Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance

[What else we can do]

Excluding Covid restricted games, both Collingwood and Essendon have never had a lower home crowd at the MCG.

Carlton have had 2, both in late 2005.

The last time Collingwood drew below that at the MCG in an away game was in 1935.

For Essendon, their last MCG away game below today’s crowd was in 1990, which was also a Richmond home game.

Bad crowds do happen for every team, and this was definitely one of them.

It doesn't matter whether it's the MCG or Marvel. In Richmond's defence it's more than than what Collingwood v Suns and Essendon in 2016 had even Carlton in 2005.
In 2005 Carlton had 2 wooden spoons in 3 years horrible time to be a Blues fan

 

[GCS in 11]

The Suns have now set 3 record breaking home crowds vs an opponent this year, against Richmond, Essendon and Port. The last time we had even 1 record crowd against an opponent was 2014.

Currently averaging 16,887 a game too, the highest since 2011. Truely a breakthrough year for attendances here on the coast.

The records the Suns can look to break over the last 2 home games:

• Highest Qclash Crowd @ Carrara: 16,593 (2014)
• Highest Crowd vs Melb @ Carrara: 13,840 (2013)
• 26,631 (13,315 a game) needed over the last two games to beat our 2014 home Carrara crowd average

 

[Bjo187]

The Suns have now set 3 record breaking home crowds vs an opponent this year, against Richmond, Essendon and Port. The last time we had even 1 record crowd against an opponent was 2014.

Currently averaging 16,887 a game too, the highest since 2011. Truely a breakthrough year for attendances here on the coast.

The records the Suns can look to break over the last 2 home games:

• Highest Qclash Crowd @ Carrara: 16,593 (2014)
• Highest Crowd vs Melb @ Carrara: 13,840 (2013)
• 26,631 (13,315 a game) needed over the last two games to beat our 2014 home Carrara crowd average

Most importantly, have you seen a rise in suns fans as a percentage of the crowd this year? Or is it roughly the same.

 

[Raz Man]

The Suns have now set 3 record breaking home crowds vs an opponent this year, against Richmond, Essendon and Port. The last time we had even 1 record crowd against an opponent was 2014.

Currently averaging 16,887 a game too, the highest since 2011. Truely a breakthrough year for attendances here on the coast.

The records the Suns can look to break over the last 2 home games:

• Highest Qclash Crowd @ Carrara: 16,593 (2014)
• Highest Crowd vs Melb @ Carrara: 13,840 (2013)
• 26,631 (13,315 a game) needed over the last two games to beat our 2014 home Carrara crowd average

Excellent effort by the Gold Coast supporters/members! Now hopefully you folk will start winning some away games which will help even more with the crowds!

 

[TheGoldPersons]

Most importantly, have you seen a rise in suns fans as a percentage of the crowd this year? Or is it roughly the same.

Still get outnumbered against the big Vic clubs but the ratio is no where near as bad as previous years, especially for the Collingwood game this year compared to last year

 

[Billy ray]

i reckon our base support / floor of home supporters has gone up from maybe 8-9k pre-covid, to 11-12k?
would have been no more than 2k port supporters yesterday

 

[dave10]

It doesn't matter whether it's the MCG or Marvel. In Richmond's defence it's more than than what Collingwood v Crows and Essendon in 2016 had even Carlton in 2005.
In 2005 Carlton had 2 wooden spoons in 3 years horrible time to be a Blues fan

Yep, in 2016 Essendon didn’t field a team! They were cobbled together from outside the club. And I went every week, the atmosphere was quite surreal. But lots of Bomber fans took the situation as a gap year and never went to any games at all, it just wasn’t ‘Essendon’ playing each week. Extraordinary year it was.

 

[dave10]

Most importantly, have you seen a rise in suns fans as a percentage of the crowd this year? Or is it roughly the same.

