Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance

[MelbourneGWS]

Attendance: 18,357

10th biggest crowd of our 97 games played at Giants/ Engie Stadium

 

[Cmarsh]

And for comparison sake there is a certain expansion RL side based in Melbourne who has had plenty of home finals lower than 18357 in it's history. Timely reminder how long it takes to build a code outside its traditional heartlands.

 

[Cmarsh]

Anyway...Cats vs Lions prelim...

Somewhere between 80k-85k possible?

 

[Sammoll]

Anyway...Cats vs Lions prelim...

Somewhere between 80k-85k possible?

Should be pretty big I reckon. Same matchup got 77,677 in 2022 in the PF.
But this one will be larger as:

• Being on a Saturday is much better for Geelong and regional fans to travel to Melbourne. (Last time was Friday night).
• Only MCG game since week 1, after two great games this week plenty of neutrals will be hungry to get along. And last chance for the general public to get to a game.
• First MCG final this year for the large Vic-Based Lions following. (In 2022 they'd just played the Dees at the G the week prior).

Although BOM currently has some rain forecasted for Saturday, so hopefully that doesn't become a big factor.

 

[Consolaçao]

Anyway...Cats vs Lions prelim...

Somewhere between 80k-85k possible?

Will be one of only three Melbourne finals this year. I think this was a factor in Hawthorn/ WB getting 97k, so
90-95k is my guess.

 

[Hawkk]

Will be one of only three Melbourne finals this year. I think this was a factor in Hawthorn/ WB getting 97k, so
90-95k is my guess.

90,000 plus would be massive but it should draw well into the 80,000’s.

For some context, the same final 20 years ago:



That finals series featured two semi finals at the MCG - one that drew 50,000 (St Kilda v Sydney) and another that drew 52,000 (Geelong v Essendon)

Admittedly the MCG had a reduced capacity - but you can clearly see the rows and rows of empty seats in highlights from those games.



Finals attendances are on another planet these days!

 

[BallaratBulldog]

There was one advantage they had back then - delayed telecast.

 

[The_Wookie]

going from the official AFL release figures, we tipped over the 8m mark last night.

 

[kranger]

7,192 being report at Bassendean Oval today for the WAFL preliminary finals between Swan Districts (generally largest crowds) vs Peel (generally smallest crowds and aligned as Dockers reserves).

Not as good as the 2010 preliminary final at the same venue between Swans and East Perth (club with the nearest catchment zone to Swans) of 11,251.

Unfortunately Swans lost which means the WAFL Grand Final which Peel now face East Perth will likely have a crowd in the low 20,000’s, instead of in the high 20,000’s or possibly even low 30,000’s.

Excluding next weeks yet to be played GF, it is the second highest crowd for the season, as it did not beat this years WA Day public holiday derby between South Fremantle and East Fremantle with a crowd of 7,468.

A couple of pictures from social media or the highlights video.

 

[magic_johnson!]

I have a feeling that the afl and mcc members will sell out for the mcg match, however general public may lag a bit behind.

They’ve opened up all of the stadium except for the back of the ponsford on level 4. Most categories still have seats available (except for the cheapest and most expensive categories). There will be plenty of choice when they go on sale to general public at 3.

I thought they’d be a bit more polite with the ticket classification. The first fifteen rows of the top level are all $145, including behind the goals. The next 10-15 rows are $125. It’s only really after row AA that they’re $100.

 

[manicmagpie]

AFL Members is selling slower than the Elimination Final but there's only the back third of the last 5 or 6 bays left.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

It will get there imo, around the same mark

 

[Raz Man]

We are in a phase of crowds where it does not matter which Victorian club is playing at the 'G in a final, it will get a large turnout.

If it were Saints/North/Bulldogs vs Brisbane, it would still get 85,000+ this Saturday!

 

[threenewpadlocks]

We are in a phase of crowds where it does not matter which Victorian club is playing at the 'G in a final, it will get a large turnout.

If it were Saints/North/Bulldogs vs Brisbane, it would still get 85,000+ this Saturday!

It helps that there's only two out of eight W1-3 finals in Melbourne this season. Most years would have at least four.

 

[manicmagpie]

SCG prelim basically sold out already.

 

[Hawkk]

We are in a phase of crowds where it does not matter which Victorian club is playing at the 'G in a final, it will get a large turnout.

If it were Saints/North/Bulldogs vs Brisbane, it would still get 85,000+ this Saturday!

Reminds me the mid 1990s when North Melbourne drew 66,000 plus against the Bears to a Preliminary Final (the week after Essendon got 86,000 against the Eagles in a Semi Final).

Edit: Geelong drew 72,000 to a Semi Final against the Eagles in 1992. I guess after more than 30 years and massive population growth these enormous crowds should not be unexpected.

The NRL yesterday got their largest ever week one crowd ever too (50,000 plus for the Dogs and Sea Eagles)

 

[The_Wookie]

We are in a phase of crowds where it does not matter which Victorian club is playing at the 'G in a final, it will get a large turnout.

If it were Saints/North/Bulldogs vs Brisbane, it would still get 85,000+ this Saturday!

I think it would be different if there was more than one final in Melbourne. Last year they didnt all pull in the 90s. Saints/Giants did 68k.

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Cmarsh]

It's a hypothetical but I do wonder what the swans v port prelim would get if stadium capacity wasn't a factor.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

It's a hypothetical but I do wonder what the swans v port prelim would get if stadium capacity wasn't a factor.

I reckon it'd get 60k at least. Sydney have filled up the SCG so regularly, its hard to know what the demand would be like if there stadium capacity wasn't a factor

 

[Cmarsh]

I reckon it'd get 60k at least. Sydney have filled up the SCG so regularly, its hard to know what the demand would be like if there stadium capacity wasn't a factor

With the sold out sign going up so quickly for this match, despite the lack of a big Vic club as the opposition, I wonder if it stirs the minds at AFL house that maybe the scg is becoming inadequate and think about planning for expanding capacity in some way shape or form.

 

[RedV3x]

With the sold out sign going up so quickly for this match, despite the lack of a big Vic club as the opposition, I wonder if it stirs the minds at AFL house that maybe the scg is becoming inadequate and think about planning for expanding capacity in some way shape or form.

The capacity of the SCG is 48,000 only because there was an agreement with Stadium Austraila management.

think back to the days where the big games were played at Homebush.

 

[Cmarsh]

The capacity of the SCG is 48,000 only because there was an agreement with Stadium Austraila management.

think back to the days where the big games were played at Homebush.

Times have changed.

Homebush used to be a place to be in the first 5-10 years after it opened, but lost it's gloss. Very much doubt this prelim would get say 60k now at Homebush.

 

[Bjo187]

They only fund rectangular stadiums up north, good luck. In fact, I'm sure there is a specific campaign not to build/upgrade oval stadiums, because it would be seen to benefit the AFL juggernaut.

 

[RedV3x]

Times have changed.

Homebush used to be a place to be in the first 5-10 years after it opened, but lost it's gloss. Very much doubt this prelim would get say 60k now at Homebush.

Yes, I agree, just stating that as a reference to size of crowds that have been attained.