Opinion Jeff Kennett News, Media etc.

[kimbopen]

I believe overseas members are included also. We do get a "membership pack!" Would be interesting to see clubs break down the demographics of their memberships. That would make the issue far ,ore transparent, wouldn't it?

That was part of what I was saying earlier. Surely the club/s would have databases that can weed out all of the signification, and relevant, information pertaining to members and where they are domiciled. If not, I reckon it's time for some of the tech heads on here to help them out with that!

 

[JoeHawk]

I think we all know sex sells, and so does controversy. So why not an advertising drive to get supporters to games. I’m thinking we rehash the old Lara Bingle campaign!

View attachment 514647

Oh dear. How do I unsee that??

 

[Satchel]

well I did my bit - came over from SA & brought 19 other people with me

Really enjoyable bit was that 75% of them were Cows supporters

 

[Luv_our_club]

I think we all know sex sells, and so does controversy. So why not an advertising drive to get supporters to games. I’m thinking we rehash the old Lara Bingle campaign!

View attachment 514647

I`m heading 37° 49' 14" S 145° 1' 58" E and you don't what to be there when i arrive.

 

[flinchfree]

Some updates on Dingley would be nice too Jeff

600 likes.

 

[Walshawk]

9000 today - our lowest crowd in how long? 70 years?
Wonder what Jeff will say about how things are going in Tassie? Surely the gig is up!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

9000 today - our lowest crowd in how long? 70 years?
Wonder what Jeff will say about how things are going in Tassie? Surely the gig is up!

Getting 9,000 from Launceston to go and watch the Suns play is more impressive than the 26,000 who bothered to turn up last week to watch the Crows. Melbourne folk can’t whine about Launceston crowd numbers this year.

 

[Gralin]

Getting 9,000 from Launceston to go and watch the Suns play is more impressive than the 26,000 who bothered to turn up last week to watch the Crows. Melbourne folk can’t whine about Launceston crowd numbers this year.

Walshawk just takes any excuse available to rag on Tassie

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Walshawk just takes any excuse available to rag on Tassie

Oh I’m familiar with the relentless negativity. Highlighted by the anti power rangers picture - close to two years since we last wore the damn thing.

 

[Hawkk]

Getting 9,000 from Launceston to go and watch the Suns play is more impressive than the 26,000 who bothered to turn up last week to watch the Crows. Melbourne folk can’t whine about Launceston crowd numbers this year.

Is it really though? In spite of weather our average is still 50,500 across 6 MCG games for the season. Plus a 28,000 plus to a ‘home’ fixture at Docklands against the Eagles. Meanwhile our crowds in Tasmania have been the pits for years

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Is it really though? In spite of weather our average is still 50,500 across 6 MCG games for the season. Plus a 28,000 plus to a ‘home’ fixture at Docklands against the Eagles. Meanwhile our crowds in Tasmania have been the pits for years

That 50,500 includes a Geelong and Richmond home game which bumps things up. Our actual Melbourne home game average is only higher than the Bulldogs and Norf. Even Carlton fans are turning out in bigger numbers despite their double handicap of having to watch games at Etihad and willingly watch Carlton play.

Also keep getting a giggle out of the weather being mentioned repeatedly as though Melbourne has never had a cold winter before.

 

[Goldhawk]

Is it really though? In spite of weather our average is still 50,500 across 6 MCG games for the season. Plus a 28,000 plus to a ‘home’ fixture at Docklands against the Eagles. Meanwhile our crowds in Tasmania have been the pits for years

It's because we mainly play interstate teams in Tassie. There is no doubt that we would get bigger crowds playing at the G but the money we make from our great sponsorship far outweights the smaller crowds we get in Tassie

 

[Brant]

It's because we mainly play interstate teams in Tassie. There is no doubt that we would get bigger crowds playing at the G but the money we make from our great sponsorship far outweights the smaller crowds we get in Tassie

Exactly.

Plus, we pick up an extra 8,000ish members from Tassie by virtue of us being there. Does anyone know a single person in Melbourne, who refuses to buy a membership because of our 4x Tassie games? No? Then we're 8,000 in front there as well.

And, we're trying to build Dingley.

How is this even still a point for discussion?

