Big 4

[Simmonds2Hislop]

Can we put this term to rest until at least our next flag?

It gets thrown around often (mostly in membership threads) but I cringe whenever I see it because it makes us look like idiots. Not as terrible as "we're coming" or the Hawks obsession with Geelong but still pretty bad.

While I'm certain when we are up and going we will be in the top 2 for drawing power but right now there isn't any category we are top 4 in.

Ladder - 15th
Membership - 10th
Attendences - 6th (for regular season games)
Home Attendences - 7th
Flags - Equal 5th

And look at some of the numbers:

Home Crowds:

Collingwood 63,256
Carlton 48,009
Essendon 44,184
Geelong 39,137
St. Kilda 38,023
Hawthorn 37,876
Richmond 37,448
Melbourne 37,379

Obviously the Saints, Cats and Hawks bandwagons are in full swing but there is currently a big gap between the top 3 and the rest. With a bit of form we'd easily be top 4 but right now there are 3 clear leaders, not 4.

Same goes with memberships:

Collingwood 57,408
Hawthorn 53,978
Adelaide 45,545
West Coast 44,160
Essendon 40,589
Carlton 40,480
Geelong 40,326
Fremantle 39,854
St. Kilda 39,021
Richmond 35,960

Again the bandwagon effect for 3 teams above us but we're a long way down, ranked 7th out of the 10 Vic clubs.


As for premierships the filth winning yesterday, the tally now looks like this:

Essendon 16
Cheaton 16
Collingwood 15
Melbourne 12
Richmond 10
Hawthorn 10
Geelong 8
Fitzroy 8

The rest <5


I think the term should be shut away until we at least equal Melbourne's flag tally. When that happens the crowds will come (especially if Jack leads the way) and the rest will sort itself out but right now it's a big 3, not a big 4.

 

[TOOs_Finest]

Oh ok, I was expecting a caravan park review. Just sayin

 

[kronic]

I agree we're not a big 4 club at the moment.

For some positive outlook though, ff you look at the teams above us (probably with the exception of Essendon and Carlton) and you look at recent success, we're doing pretty well. WA and SA teams always have big member numbers or waiting lists.

Considering we've scrapped the bottom of the barrel these past 2 seasons, it's a nice base to start from.

 

[Googstar]

I'II see your Big 4 and raise you a "sleeping giant"

 

[Simmonds2Hislop]

I'II see your Big 4 and raise you a "sleeping giant"

Sleeping Giant is awesome

 

[smasha]

The North non attendance hurt me.

Win that game and we were in contention for the 8 yet bugger all turned up.

Big 4 is a myth until we get people to actually turn up.

All fecking hot air and no show.

 

[smasha]

I'II see your Big 4 and raise you a "sleeping giant"

Except the "sleeping giant"is now 4ft tall.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Oh ok, I was expecting a caravan park review. Just sayin

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

But cynical from you lot...

Those attendances don't reflect Friday night matches, saturday matches, sunday matches, interstate matches, blockbuster matches, ect.

Essendon's attendance is an inflated amount because of blockbusters such as Anzac Day & Dreamtime, also add in their amount of Friday & Saturday games compared to our Sunday games.

With our attendance, its 42,000, not 35,000. Collingwood and co. include their 3 game memberships, so we started too aswell! Not to mention we were literally one of the only clubs to track our membership by match and non match day totals.

Our premiership history is impressive, but not the best, obviously the last 30 years have had something to do with it, throughout Richmond's history, it shows we win premierships in bursts, and go to sleep for a long time afterwards (hence the term 'sleeping giant'). 1920, 1921, 1932, 1934, 1943 thats 5 premierships in 23 years! Then we had 1944-1966 (22 year sleep) and won another five in 13 years.

History always has a funny way of repeating or replicating itself in this great game, and we could jump from 10 to 15 premierships while clubs like Geelong stay on 8 for another 50 years.

Don't put down your club, if you want to do that, than go to the Carlton board where they enjoy having cracks at us, I don't want to be reading that on here.

Richmond is the greatest club of them all.

 

[Bojangles17]

need to scratch beyond the surface on some of those stats, sadly we don't get a scripted draw ea year with 2 fixtures against Collinwood and carlton that tends to stump up the numbers just a tad...sub a few of those games for Home fixtures v port, swannies freo and the like that we get lumbered with.

Our membership numbers have been ballsed up, I understood them to be in order of 42,000. Please endeacvour to get it right.

yep right on in flag dept...we've got some work to do..

but for the life of me get the facts right before presenting a crock of shit to the patrons

 

[smasha]

What was the attendance for the North game?

I was at 17 games this year btw.

 

[STANG-A]

I think we are a big 4 club. A big 4 club at the bottom of the ladder.

