Crowds in 2006 - AFL vs NRL

[fishmonger]

AFL crowds have been down in the NAB Cup, pre-season and opening rounds of 2006, whereas NRL crowds have been growing.

I know that the NRL has been going for a few rounds already and has no pre-season cup as such and AFL is only in round 1, but there are some interesting comparisons early on:

Lowest crowd in 2006
* NRL = 4,000 (pre-season test): Cronulla vs Bulldogs
* AFL = 1,500 (pre-season test): Melbourne vs Kangaroos

Biggest crowd in 2006
* NRL = 46,229 (round 1): Brisbane vs Nth Queensland
* AFL = 45,339 (round 1): Essendon vs Sydney

Average crowds 2006 (2005)
* AFL = 32,508 (35,696)
* NRL = 18,296 (16,468)

NRL average crowds are over half of the AFL's average for 2006, whereas AFL crowds are usually more than double.
NRL crowds are up by 10% and AFL down by 15%.

Sure there is no MCG at the moment, but surely the 55,000 seat Telstra Dome never looked like reaching anyhere near capacity and should have at least done better than the NRL in round one. As well as this, the NAB Cup crowds were nothing short of pathetic - especially in Melbourne. Even the NAB Cup grand final couldn't draw a decent crowd in Adelaide.

These AFL figures are pretty damn dissapointing in my opinion and the NRL have definately got the wood on the AFL at the start of this season.

And I wouldn't blame the Commonwealth Games as the interstate homegames for West Coast and Port Adelaide both got round 1 crowds that are lower than their last year's average both for what would normally be called 'blockbuster' games.

Some worrying signs here for the AFL and they have had nothing to gloat about crowd wise this season.

Thoughts ?

 

[McBain]

once there are a few decent games between two Victorian clubs, you'll see crowds increase. ie. this weekend

 

[m0nty]

By Anzac Day this will seem like a blip on the radar.

 

[Ron]

Scheduling the Pies v Crows on a monday night was never going to get a big crowd.
If it was on a fri or sat night it would of grabbed 20k more.
Hardly worrying signs yet, lets just see how it pans out over the next month.

 

[fishmonger]

By Anzac Day this will seem like a blip on the radar.

The AFL would be silly to rely on the much hyped ANZAC day match to prop up what are terribly disapointing home and away crowd figures.

But given the shamozzle over the athletics track at the MCG I can see why the AFL are so keen to get a big crowd for that game.

 

[bloodsports]

Way to early to be making this comparison.

Try getting back to us in about 2025 maybe then the NRL might have a hope of getting even half the number of people to their brand of football per year that the AFL does.

Until then a comparison is meaningless.

 

[Drummond]

As well as this, the NAB Cup crowds were nothing short of pathetic - especially in Melbourne. Even the NAB Cup grand final couldn't draw a decent crowd in Adelaide.

These AFL figures are pretty damn dissapointing in my opinion and the NRL have definately got the wood on the AFL at the start of this season.

Some worrying signs here for the AFL and they have had nothing to gloat about crowd wise this season.

You want my thoughts? I think your 'study' is complete trash. You're making judgments and comparisons after one week of AFL? And you say the NAB Cup Grand Final couldn’t draw a decent crowd, well maybe because of the fact that it was the NAB Cup!

 

[fishmonger]

You want my thoughts? I think your 'study' is complete trash. You're making judgments and comparisons after one week of AFL? And you say the NAB Cup Grand Final couldn’t draw a decent crowd, well maybe because of the fact that it was the NAB Cup!

I'm merely stating the facts.

As for noone caring about the NAB Cup. That may be true for this year, but historically Grand Final crowds have been much bigger in comparison.

Wizard/NAB Cup Grand Final
* 2004 = 50,533 (St Kilda vs Geelong)
* 2005 = 43,391 (Carlton vs West Coast)
* 2006 = 30,707 (Adelaide vs Geelong)

It will be interesting to see how the Melbourne Storm's first home game in Round 7 will affect the overall NRL average.

 

[Vader]

And I wouldn't blame the Commonwealth Games as the interstate homegames for West Coast and Port Adelaide both got round 1 crowds that are lower than their last year's average both for what would normally be called 'blockbuster' games.

Since when has Port vs North been a "blockbuster" game?

I wouldn't get too excited. The AFL knew they were going to get off to a slow start this year - competition from the F1 GP and to a lesser extent the Commonwealth Games meant that R1 was always going to have a few problems getting bums on seats.

