Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance

[Sammoll]

Any thoughts on AFLW crowds this week?

I’ve heard they’re expecting a packed North Sydney Oval for the opening game.
I expect the Showdown at Alberton and the GF replay in Brisbane to be well attended too. Maybe Cats vs Dees at Kardinia Park as well. The rest of the games looks like they will probably be about average.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Any thoughts on AFLW crowds this week?

I’ve heard they’re expecting a packed North Sydney Oval for the opening game.
I expect the Showdown at Alberton and the GF replay in Brisbane to be well attended too. Maybe Cats vs Dees at Kardinia Park as well. The rest of the games looks like they will probably be about average.

I wrote this in the AFLW fixture thread ~2 months ago:

On the topic of attendances, here's the minimum the AFL will want to start the season:

Syd-Coll 8k
WCE-Rich 5k
GWS-WB 2.5k
Ess-Frem 4k
GC-StK 2.5k
Geel-Melb 5.5k
PA-Adel 8k (or however many can fit)
Haw-Carl 4.5k (or however many can fit)
BL-NM 5k

Adds up to 45k, which would just eclipse last year's R1 tally of 43,375. Sydney's only home crowd above 6k to date was their inaugural game (8,264 vs St Kilda), and West Coast haven't ever cracked 3k outside of a derby. But, weather permitting, both clubs should get a big boost from opening night hype (also new high-profile coach hype in the Eagles' case).

 

[Rouel_14]

Has anyone seen a breakdown on ticketing splits/member uptake between clubs for any finals yet?

Seemed to get that info for a fair few finals last year eg. 14k carlton member allocation at the Gabba. 5k GWS members @ the G.

I did wonder this re the Support at Hawks V Dogs. You would think that Hawks would bring more supporter’s, but you’d think the neutrals in the AFL Reserve and MCC will be behind the Doggies?

Nothing against hawks, but I don’t think the neutral has an appetite for more hawthorn success already, likewise if Richmond were back on the up.




Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Bjo187]

I did wonder this re the Support at Hawks V Dogs. You would think that Hawks would bring more supporter’s, but you’d think the neutrals in the AFL Reserve and MCC will be behind the Doggies?

Nothing against hawks, but I don’t think the neutral has an appetite for more hawthorn success already, likewise if Richmond were back on the up.




Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Where did that fan percentage split data come from last year anyway?

 

[kranger]

After Round 24 (excluding Gather Round)

HOME CROWDS
Club = Total (Average)

• Collingwood = 735,667 (66,879)
• Carlton = 641,417 (58,311)
• Essendon = 555,263 (50,478)
• Richmond = 523,405 (47,582)
• Fremantle = 515,805 (46,891)
• West Coast = 508,569 (46,234)
• Adelaide = 449,035 (40,821)
• Geelong = 427,212 (38,837)
• Sydney = 420,226 (38,202)
• Port Adelaide = 406,535 (36,958)
• Hawthorn = 396,402 (36,037)
• Melbourne = 384,215 (34,929)
• Brisbane Lions = 339,499 (30,864)
• St Kilda = 321,831 (29,257)
• Western Bulldogs = 314,688 (28,608)
• North Melbourne = 241,494 (21,954)
• Gold Coast = 171,423 (15,584)
• GWS = 135,021 (12,275)

HOME AND AWAY CROWDS
Club = Total (Average)

• Collingwood = 1,323,804 (60,173)
• Carlton = 1,233,962 (56,089)
• Essendon = 1,100,629 (50,029)
• Richmond = 995,461 (45,248)
• Geelong = 919,283 (41,786)
• Hawthorn = 895,317 (40,696)
• Melbourne = 883,529 (40,160)
• Sydney = 852,256 (38,739)
• Adelaide = 847,289 (38,513)
• West Coast = 842,267 (38,285)
• Fremantle = 794,752 (36,125)
• Port Adelaide = 734,557 (33,389)
• Brisbane Lions = 717,168 (32,599)
• St Kilda = 685,602 (31,164)
• Western Bulldogs = 682,257 (31,012)
• North Melbourne = 549,193 (24,963)
• Gold Coast = 473,758 (21,534)
• GWS = 444,593 (20,209)

YouTube famous…

 

[Walshawk]

If the Dogs v Hawks was sold out, how is the AFL able to give AFLW Dogs v Port ticket holders entry to the game now it is a double header? Assume only a very small number had been sold.

 

[Teen Wolf]

It says "thanks to the competition’s major partner NAB" right there in the media release, which should make it pretty clear where the tickets come from.

 

[Hawkk]

If the Dogs v Hawks was sold out, how is the AFL able to give AFLW Dogs v Port ticket holders entry to the game now it is a double header? Assume only a very small number had been sold.

Who knows? The Dogs were selling $1 memberships, when finals come around all the clubs see the dollar signs.

There would be thousands of corporate seats set aside too

 

[Hawkk]

I did wonder this re the Support at Hawks V Dogs. You would think that Hawks would bring more supporter’s, but you’d think the neutrals in the AFL Reserve and MCC will be behind the Doggies?