A big 4 club who finishes 15th, averages 44,804 at their home ground, MCG.
If Footscray or North Melbourne finish 15th, they'll be averaging 20,000 tops!!!

We averaged 44,804 at MCG games this year, and 32,507 at Dudlands Stadium, which is also interesting, we just don't pull crowds there. How many would've been at our last match if it was at the G?

I don't go bandying around "we're a big4 club" or anything, I'm not flaunting "big4-ness", heck i was born in 1981, so I got nothing to hang my hat on, but I do believe we're a big 4 club.

By the way, there was 42,000 at the North Melbourne game on a wet day, I thought that's a decent crowd. Wouldn't have been too many North supporters. Maybe you were thinking the 19,000 crowd that turned up against Adelaide? That crowd was a real shame!

 

[Bojangles17]

well said stanga, my sentiments exactly

 

[Greggy]

Can we put this term to rest until at least our next flag?

You brought it up.

 

[TOOs_Finest]

You brought it up.

Haha good point Greggy. Way to put it to rest... create a thread titled "Big 4"

 

[smasha]

I think we are a big 4 club. A big 4 club at the bottom of the ladder.

A big 4 club who finishes 15th, averages 44,804 at their home ground, MCG.
If Footscray or North Melbourne finish 15th, they'll be averaging 20,000 tops!!!

We averaged 44,804 at MCG games this year, and 32,507 at Dudlands Stadium, which is also interesting, we just don't pull crowds there. How many would've been at our last match if it was at the G?

I don't go bandying around "we're a big4 club" or anything, I'm not flaunting "big4-ness", heck i was born in 1981, so I got nothing to hang my hat on, but I do believe we're a big 4 club.

By the way, there was 42,000 at the North Melbourne game on a wet day, I thought that's a decent crowd. Wouldn't have been too many North supporters. Maybe you were thinking the 19,000 crowd that turned up against Adelaide? That crowd was a real shame!

Oops Stanga.

My bad.

One of my fav wins of the year,the Crows win.

 

[Parquet Court]

to be a big 4 we have to stop selling games to play in darwin and cairns...big 4 represents the big 4 victorian clubs. none of those 3 others sell games.

im sure though with some sustained success our membership numbers will soar but for now those 3 game memberships make our numbers look better than they already are

 

[tugga]

to be a big 4 we have to stop selling games to play in darwin and cairns...big 4 represents the big 4 victorian clubs. none of those 3 others sell games.

im sure though with some sustained success our membership numbers will soar but for now those 3 game memberships make our numbers look better than they already are

No they don't. They make us fall into line with every other club.

 

[TOOs_Finest]

to be a big 4 we have to stop selling games to play in darwin and cairns...big 4 represents the big 4 victorian clubs. none of those 3 others sell games.

Pretty much unrelated in my eyes. We have a debt to pay, and the club will take the necessary and logical steps to service that debt. Our perception as a top club will be driven 90% by our on field results, and the membership rise that ensues. The perceived performance of our board in off-field areas will also boost this once on field success becomes a reality.

 

[Simmonds2Hislop]

Our membership numbers have been ballsed up, I understood them to be in order of 42,000. Please endeacvour to get it right.

yep right on in flag dept...we've got some work to do..

but for the life of me get the facts right before presenting a crock of shit to the patrons

A whisker under 36,000 was the final official tally.

You brought it up.

Yep. Walked straight into that one.

 

[Shere Khan]

Nah, keep using "Big 4". It's a great throw away line that is sure to get an immediate reaction from Hawks, WCE and sometimes Saints supporters.

Also helps to remind the younguns just how big the RFC are when they are on song.

 

[STANG-A]

helps to remind the younguns just how big the RFC are when they are on song

GREAT POINT! My dad raised me through our most baron years somehow with the belief that we were one of the big clubs, and I want the same for my daughter! Good to have expectations, as long as it doesn't turn into crazy Essondon-style inbreadedness!!!

 

[Tiger2709]

I'II see your Big 4 and raise you a "sleeping giant"

That's the trump card in any discussion about the Tiges and the big 4, it's time for the giant to awaken.

 

[Tiger2709]

to be a big 4 we have to stop selling games to play in darwin and cairns...big 4 represents the big 4 victorian clubs. none of those 3 others sell games.

im sure though with some sustained success our membership numbers will soar but for now those 3 game memberships make our numbers look better than they already are

You have to go where the dollars are, we have been down for a long time and the last thing we want to face is another SOS tin rattle, a couple of games in Darwin, while we rebuild some much needed credibility and suddenly all the big clubs will want too play the Tigers at the 'G.

All clubs have the 3 game membership and aren't the Hawks selling games to Tassie?