How can AFL increase game attendance?

[ccastell88]

Hey guys,

What do you think are some ways the AFL can increase attendance to games in 2015?

Attendance over the last 5 seasons has been trending down.

2014 - 6,974,488 (33,693 per match)

2013 - 6,931,085 (33,484 per match)

2012 - 6,778,559 (32,747 per match)

2011 - 7,139,272 (36,425 per match)

2010 - 7,145,488 (38,417 per match)

What are your motivations to continue to go to games (even when your team is average/bottom 8 team)?

And does anyone know any teams who were consistently performing average/poor over a good period of time, but the club managed to keep their fan attendance high?

 

[SJ]

Hey guys,

What do you think are some ways the AFL can increase attendance to games in 2015?

Put them on at times when people actually want to attend.

 

[Ashton Agar]

Stop changing the rules every season, and get it looking more like Australian Rules football as it once was known.

 

[carnthedons]

Put them on at times when people actually want to attend.

Yep, this.

There's been a big push towards what works for TV not what works for the physical attendees and this has been a big part of it.

Also, the introduction of 2 brand new teams and more games in smaller (boutique) stadiums like spotless, metricon, blundstone etc will have dropped avg attendances

 

[ManWithNoName]

Put them on at times when people actually want to attend.

Winner.

 

[DrEvil_]

Put them on at times when people actually want to attend.

Pretty much this

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Stop putting the same 3-4 sides in the prime timeslots. Not sure about others but it has become boring watching either Collingwood, Carlton, etc on a Friday night. The same sides play the same prime time slots every year and it is boring. The same regurgitated build up every year to each same game blah blah blah.
Just share it around and stop making it so predictable.

 

[ScrewInStuds]

Continuing to expand into NSW and QLD should help.

 

[Pea Nut]

I follow the Crows but live in QLD. I will always attend every game the Crows play here, but would consider going to more games to see the Lions or Suns play if it wasn't so expensive. The entry ticket prices are reasonable, but with the food and drink prices so extortionate, and with the crap you are served, it really doesn't make for a good experience.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Clubs could try promoting match attendance instead of membership payments.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Not sure how - but would love it if it were easier to sit with mates. If you have sone that are MCC members and some that are club members, then a few more that are AFL members then everyone is at the game but scan in at different locations and usually split up from that point.

 

[hawkman]

Clubs could try promoting match attendance instead of membership payments.

Grand final club ticket ballots should be weighted towards who went to the most games. That might make members go to the game more

 

[master bate]

Continuing to expand into NSW and QLD should help.

Not really. GWS get there 7,000 fans to home games and then it means more out of Victoria games for Vic teams and therefore less games with 2 Victorian sides playing each other. The Coll v Carl, Ess V Rich etc 60k+ blockbusters are protected, but I think there's been a decline in the good solid 40-50k turn out between 2 Vic sides.

Overall the addition of GWS and Gold Coast and creating the 9th game each weeks has probably a cause for the decline in attendance. GWS and Gold Coast combined yearly crowds don't match what has been taken out of other teams home fixtures when they play those teams. GWS and Gold Coast becoming competitive should help, not only to boost their own crowds but to make teams want to see them play.

 

[master bate]

Not sure how - but would love it if it were easier to sit with mates. If you have sone that are MCC members and some that are club members, then a few more that are AFL members then everyone is at the game but scan in at different locations and usually split up from that point.

At the G I guess you can all go sit in the cheap seats. I've done that a bit. I'm an MCC member so I'm a bit protective of the MCC reserve, but I'd be all for a visitors pass at a discount rate for someone who already has a ticket to the ground. AFL or Club members aren't going to pay full rate again to get in as an MCC visitor when they have a valid ticket, but for select games they could have a discount rate, just $5-$10 if you already have access. Could work the same with other members categories.

 

[Hoops]

If Geelong, Bulldogs, St Kilda, Melbourne, North Melbourne and Hawthorn played all home games in Melbourne. (which I don't necessarily support) attendances would increase. If they culled GWS and Gold Coast (which I don't support) attendances would increase.
likewise if they make booking fees far less

 

[1990crow]

Banning Essendon players would probably be a start for some disillusioned fans in Victoria.

 

[Colonial]

Hey guys,

What do you think are some ways the AFL can increase attendance to games in 2015?

Attendance over the last 5 seasons has been trending down.

2014 - 6,974,488 (33,693 per match)

2013 - 6,931,085 (33,484 per match)

2012 - 6,778,559 (32,747 per match)

2011 - 7,139,272 (36,425 per match)

2010 - 7,145,488 (38,417 per match)

What are your motivations to continue to go to games (even when your team is average/bottom 8 team)?

And does anyone know any teams who were consistently performing average/poor over a good period of time, but the club managed to keep their fan attendance high?

