2025 Attendances

[The_Wookie]

11.12.2024

Gather Round tickets snapped up in record time


The AFL is pleased to announce that more than 195,000 Gather Round…Festival of Footy tickets have sold… with five of the nine games sold out, 20,000 more than this time last year.

Member on sale on Tuesday saw a significant uplift in demand for tickets this year, selling more than 100,000 tickets in the first four hours, in comparison to the same amount in 24 hours last year.

This year there are an extra 47,000 tickets on offer for fans with the two Saturday matches being ticketed separately.

Tickets still remain for Collingwood vs Sydney Swans on Friday night, Carlton vs West Coast on Saturday afternoon, Melbourne vs Essendon on Saturday night and a very limited number of restricted view tickets and tickets for the Pepsi Collective for Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn on Sunday evening.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said it was clear Gather Round momentum was not slowly down.

“The demand for tickets this year was significantly higher than the first two Gather Rounds, with more than 195,000 tickets being purchased in the first two days,” said Mr Dillon.

“A ticket to the matches at the Barossa Park was always going to be one of the hottest tickets in town and the fans have certainly illustrated that by selling out both matches so quickly.”

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “Gather Round continues to exceed all expectations.

“We are honoured that so many footy fans from around the country are making the commitment to travel to our beautiful state to experience this event like no other.

“They’ll be truly welcome.

“If you haven’t got a ticket already – get in quick!”

Tickets for the remaining matches can be found here.

 

[Fletched]

Carlton’s fans came back, so will ours.

Carlton have been winning finals and playing in prelims massive difference

 

[dave10]

Carlton have been winning finals and playing in prelims massive difference

Tell What else we can do that!

 

[Air_Chester]

46,688 for Essendon vs Adelaide at the MCG

 

[dave10]

46,688 for Essendon vs Adelaide at the MCG

I rest my case. Probably 7-9k better than if at Marvel.

A record Essendon home crowd against the Crows. A strong crowd

23/24k at Marvel next week.

 

[MattF185]

Next week probably the smallest or second smallest Essendon non 2016 or COVID crowd since the turn of the century.

 

[Tassieboy]

So about 7-8k more than if was at Marvel. Pretty standard.

 

[Fletched]

30k next week

Crowds never rise as fast or drop as fast as the internet (bigfooty) expects

 

[dave10]

Next week probably the smallest or second smallest Essendon non 2016 or COVID crowd since the turn of the century.

Probably. Who cares though. Most of us knew we’d be bottom 5/6. Just have to get through the long year.

 

[Air_Chester]

Fair to say we can put a line through any theory that Essendon's crowds are materially impacted by playing five more games at Marvel each year

Data doesn’t support this statement in any way.

 

[dave10]

Data doesn’t support this statement in any way.

Some will say I’m a broken record but I don’t care.

Even if they won last week, today probably draws 50,000+…. They aren’t drawing anywhere near that at Marvel. The disparity between the venues is potentially large, today’s crowd was evidence enough.

 

[What else we can do]

Would you go and watch them the way they’re playing? It’s been like this for 20 years you know

Carlton have been winning finals and playing in prelims massive difference

Carlton's been great the last 3 years but Thursday night showed they've dropped off not sure the fans will stick around for another rebuild.

 

[What else we can do]

46,688 for Essendon vs Adelaide at the MCG

I wasn't way off looked smaller on TV though

 

[Hawkk]

46,688 for Essendon vs Adelaide at the MCG

That is an unbelievable crowd. For context, Richmond v Adelaide drew 54,934 to the Grand Final replay in 2018, Hawthorn ‘just’ 45,781 in 2016, Carlton 44,711 in 2013 (but drew 46,283 to Marvel last year), Melbourne 33,125 in 2023 and Collingwood 65,930 last year. That's no knock on Richmond, Hawthorn, Carlton or Melbourne, its just that Adelaide crowds historically have not been huge at the MCG - roughly equal with West Coast and slightly ahead of Port Adelaide.

This shows two things:

1) Early season Saturday afternoon games at the MCG draw massive walk up crowds, 2) Essendon is the AFL’s sleeping giant and needs to play 5-6 home games (like Carlton) at the MCG ASAP.

This should all get addressed when the Devils come into the AFL

 

[dave10]

That is an unbelievable crowd. For context, Richmond v Adelaide drew 54,934 to the Grand Final replay in 2018, Hawthorn ‘just’ 45,781 in 2016, Carlton 44,711 in 2013 (but drew 46,283 to Marvel last year), Melbourne 33,125 in 2023 and Collingwood 65,930 last year. That's no knock on Richmond, Hawthorn, Carlton or Melbourne, its just that Adelaide crowds historically have not been huge at the MCG - roughly equal with West Coast and slightly ahead of Port Adelaide.

This shows two things:

1) Early season Saturday afternoon games at the MCG draw massive walk up crowds, 2) Essendon is the AFL’s sleeping giant and needs to play 5-6 home games (like Carlton) at the MCG ASAP.

