us in the AFL reserve. My niece i started bringing to the footy at age 6 now shes 26 and rarely misses game along with her other sis and bro, i guess they have a bit of that old school in them that they dont want to miss games.