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.

 

[What else we can do]

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.

AFL members have also been wedded for decades Carlton have always been second behind Collingwood. Until late 90's Carlton was known to be the second biggest Vic club then Essendon bar a brief period 2008-2012.

Now it's Carlton again according to the AFL who provide the data to the club. It's been interchanable Carlton/Essendon for 25 years but I think the Hawks will be the club that takes over soon especially if they win the flag this year.

Currently Hawthorn are 4th most popular when it comes to online data with growing crowds and membership etc..overall not far behind Carlton/Essendon.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I reckon the Saints vs Geelong game will be a good example of getting a better crowd due to no FTA in VIC - looks and sounds good

 

[manicmagpie]

Looks to be a decent crowd here at Docklands but hard to gauge as the crowd have very effectively spread themselves out across the whole third level.

 

[CarnTheScray]

I reckon the Saints vs Geelong game will be a good example of getting a better crowd due to no FTA in VIC - looks and sounds good

It’s a good neutral game. Saints usually seem to bring it up to Geelong.

 

[The Educator]

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!!!”

Wow, who are you quoting there? I just picked the most similar recent scenario early season....not saying it is exact. Even if you fantasise (and I emphasise "fantasise") that the impact is double that then that equates to 35,000 less fans over the season.....knocking 3K of its overall average home crowds in this fantasy

Up until the late 2000’s there was a decent argument that Essendon was as strong as Collingwood.

Which was as nonsense as Richmond's arguments 5 years ago...which a lot of people were making. ..confusing a dynastic lift in numbers as being the norm as a basis for comparison. Richmond have two bigger seasons than Essendon's biggest, despite including giants and suns.

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.

But are they even the second biggest club in the MCC? The only data point I have seen was from almost a decade ago and the gap was small. When you consider the lag due to the waiting list, there is every chance Collingwood has surpassed Essendon. Collingwood and Richmond, you need to remember, were Irish ghetto clubs originally and had no foothold in establishment institutions like the MCC

And "tremendously" is ridiculous hyperbole.....it's two extra games generally against an interstate team or a Melbourne minnow.

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.

Yep, this is missing from the reflection of most here. Essendon's heartland has better access to Marvel than the MCG

 

[dave10]

Wow, who are you quoting there? I just picked the most similar recent scenario early season....not saying it is exact. Even if you fantasise (and I emphasise "fantasise") that the impact is double that then that equates to 35,000 less fans over the season.....knocking 3K of its overall average home crowds in this fantasy




Which was as nonsense as Richmond's arguments 5 years ago...which a lot of people were making. ..confusing a dynastic lift in numbers as being the norm as a basis for comparison. Richmond have two bigger seasons than Essendon's biggest, despite including giants and suns.


But are they even the second biggest club in the MCC? The only data point I have seen was from almost a decade ago and the gap was small. When you consider the lag due to the waiting list, there is every chance Collingwood has surpassed Essendon. Collingwood and Richmond, you need to remember, were Irish ghetto clubs originally and had no foothold in establishment institutions like the MCC

And "tremendously" is ridiculous hyperbole.....it's two extra games generally against an interstate team or a Melbourne minnow.



Yep, this is missing from the reflection of most here. Essendon's heartland has better access to Marvel than the MCG

More Essendon supporters actually live east of Melbourne CBD than west / north of it.

MCC data from 2019 financial year.

 

[manicmagpie]

36,663 at Docklands.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Port Adelaide vs Richmond = 37,342

 

[AstuteTiger]

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

Just to add some clarity to the 2018 GF replay. We played Crows in RD 2 at AO and the return match was round 16, 1st v 12th, 55K was great. Had the GF replay been played in round 2 or 3 at the G you could add another 10K as Crows would've brought more away fans than they did in RD 16

I went to that game and it didn't feel like a GF replay as crows were shit that year.

 

[Raz Man]

36,663 at Docklands.

Amazing crowd from the Sainters! They were loud & boy do they love to beat the Cattery at Marvel!


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Bjo187]

More Essendon supporters actually live east of Melbourne CBD than west / north of it.

MCC data from 2019 financial year.
View attachment 2257941

Hang on what's that got to do with it, just because there are more mcc members I doubt very much there are more eastern suburbs Essendon fans than north/ west. Practically everybody I know around my area are Essendon fans and I live in the north west.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Hang on what's that got to do with it, just because there are more mcc members I doubt very much there are more eastern suburbs Essendon fans than north/ west. Practically everybody I know around my area are Essendon fans and I live in the north west.

You're 100% correct. My sister lives in Essemdon, she's a tiger and she says Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale etc are predominately Essendon. I would even say in Airport West and Tullamarine heaps of bombers.