This should all get addressed when the Devils come into the AFL

Good post. Nailed it

 

[The Educator]

Data doesn’t support this statement in any way.

It's 3.5K more than the round 1 game between the two clubs at docklands in 2018.

When comparing aggregate season crowds, where the highest are between 1.1 and 1.4 million, the 5 extra games the bombers are playing at Marvel (against non-vic teams and low(er) support vic teams) result in an immaterial difference to those numbers. Undeniable.

2) Essendon is the AFL’s sleeping giant

I.e. similar in drawing power to Richmond and Carlton and, when they finally come good, and some of their fans will totally misread the massive wave of crowds as being a new normal like Richmond fans did around here 6 or 7 years back

and needs to play 5-6 home games (like Carlton) at the MCG ASAP.

i.e. ~1 or 2 more games. Play the bulldogs or Lions at the MCG rather than Marvel

 

[Hawkk]

I.e. similar in drawing power to Richmond and Carlton and, when they finally come good, and some of their fans will totally misread the massive wave of crowds as being a new normal like Richmond fans did around here 6 or 7 years back

Definitely more than Richmond and probably Carlton too. Look at social media and Supercoach figures for decades. Its quite clear that the food chain is Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond and then a gap to Hawthorn, Geelong and then a bigger gap to Melbourne, St Kilda, W Bulldogs and North.

Up until the late 2000’s there was a decent argument that Essendon was as strong as Collingwood. They are an absolute giant and the MCC was crazy for letting them go to Docklands in 1999

 

[Cmarsh]

In fairness, Essendon probably got the short straw drawing Hawthorn and Adelaide first up. Both of those clubs look the real deal this year.

 

[What else we can do]

Definitely more than Richmond and probably Carlton too. Look at social media and Supercoach figures for decades. Its quite clear that the food chain is Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond and then a gap to Hawthorn, Geelong and then a bigger gap to Melbourne, St Kilda, W Bulldogs and North.

Up until the late 2000’s there was a decent argument that Essendon was as strong as Collingwood. They are an absolute giant and the MCC was crazy for letting them go to Docklands in 1999

Not sure social media correlates to drawing power the Hawks have past Blues, Bombers, Tigers, and Eagles.

 

[Hawkk]

Not sure social media correlates to drawing power the Hawks have past Blues, Bombers, Tigers, and Eagles.

True - but supercoach numbers have been wedded on for decades. And yes, the Hawks fan base has mushroomed with the social media (something like 4 of their last 10 regular season games are in their top 8 ever crowds)

The Dons are a massive club - behind Melbourne they are the biggest club in the MCC - and like Carlton, 6 MCG home games would help them tremendously.

 

[Outtatym]

Got me stuffed why Essendon arent an MCG tennant

 

[Bjo187]

I personally prefer marvel, but I'm am Essendon supporter actually from Essendon. Mcg is a pain to get to and is in the inner east. I do think we should do one more game at the mcg though, to bring it to 5, but that's it.

 

[CarnTheScray]

MCG is a pain in the arse for teams with a lot of the support in the west.

Last night there was ONE line heading to Footscray at Flinders. The queue to just the damn escalator was longer than the line for the Barbie movie.

 

[Air_Chester]

It's 3.5K more than the round 1 game between the two clubs at docklands in 2018.

When comparing aggregate season crowds, where the highest are between 1.1 and 1.4 million, the 5 extra games the bombers are playing at Marvel (against non-vic teams and low(er) support vic teams) result in an immaterial difference to those numbers.

Feel free to go and compare the numbers for crowds, including all interstate clubs, that Essendon have played at the MCG and Docklands in the last 10-15, even 20 years.

Not just “it was only 3,500 people more than that one game 7 years ago, undeniable!!!”

 

[dave10]

In fairness, Essendon probably got the short straw drawing Hawthorn and Adelaide first up. Both of those clubs look the real deal this year.

We would’ve lost to anyone.

Got me stuffed why Essendon arent an MCG tennant

Can blame themselves. Self inflicted.

 

[dave10]

Feel free to go and compare the numbers for crowds, including all interstate clubs, that Essendon have played at the MCG and Docklands in the last 10-15, even 20 years.

Not just “it was only 3,500 people more than that one game 7 years ago, undeniable!!!”

It would still be somewhat lacking true transparency b/c not once in this period has Essendon had a run of success. You’re comparing venue crowds in barren years. For a true picture, would need to see the disparity in good on field years b/c that’s where the gap would be substantial and demonstrate the rationale of why it should be playing 6-8 homes games at the MCG.

Like Carlton, Essendon in a period of sustained success would likely regularly draw 50,000+ against the likes of Crows, Eagles, Swans, Lions. That would mean ~10,000+ more could watch them play each game in good years on field if scheduled at the bigger stadium.