There is no doubt AFL is growing very quickly here on the coast. AFL participation is growing very quickly and it’s in the schools. The Suns will benefit as time goes on. However, this old adage that the GC isn’t an AFL town is wrong. It has a genuine footprint in the media, a foothold in participation at grassroots and schools and a matter of time when their crowds grow to new levels.

See the GC Bulletin today, the Suns are now spruiking a bigger stadium, a boutique venue for ‘W’ and better transport….. Just killing off a few myths that this town is just strippers, drunks and surfing dudes

 

[Bjo187]

There is no doubt AFL is growing very quickly here on the coast. AFL participation is growing very quickly and it’s in the schools. The Suns will benefit as time goes on. However, this old adage that the GC isn’t an AFL town is wrong. It has a genuine footprint in the media, a foothold in participation at grassroots and schools and a matter of time when their crowds grow to new levels.

See the GC Bulletin today, the Suns are now spruiking a bigger stadium, a boutique venue for ‘W’ and better transport….. Just killing off a few myths that this town is just strippers, drunks and surfing dudes


View attachment 2049054

This is good to see. Strange strategy though by the suns, stadium increase already? Small stadium for vfl? It feels a bit of an overreach, I'd prefer to solidify bigger crowds and promote a full stadium in the current stadia. Plus use the small stadium money elsewhere.

The transport to the ground should be number 1 on the to do list though.

 

[Raz Man]

Even FoxFooty are jumping on the Tigers!

 

[GCS in 11]

Most importantly, have you seen a rise in suns fans as a percentage of the crowd this year? Or is it roughly the same.

I’ve been going to Carrara since 2011, and yesterday was the first time I’ve seen a crowd that size be over 85-90% Suns fans. There’s been a definite rise this year. The timeslot helped for sure for families and kids, but it was incredible seeing that much red and yellow everywhere around the ground.

I’d say outside of the big Vic teams we are now the clear majority at all other home games, which has not happened before.

 

[Cmarsh]

There is no doubt AFL is growing very quickly here on the coast. AFL participation is growing very quickly and it’s in the schools. The Suns will benefit as time goes on. However, this old adage that the GC isn’t an AFL town is wrong. It has a genuine footprint in the media, a foothold in participation at grassroots and schools and a matter of time when their crowds grow to new levels.

See the GC Bulletin today, the Suns are now spruiking a bigger stadium, a boutique venue for ‘W’ and better transport….. Just killing off a few myths that this town is just strippers, drunks and surfing dudes


View attachment 2049054

50k members in a six year timeframe is very ambitious. Could be achieved though assuming an upward trajectory of on -field form.

Also interesting that Evans cites the Titans as part of the GC sporting mix. Not a code war-er obviously, which I don't mind seeing.

 

[Peacock]

It doesn't matter whether it's the MCG or Marvel. In Richmond's defence it's more than than what Collingwood v Suns and Essendon in 2016 had even Carlton in 2005.
In 2005 Carlton had 2 wooden spoons in 3 years horrible time to be a Blues fan

Essendon had a VFL team in 2016, Blues had a VFL team in 2005.

Collingwood won't go that low because they give away thousands of free tickets when their crowds go down.

 

[ep12]

Essendon had a VFL team in 2016, Blues had a VFL team in 2005.

Collingwood won't go that low because they give away thousands of free tickets when their crowds go down.

No need for a pissing contest lol.

Pies crowds won't get that low as a figure because they are the biggest club in Victoria. However, They have had poor crowds for a club their size with the amount of members they have.
20K against Freo in 2016 has been mentioned, they had 28K against Port that year as well, 40K against Essendon in 2015 to name a few.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

After Round 18 (excluding Gather Round)

HOME CROWDS
Club (# of home games played) = Total (Average)