 

[Longy413]

Commonwealth Games, F1 Grand Prix and no MCG.

Things will turn around.

 

[stui magpie]

I'm merely stating the facts.

As for noone caring about the NAB Cup. That may be true for this year, but historically Grand Final crowds have been much bigger in comparison.

Wizard/NAB Cup Grand Final
* 2004 = 50,533 (St Kilda vs Geelong)
* 2005 = 43,391 (Carlton vs West Coast)
* 2006 = 30,707 (Adelaide vs Geelong)

It will be interesting to see how the Melbourne Storm's first home game in Round 7 will affect the overall NRL average.

Just curious, where were the preseason GF's played in the past? This one was in Adelaide wasn't it? ground capacity less than 40,000?

 

[fishmonger]

Just curious, where were the preseason GF's played in the past? This one was in Adelaide wasn't it? ground capacity less than 40,000?

all at Telstra Dome except the Adelaide one.
2000 between Port Adelaide and Brisbane was also played at Football Park and was the only other time the pre-season cup has left Victoria.

I would have expected AAMI stadium to be full for such a high-profile event.

 

[fishmonger]

double post deleted

 

[Jimthegreat]

AFL crowds have been down in the NAB Cup, pre-season and opening rounds of 2006, whereas NRL crowds have been growing.

I know that the NRL has been going for a few rounds already and has no pre-season cup as such and AFL is only in round 1, but there are some interesting comparisons early on:

Lowest crowd in 2006
* NRL = 4,000 (pre-season test): Cronulla vs Bulldogs
* AFL = 1,500 (pre-season test): Melbourne vs Kangaroos

Biggest crowd in 2006
* NRL = 46,229 (round 1): Brisbane vs Nth Queensland
* AFL = 45,339 (round 1): Essendon vs Sydney

Average crowds 2006 (2005)
* AFL = 32,508 (35,696)
* NRL = 18,296 (16,468)

NRL average crowds are over half of the AFL's average for 2006, whereas AFL crowds are usually more than double.
NRL crowds are up by 10% and AFL down by 15%.

Sure there is no MCG at the moment, but surely the 55,000 seat Telstra Dome never looked like reaching anyhere near capacity and should have at least done better than the NRL in round one. As well as this, the NAB Cup crowds were nothing short of pathetic - especially in Melbourne. Even the NAB Cup grand final couldn't draw a decent crowd in Adelaide.

These AFL figures are pretty damn dissapointing in my opinion and the NRL have definately got the wood on the AFL at the start of this season.

And I wouldn't blame the Commonwealth Games as the interstate homegames for West Coast and Port Adelaide both got round 1 crowds that are lower than their last year's average both for what would normally be called 'blockbuster' games.

Some worrying signs here for the AFL and they have had nothing to gloat about crowd wise this season.

Thoughts ?

32,500= Total round crowd of 260,000, not small by any imagination. Given no MCG, Games at Geelong (capacity under 30,000) and interstate club, Collingwood v interstate club on a Monday (how many Crows are going to come across for a Monday game), game in Lauenceston Hawthorn v Freo (yes, real crowd puller on ground with small capacity), other huge blockbusters like Bullies v Richmond, Port V Kangaroos is never a big puller (Kangaroos are rarely a "puller"), I'd say the AFL would be extremely happy with that result given the games on offer.

Shows you how well the AFL is going when 260,000 is considered by people to be a crap crowd. Especially with the Grand Prix on and the Commonwealth Games just finishing!! Only the AFL would be capable of drawing such decent crowds WITh that competition available!!!!

How good is the NRL going when people consider it good when they get HALF and an average AFL crowd that's supposedly crap. I think there's only one group that should be worried that I don't think it's the AFL!

You a genious coming up with such wonderful stats after ROUND 1 !!

 

[Rob]

You can't compare NRL crowds after a few rounds to last season's average. Generally what happens is that the early season hype draws more people, the NRL trolls trumpet some huge percentage increase in crowds.
Then come the middle of the year when its cold and wet the crowds die in the arse and leave them with some nominal increase of a hundred people a game on their already pathetic crowd averages.

Compare crowds after a few rounds to the same time last year if you want an indicative comparison.

 

[fishmonger]

You a genious coming up with such wonderful stats after ROUND 1 !!