 

[Air_Chester]

Wow, who are you quoting there? I just picked the most similar recent scenario early season....not saying it is exact.

No, you picked the one that suited your argument. Instead of going back 7 years, you could’ve picked round 4, 2022, where they played in front of 24,906 at Marvel. But you didn’t. Wouldn’t suit your unsupported statement.

Even if you fantasise (and I emphasise "fantasise") that the impact is double that then that equates to 35,000 less fans over the season.....knocking 3K of its overall average home crowds in this fantasy

Not just cherry picking data, but using that one cherry picked example and extrapolating it, complete with condescending “fantasy” gibes.

Classic n00bpie. Colour me surprised.

 

[Air_Chester]

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.

I also prefer the convenience of Marvel, solely because it’s closer to Spencer St than the G is to Flinders. Don’t even hate the stadium (like, at all).

But as a club and for attendance they’re better off with a 7/4 split. It’s been nice to play interstate sides there for the first time in decades.

 

[Bjo187]

I also prefer the convenience of Marvel, solely because it’s closer to Spencer St than the G is to Flinders. Don’t even hate the stadium (like, at all).

But as a club and for attendance they’re better off with a 7/4 split. It’s been nice to play interstate sides there for the first time in decades.

6/5 is fine for me, but one thing I do acknowledge is mcg teams seem to win flags more, I'd even be happy with 5/6 split, but then marvel isn't really our home ground anymore.

 

[The Educator]

No, you picked the one that suited your argument. Instead of going back 7 years, you could’ve picked round 4, 2022, where they played in front of 24,906 at Marvel. But you didn’t. Wouldn’t suit your unsupported statement.


Not just cherry picking data, but using that one cherry picked example and extrapolating it, complete with condescending “fantasy” gibes.

Good lord.....I started in 2019 and worked back from there .

The first months of 2022 were still heavily Covid suppressed. Have a look at the other attendances that round...collingwood west coast 25,897.....Hawks v Saints at the G 30,926

What I did was I extrapolated double the gap between the two attendances to show how little a difference it makes in the greater scheme of things.

I.e. even with the fantasy that the average docklands game that essendon plays against a small melbourne club or non vic club would result in 7K more fans on average, would equate to an extra 35K over the season

I wasn't looking to get it published in a peer reviewed journal

If and when Essendon are legitimately top 4 and challenging the attendances would be supressed more. But, for all the mockery for the no finals in 20 years, Essendon have more often than not been in striking distance of the finals (if not in them) very late into the season. The impact of Marvel on overall attendance has been minimal.

Classic n00bpie. Colour me surprised.

And fwiw, I have never noticed you at all. This avatar is pleased to meet you and shall pass on your admiration to n00bie

 

[The Educator]

More Essendon supporters actually live east of Melbourne CBD than west / north of it.

Essendon fans far more distributed along the Southern cross entering train lines relative to the MCG based clubs is the point.....not to mention disproportionate numbers of fans on bendigo / ballarat train lines

MCC data from 2019 financial year.
View attachment 2257941

Cool, 2019 most recent data point. Pretty sure both Melbourne and Essendon have declined in share from numbers I saw a decade before these (Melbourne over 20% and Essendon 14.x%) and would have continues to. ..... and of those, a fraction would both be religiously going to MCG games while not going to docklands games

 

[Tassieboy]

37,342 Port Adelaide and Richmond.

 

[Fletched]

37,342 Port Adelaide and Richmond.

The 3 games yesterday were all good crowds

 

[dave10]

Hang on what's that got to do with it, just because there are more mcc members I doubt very much there are more eastern suburbs Essendon fans than north/ west. Practically everybody I know around my area are Essendon fans and I live in the north west.

I worked at the club, it’s actually a fact. Essendon have more members in the east / south east than west / north west. Total numbers, not concentration or % of supporters to total supporters in the area.

 

[Fletched]

Oh the essendon game next week is a thursday I take back my 30k prediction

Low 20s

 

[dave10]

Oh the essendon game next week is a thursday I take back my 30k prediction

Low 20s

Yep. Looking at the facts again. Historically a struggling Essendon has drawn 26-30k against the Dockers / Power in a normal time slot at Marvel.
If we deduct 20% from ~28,000 for the Thursday fixture impact, we get to a crowd of ~23,500. Essendon isn’t on their fans Christmas card list so I think it will be a poor crowd.

That’s why in a previous post I said it would be around 23/24k. It won’t be far off.

 

[Hawkk]

Just to add some clarity to the 2018 GF replay. We played Crows in RD 2 at AO and the return match was round 16, 1st v 12th, 55K was great. Had the GF replay been played in round 2 or 3 at the G you could add another 10K as Crows would've brought more away fans than they did in RD 16

I went to that game and it didn't feel like a GF replay as crows were shit that year.