• Collingwood (8) = 529,228 (66,154)
• Carlton (7) = 432,287 (61,755)
• Essendon (7) = 421,631 (60,233)
• Richmond (9) = 467,473 (51,941)
• West Coast (9) = 421,443 (46,827)
• Fremantle (7) = 321,132 (45,876)
• Geelong (8) = 338,024 (42,253)
• Adelaide (9) = 368,035 (40,893)
• Sydney (8) = 309,853 (38,732)
• Melbourne (8) = 296,145 (37,018)
• Port Adelaide (8) = 289,321 (36,165)
• Hawthorn (8) = 252,608 (31,576)
• Brisbane Lions (8) = 242,548 (30,319)
• St Kilda (7) = 208,821 (29,832)
• Western Bulldogs (8) = 238,882 (29,785)
• North Melbourne (8) = 188,969 (23,621)
• Gold Coast (9) = 137,354 (15,262)
• GWS (8) = 102,939 (12,867)

HOME AND AWAY CROWDS
Club (# of games played) = Total (Average)

• Collingwood (16) = 951,383 (59,461)
• Essendon (16) = 895,573 (55,973)
• Carlton (16) = 889,498 (55,594)
• Richmond (16) = 759,391 (47,462)
• Geelong (16) = 737,505 (46,094)
• Melbourne (16) = 707,218 (44,201)
• West Coast (16) = 641,190 (40,074)
• Sydney (16) = 637,078 (39,817)
• Adelaide (16) = 612,380 (38,274)
• Hawthorn (16) = 611,659 (38,229)
• Fremantle (16) = 554,897 (34,681)
• Brisbane Lions (16) = 514,903 (32,181)
• Port Adelaide (16) = 513,654 (32,103)
• St Kilda (16) = 507,374 (31,711)
• Western Bulldogs (16) = 502,679 (31,417)
• North Melbourne (16) = 412,080 (25,755)
• GWS (16) = 354,677 (22,167)
• Gold Coast (16) = 329,047 (20,565)

 

[kranger]

The recent discussion on poor crowds, got me wondering when was the last time each club had a home game in their home city with a crowd below 30,000 and below 20,000.

Excluding 2020, 2021 and 2022 as Covid years, here are the results.

 

[dave10]

The recent discussion on poor crowds, got me wondering when was the last time each club had a home game in their home city with a crowd below 30,000 and below 20,000.

Excluding 2020, 2021 and 2022 as Covid years, here are the results.

View attachment 2049660

View attachment 2049659

Out of interest, 2016 was the Dons suspension year and it had several outlier crowds. Before 2016, when was the last time it went sub 20,000? Might’ve been the Windy Hill era or Princess Park days?

 

[AstuteTiger]

Out of interest, 2016 was the Dons suspension year and it had several outlier crowds. Before 2016, when was the last time it went sub 20,000? Might’ve been the Windy Hill era or Princess Park days?

How on earth did you win 3 games. We are currently on 2

 

[manicmagpie]

Out of interest, 2016 was the Dons suspension year and it had several outlier crowds. Before 2016, when was the last time it went sub 20,000? Might’ve been the Windy Hill era or Princess Park days?

Yes, apart from 2016 & Windy Hill the only sub 20k home crowds for Essendon are at Princes Park (7 times between 1993 and 1997) and at Waverley (5 times between 1970 and 1975).

For Collingwood it's the one time at Docklands in 2016 and twice at Waverley in 1985/87.

For Carlton it's 5 times at Docklands (2006, 2015, 2018), 2 at MCG (2005) and 5 at Waverley (1973-1988) to go with an obviously large amount at Princes Park.

For Richmond it's 11 at Waverley, 8 at Princes Park and 55 at the MCG (8 between 1966-84, 43 between 1985-1994 and 4 this century).

 

[Underarm]

How on earth did you win 3 games. We are currently on 2

After our injuries, and the fact they got to replace their Suspended players their list was in a better position than ours.