Well actually the NRL Stats are 4 rounds in and one thing is for sure they much more impressive than last years NRL figures. These guys are slowly but surely catching the AFL in terms of attendance. You can't deny that 4,000 being the lowest crowd for pre-season NRL tests is pretty good. One would think that Melbourne vs Carlton could get at least that on a good day.

Anyway I first noticed a AFL trend after a sharp drop in pre-season cup attendances and I really don't expect the situation to get any better either when revisited later in the season.

 

[fabulousphil]

You can't compare NRL crowds after a few rounds to last season's average. Generally what happens is that the early season hype draws more people, the NRL trolls trumpet some huge percentage increase in crowds.
Then come the middle of the year when its cold and wet the crowds die in the arse and leave them with some nominal increase of a hundred people a game on their already pathetic crowd averages.

Compare crowds after a few rounds to the same time last year if you want an indicative comparison.

Pathetic compared to the AFL but in reality the NRL is one of the biggest average crowd pullers in the world.......... just shows you how big the AFL is in southern australia and pockets of Brisbane and Sydney.

I believe the AFL has higher average figures than english soccer...... piy the majority of the world has not heard about it....... although that may be changing

http://www.worldfootynews.com/


Take a squiz

 

[fishmonger]

Since when has Port vs North been a "blockbuster" game?

I wouldn't get too excited. The AFL knew they were going to get off to a slow start this year - competition from the F1 GP and to a lesser extent the Commonwealth Games meant that R1 was always going to have a few problems getting bums on seats.

So the West Coast vs St Kilda game was an anomaly because it was on a Thursday night ?

What I can't understand is why did the AFL come up with such a dodgy draw for attendances then if it knew Melbourne was going to be a problem why not schedule interstate games in Round 1 for Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide ? and why stuff around with Thursday and Monday night games ?

 

[Rob]

Well actually the NRL Stats are 4 rounds in and one thing is for sure they much more impressive than last years NRL figures. These guys are slowly but surely catching the AFL in terms of attendance. You can't deny that 4,000 being the lowest crowd for pre-season NRL tests is pretty good. One would think that Melbourne vs Carlton could get at least that on a good day.

Anyway I first noticed a AFL trend after a sharp drop in pre-season cup attendances and I really don't expect the situation to get any better either when revisited later in the season.

God you talk some crap.

AFL increase last year per game: 2,086
NRL increase last year per game: 1,797

AFL increase since 2000 per game: 3,133
NRL: increase since 2000 per game: 2,102

NRL crowds are not catching up. The gap is widening.

 

[fishmonger]

God you talk some crap.

AFL increase last year per game: 2,086
NRL increase last year per game: 1,797

AFL increase since 2000 per game: 3,133
NRL: increase since 2000 per game: 2,102

NRL crowds are not catching up. The gap is widening.

I meant in terms of the types of crowds that the AFL is getting at the moment. Not as a general trend.

 

[Rob]

I meant in terms of the types of crowds that the AFL is getting at the moment. Not as a general trend.

What, after 1 round with no MCG, and with games in Geelong and Launceston?
Sh*t, just move Hawthorn v Fremantle to Subi (extra 20,000) and Geelong v Brisbane to Brisbane (extra 10,000) and the average becomes 36,258, a substantial increase on last year.

And if you want to compare 1 round, compare the most recent round. Not a single f**king NRL game last week drew over 20,000. Looks like the future is bleak.

 

[catters05]

THis is a bit silly isn't it. Who cares.

Melbourne vs Carlton at MCG instead of DOME?

It's good that both codes are doing great crowd wise, and even better for NRL that they keep their traditional home grounds as well.

 

[littleduck]

Please, lets not take any notice of the NAB Cup... we all know those games are mickey mouse pre-season glorified practice matches.

These guys are slowly but surely catching the AFL in terms of attendance.

NRL crowds, average or aggregate, will never ever catch AFL crowds.

 

[fabulousphil]

And if you want to compare 1 round, compare the most recent round. Not a single f**king NRL game last week drew over 20,000. Looks like the future is bleak.

I know you could be bunging it on for LD's sake but in reality there is room for both codes and RL has a great history in this country........ although having said that AR is a mile better

 

[Rob]

I know you could be bunging it on for LD's sake but in reality there is room for both codes and RL has a great history in this country........ although having said that AR is a mile better

You are probably right, but its not an issue of which code is better, it's a simple matter of someone using bullsh*t figures to prove something that isn't there. I was just pointing out the bullsh*t.