I must be miss reading but the last 3 years its been going up hasn't it?

 

[master bate]

1. More random finals series. It's so predictable at the moment. If you're 12th mid season the best you might do is 5-8th and then you can't win the flag. So you're asking a lot of fans.

2. Greater change in the ladder from year to year. Remember the days of a different top 4 team coming from outside the 8 each year? Before we were obsessed with premiership windows? The focus on the draft, on rebuilding, the changes in professionalism making years of preseasons needed to build fitness not just one hard working summer, the fact that even some of the most talented kids ever grouped together can't make it out of the bottom 4 (see GWS or Gold Coast) as being 25 and fully fit makes you a better player than 19 and highly skilled. The AFL have now somewhat got on to footy department spending for equalisation, but on the other hand the limited free agency will further favour the gap between best and worst and make it harder to breach that gap.

I'm not sure on the solution. But many teams now head in to the year not expecting to do much and that's what happens. I love going the footy. I will go just to hope to see my team win no matter the ladder position. But particularly at the start of the year I need hope that the result isn't predetermined. Now I'm not saying bottom of the ladder should be a close contests with top of the ladder. But the problem at the moment is the 4th best team will spank the 10th best team. Or the 12th best team will spank the 17th best team and there's not much variation year to year.

 

[blue harvest]

It's not trending down, those figures include finals so will be higher the years where Collingwood etc are premiership chances and getting multiple home finals.

 

[chiwigi]

Put them on at times when people actually want to attend.

Instead of when it will rate (comparatively well) well on TV.

I am sure somebody has done an analysis of the 'value' of a TV fan over one actually attending the game(in terms of advertising revenue etc).
If the TV fan has more value, then there will be no convincing anyone in charge,

 

[Bleeeeeeeeep]

Make the game shorter, not some Big Bash bullsh*t style crap.

 

[Ashton Agar]

Make the game shorter, not some Big Bash bullsh*t style crap.

Why would they make the game shorter?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

1. More random finals series. It's so predictable at the moment. If you're 12th mid season the best you might do is 5-8th and then you can't win the flag. So you're asking a lot of fans.

2. Greater change in the ladder from year to year. Remember the days of a different top 4 team coming from outside the 8 each year? Before we were obsessed with premiership windows? The focus on the draft, on rebuilding, the changes in professionalism making years of preseasons needed to build fitness not just one hard working summer, the fact that even some of the most talented kids ever grouped together can't make it out of the bottom 4 (see GWS or Gold Coast) as being 25 and fully fit makes you a better player than 19 and highly skilled. The AFL have now somewhat got on to footy department spending for equalisation, but on the other hand the limited free agency will further favour the gap between best and worst and make it harder to breach that gap.

I'm not sure on the solution. But many teams now head in to the year not expecting to do much and that's what happens. I love going the footy. I will go just to hope to see my team win no matter the ladder position. But particularly at the start of the year I need hope that the result isn't predetermined. Now I'm not saying bottom of the ladder should be a close contests with top of the ladder. But the problem at the moment is the 4th best team will spank the 10th best team. Or the 12th best team will spank the 17th best team and there's not much variation year to year.

Agree completely. Clubs used to recruit yearly to be as strong as possible and give themselves the best chance of winning the flag that immediate year. Now they recruit to have a window open in 5 years and for 80% of them that window never opens anyway.
If they went back to letting second tier footy develop players and then recruited the best footballers to play in the AFL instead of the best potential footballers then the comp would be better.
But the system is weighted towards playing young kids who are not ready and not good enough for 5 years while they are learning, I have no interest in watching 17-19 year old colts who are not ready to play in the big league.

 

[Colonial]

Not really. GWS get there 7,000 fans to home games and then it means more out of Victoria games for Vic teams and therefore less games with 2 Victorian sides playing each other. The Coll v Carl, Ess V Rich etc 60k+ blockbusters are protected, but I think there's been a decline in the good solid 40-50k turn out between 2 Vic sides.

Overall the addition of GWS and Gold Coast and creating the 9th game each weeks has probably a cause for the decline in attendance. GWS and Gold Coast combined yearly crowds don't match what has been taken out of other teams home fixtures when they play those teams. GWS and Gold Coast becoming competitive should help, not only to boost their own crowds but to make teams want to see them play.

Wait we are at fault for you guys not showing up?

Maybe if your own team improved their standard of play then your fans will show up to watch.

Anyway as I said before the last 3 years have shown an improvement not a decrease so have no idea what the hell op is on about.

 

[Bleeeeeeeeep]

Why would they make the game shorter?

One thing i would change and it has to do with the whole TV thing is how long it takes to bloody bounce the ball after a goal. Umpire stands there waiting for the green light, BOUNCE THE BLOODY THING!!!
To many 30+min qtrs, ridiculous.