Nothing against hawks, but I don’t think the neutral has an appetite for more hawthorn success already, likewise if Richmond were back on the up.




Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

100% Hawthorn have 35% or 40% more club members than the Dogs, have far more AFL and MCC supporters and corporates - so on raw numbers alone they would have substantially more support

But finals have an enormous neutral following - hence why the Saints v Gaints last year drew 70,000, which is one of the best finals attendances ever. Given this it will probably be close to 50/50

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Walshawk]

100% Hawthorn have 35% or 40% more club members than the Dogs, have far more AFL and MCC supporters and corporates - so on raw numbers alone they would have substantially more support

But finals have an enormous neutral following - hence why the Saints v Gaints last year drew 70,000, which is one of the best finals attendances ever. Given this it will probably be close to 50/50

Neutrals don’t cheer as loud and supporters. With 45k - 50k Hawks, 30k Dogs plus neutrals, it will feel like a Hawthorn

 

[Sammoll]

Looked great on TV. Hard to see how they could possibly pack up to double that amount in there as per the ground's official capacity.

and 2,166 for the Eagles at Laithlain Park, which is their largest at that venue. (Largest last season was 1,232 so this is decent all things considered.)

Off to a pretty good start I reckon.

 

[Teen Wolf]

North Sydney crowd was less than what the same matchup pulled last year. So I'd say that'd spell the end of the Swans getting the season opener, even though it looked good on TV.

Furthermore I'd like it to result in the end of games at that ground because it clearly doesn't draw as well as Henson Park, plus it just produces a more congested style of football.

Not great weather in Perth so I won't judge WC's figure too harshly, and support might also pick up now as the on-field stuff appears to improve. But it shows how unrealistic that aspirational 6k average is for the next few years.

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[dave10]

~5,900 to NSO.. Unders? A bit of a flat start to ‘W’ I’d have thought.

 

[Cmarsh]

North Sydney crowd was less than what the same matchup pulled last year. So I'd say that'd spell the end of the Swans getting the season opener, even though it looked good on TV.

Furthermore I'd like it to result in the end of games at that ground because it clearly doesn't draw as well as Henson Park, plus it just produces a more congested style of football.

Not great weather in Perth so I won't judge WC's figure too harshly, and support might also pick up now as the on-field stuff appears to improve. But it shows how unrealistic that aspirational 6k average is for the next few years.

But even if the opener got moved back to Melbourne with Melbourne based sides I'm not sure they would get a crowd better than that.

 

[mblack42]

But even if the opener got moved back to Melbourne with Melbourne based sides I'm not sure they would get a crowd better than that.

Highly dependent on who is playing. I think 5900 is a fine crowd. 2166 for the West Coast game is impressive considering both the weather and the Eagles previous form. Pretty sure some of their home games last year the crowd was below 1000 so they definitely brought the average down.

 

[Teen Wolf]

But even if the opener got moved back to Melbourne with Melbourne based sides I'm not sure they would get a crowd better than that.

Last year was 8,412 for reigning premiers Melbourne vs Collingwood, so idk about that. There was one season opener at Ikon Park which drew sub-5k, though it was a Thursday night.

I think the AFL's stance would lean towards "as long as it looks good on TV, we're happy". But in that case, I'd be looking at Brisbane to host next year. Springfield is a better ground for football, and it'd also take a Queensland game out of a baking hot afternoon slot (Sunday's game set to be played in 30+ degree heat).

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Who knows? The Dogs were selling $1 memberships, when finals come around all the clubs see the dollar signs.

There would be thousands of corporate seats set aside too

They had to commit to 2025 to get discounted membership. It started after mid season (not at 1$ though, that was just when one home game remained)

Bigger clubs have done similar too.

 

[Cmarsh]

Last year was 8,412 for reigning premiers Melbourne vs Collingwood, so idk about that. There was one season opener at Ikon Park which drew sub-5k, though it was a Thursday night.

I think the AFL's stance would lean towards "as long as it looks good on TV, we're happy". But in that case, I'd be looking at Brisbane to host next year. Springfield is a better ground for football, and it'd also take a Queensland game out of a baking hot afternoon slot (Sunday's game set to be played in 30+ degree heat).

We might also be seeing the impact of ticket prices increasing to $15.

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Bjo187]

Are these poor crowds for round 1 of W, they all seem unders.

 

[mblack42]

Are these poor crowds for round 1 of W, they all seem unders.

Not necessarily and context is key. Crows Port crowd of 5194 at Alberton (capacity of 8,000) is strong. All general tickets were sold so you'd have more if every single AFLW member attended.

The GC Saints crowd is reasonably good considering GC have the smallest fan base of the league. And Essendon's crowd of around 2800 is solid against a club like Fremantle.

Couldn't tell you the crowd for Geelong/Melbourne or GWS/Bulldogs. But the Geelong crowd looked solid on TV and even the GWS crowd sounded vocal again considering their small fan base.

Unlike the men's game, you don't generally have the contingent of away fans to take into account. So unless you're hosting a cross city rival, or you're a Victorian team hosting another Victorian team, your crowd number.ber is going to be limited somewhat.