 

[dave10]

How on earth did you win 3 games. We are currently on 2

Teams took us lightly. We weren’t meant to win a game and teams largely trained against us. Silver lining, for those of us who went to watch them it was kind of cathartic… We were never expecting to win so there wasn’t anxiety. It was just about going to watch the next generation emerge. Tippa, Fantasia (before always injured), Daniher the three players that kept most fans half interested every week.

 

[dave10]

Yes, apart from 2016 & Windy Hill the only sub 20k home crowds for Essendon are at Princes Park (7 times between 1993 and 1997) and at Waverley (5 times between 1970 and 1975).

For Collingwood it's the one time at Docklands in 2016 and twice at Waverley in 1985/87.

For Carlton it's 5 times at Docklands (2006, 2015, 2018), 2 at MCG (2005) and 5 at Waverley (1973-1988) to go with an obviously large amount at Princes Park.

For Richmond it's 11 at Waverley, 8 at Princes Park and 55 at the MCG (8 between 1966-84, 43 between 1985-1994 and 4 this century).

Thanks for that. I also remember there was a record breaking streak for a Victorian club the Bombers held until 2015 that had them playing in front of 30,000+ at home for 29 games (?) in a row. That was a record that came to an end in the depths of the 2015 year when the ‘saga’ was really impacting the morale and performances of the side pre suspension.

 

[dave10]

After our injuries, and the fact they got to replace their Suspended players their list was in a better position than ours.

Interestingly, I just noticed the Tigers play the Suns at the G last round. It’s likely to be 3:20pm or 4:40pm Sunday.

They will be ‘hoping’ Dusty announces his retirement to save them from possibly recording another sub 20,000 crowd you’d think. The Dusty effect has put a nice floor under the attendances this year, especially if they get another go at it which is not out of the realms of possibility. Across the two games (if this comes off), it’s probably be worth an extra ~90,000 for the year. Certainly good for their bottom line!

 

[AstuteTiger]

Interestingly, I just noticed the Tigers play the Suns at the G last round. It’s likely to be 3:20pm or 4:40pm Sunday.

They will be hoping Dusty announces his retirement to save them from possibly recording another sub 20,000 crowd you’d think. The Dusty effect has put a pretty big floor under the Tigers attendances this year, especially if they get another go at it which is not out of the realms of possibility. Across the two games (if this comes off), it’s probably be worth an extra ~90,000 for the year. Certainly good for their bottom line!

Come on Dave theirs some underlying tones in that post. Are you hoping for a 20 sub crowd? Maybe I've misinterpreted it.

Some teams get benefited other ways to bump up overall attendances you play the pies twice. There's a free 80,000+ crowd to the bottom line.

You played the cats at the G as the away team instead of GMHBA Stadium.

Anzac Day you could have zero wins for the year and that game is still likely to be in the vicinity of 85 to 90+ which
helps the bottom line

Anyways mate as much as the big clubs have the big crowds they can also have some shockers which we had on Sunday no hiding that.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Richmond’s crowd was a shocker, but they’re 18th playing the smallest team on the Sunday of a wet weekend… not sure what people were expecting? It’s not great, but it’s certainly not the end of the world like some people on Twitter are making it out to be. Everyone has a shit crowd every now and then, they’ll be fine.

And as much as we celebrate the great crowds this year, the reality is that footy is an expensive day out in financially difficult times - people are going to pick and choose more carefully than in the past. If you can get 92k for Dusty300, then I’d happily take that if the trade off is 19k against GWS.

I think people can intellectually think that the crowd is fine/defensible. The criticism comes from the fact that we're allowed to have a bit of a go at over the top Richmond supporters or the club in general talking up their club, though - there are supporters in the middle of their flags that were sincerely suggesting something like this would never happen again.

In any case, other than an intellectual exercise for who actually rocks up to games, from a revenue/size POV teams are locking up more of the money well before the games compared to a generation ago with increasing membership numbers. Many of Richmond's seats may have been empty but the seats have been paid for in a way that wasn't the case e.g. with Carlton's 2005 team "only" had 33,000 members, which almost seems quaint now.