It's not a criticism of Richmond it's just a fact - Adelaide is not a high-drawing club in Victoria. Those were the top crowds for each MCG co-tenant in Melbourne.

Grand Final replays don’t always draw great crowds either.

The Swans drew 5,000 less for the GF replay than they did their round 1 game (34,940 v 40,130). Hawthorn drew far less for their GF replays against the Swans (54,725 in 2013 and 63,319 in 2015) than in 2014 (72,768), and in 2016 (61,888 v 2013) whilst the Eagles (42,977 in 2016) was much lower than 2012 (50,023). Melbourne is probably the best example of this, they drew 58,002 to the opening game of the 2022 season against the Dogs after the drought-breaking flag - a crowd dwarfed by ANZAC Day Eve and Queens Birthday which was 70,000 and 76,000.

My point is that the Eagles and Crows have roughly like-for-like crowd drawing capacity in Melbourne…which is why Collingwood's (60,878), Richmond's (57,415), Hawthorn's (50,023) and Melbourne’s (35,653) maximum numbers against the Eagles and Crows is the same.

Do I think Essendon could draw 60,000 against West Coast and Adelaide at the MCG? Absolutely!

I think with the way crowds are now growing, all members of the Big 4 can 60,000 against these clubs with Hawthorn a step back at 55,000 plus.

I'm convinced the AFL is locking out thousands of supporters by playing 7 Essendon home games at Marvel.

In an ideal world, Melbourne would play all at the MCG (MCC plus their Marvel crowds are dreadful), Collingwood and Richmond would split games 9/2 (low drawing games at Marvel to help with stadium finances) and Essendon, Carlton and Hawthorn should be 6/5 MCG-Marvel hybrid tenants.

That leaves Geelong full-time at Kardina Park with St Kilda, the Dogs and North as the full-time Marvel tenants with at least 3 home games against the Big 4 and Hawthorn to help with crowds. It is cleaner for everyone and gives the AFL a ton of high-drawing 40,000 Marvel fixtures to make money off their stadium.

Everyone wins - and it means more MCG fixtures for the non Victorian clubs…

 

[CarnTheScray]

No idea why one of the Dogs Dons games this year wasn’t at the MCG. Both clubs want more MCG games.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

It's not a criticism of Richmond it's just a fact - Adelaide is not a high-drawing club in Victoria. Those were the top crowds for each MCG co-tenant in Melbourne.

Grand Final replays don’t always draw great crowds either.

The Swans drew 5,000 less for the GF replay than they did their round 1 game (34,940 v 40,130). Hawthorn drew far less for their GF replays against the Swans (54,725 in 2013 and 63,319 in 2015) than in 2014 (72,768), and in 2016 (61,888 v 2013) whilst the Eagles (42,977 in 2016) was much lower than 2012 (50,023). Melbourne is probably the best example of this, they drew 58,002 to the opening game of the 2022 season against the Dogs after the drought-breaking flag - a crowd dwarfed by ANZAC Day Eve and Queens Birthday which was 70,000 and 76,000.

My point is that the Eagles and Crows have roughly like-for-like crowd drawing capacity in Melbourne…which is why Collingwood's (60,878), Richmond's (57,415), Hawthorn's (50,023) and Melbourne’s (35,653) maximum numbers against the Eagles and Crows is the same.

Do I think Essendon could draw 60,000 against West Coast and Adelaide at the MCG? Absolutely!

I think with the way crowds are now growing, all members of the Big 4 can 60,000 against these clubs with Hawthorn a step back at 55,000 plus.

I'm convinced the AFL is locking out thousands of supporters by playing 7 Essendon home games at Marvel.

In an ideal world, Melbourne would play all at the MCG (MCC plus their Marvel crowds are dreadful), Collingwood and Richmond would split games 9/2 (low drawing games at Marvel to help with stadium finances) and Essendon, Carlton and Hawthorn should be 6/5 MCG-Marvel hybrid tenants.

That leaves Geelong full-time at Kardina Park with St Kilda, the Dogs and North as the full-time Marvel tenants with at least 3 home games against the Big 4 and Hawthorn to help with crowds. It is cleaner for everyone and gives the AFL a ton of high-drawing 40,000 Marvel fixtures to make money off their stadium.

Everyone wins - and it means more MCG fixtures for the non Victorian clubs…

Melbourne vs Footscray grand final replay was ****ed by the AFL by putting it on Wednesday Night. It would have at reached 70,000 at least otherwise. Thursday is a pain as it is, mid week is just ridiculous. They just didn’t want to upset Richmond and Carlton, or Collingwood who wanted the Friday.