 

[Hawkk]

That 50,500 includes a Geelong and Richmond home game which bumps things up. Our actual Melbourne home game average is only higher than the Bulldogs and Norf. Even Carlton fans are turning out in bigger numbers despite their double handicap of having to watch games at Etihad and willingly watch Carlton play.

Also keep getting a giggle out of the weather being mentioned repeatedly as though Melbourne has never had a cold winter before.

Carlton are not in like for like comparisons. Look behind the numbers, our attendance feafure 3 Tasmanian home games which have drawn a 12,300 average. That is one almighty handicap. With respect to the Richmond and Geelong games (and for that matter Essendon) they were all away fixtures which is the vagaries of Tasmania. We keep getting high drawing away games and s**tstain home games against Adelaide and West Coast (which no big Melb clubs draw well against). Along with a late Sunday fixture against Melbourne we have only played decent home fixtures against the Swans (rained out) and Collingwood

As for Geelong, Geelong haven’t drawn 70k plus to any home and away game not featuring Hawthorn for 5 years, take away the country game last year and any game above 60k is a rarity. We carry that fixture

Since 2009 Tasmanian crowds have been in free fall whilst our Melbourne crowds have grown considerably year on year (until this season that is)

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Well actually Carlton are not in like for like comparisons. With respect to the Richmond and Geelong games (and for that matter Essendon) they were all away fixtures which is the vagaries of Tasmania. We keep getting high drawing away games and s**tstain home games against Adelaide, Melbourne and West Coast (which no big Melb clubs draw well against).

As for Geelong, Geelong haven’t drawn 70k plus to any home and away game not featuring Hawthorn for 5 years, take away the country game last year and any game above 60k is a rarity. We carry that fixture

Since 2009 Tasmanian crowds have been in free fall whilst our Melbourne crowds have grown considerably year on year (until this season that is)

Doesn’t help that the population of Launceston is on the decline also and that we generally relegate them with crap games. If it’s okay to use the ‘we didn’t draw well at the MCG because it was Adelaide or Sydney’ to excuse Melbourne supporters for not fronting up - why can’t Launceston supporters do the same.

If we are using the ‘there were other things on during the Crows game’ excuse - why can’t Launceston use the excuse that Dark Mofo is happening an hour down the road.

As it stands - a crowd of 9,000 is close to 15% of the population of Launceston and pretty spot on with what our Tassie membership base is. Our crowds this year in Melbourne compared to the weight of supporters living here and members based here are paltry.

I would like bigger crowds wherever we play - but you can’t allow a raft of excuses for our shit home crowds in Melbourne this year and then not allow similar excuses for Launceston games.

 

[Dragz]

9000 today - our lowest crowd in how long? 70 years?
Wonder what Jeff will say about how things are going in Tassie? Surely the gig is up!

Launceston's population is a bit over 100000
How many are in Melbourne ???

Neutrals are completely sick of teams like GC so they've stopped coming.

 

[Hawkk]

Launceston's population is a bit over 100000
How many are in Melbourne ???

Neutrals are completely sick of teams like GC so they've stopped coming.

So why are we still there?

 

[Hawkk]

Doesn’t help that the population of Launceston is on the decline also and that we generally relegate them with crap games. If it’s okay to use the ‘we didn’t draw well at the MCG because it was Adelaide or Sydney’ to excuse Melbourne supporters for not fronting up - why can’t Launceston supporters do the same.

If we are using the ‘there were other things on during the Crows game’ excuse - why can’t Launceston use the excuse that Dark Mofo is happening an hour down the road.

As it stands - a crowd of 9,000 is close to 15% of the population of Launceston and pretty spot on with what our Tassie membership base is. Our crowds this year in Melbourne compared to the weight of supporters living here and members based here are paltry.

I would like bigger crowds wherever we play - but you can’t allow a raft of excuses for our shit home crowds in Melbourne this year and then not allow similar excuses for Launceston games.

But the Sydney games do draw well. Our average is well over 60,000 for home and away games over the past decade. That 33,000 was weather affected and very much an exception to the norm. The same game last year (when were 12th) in the middle of winter drew 52,181

As for Adelaide games our last MCG games were 37,420, 45,782 and 33,724 in 2017, 2016 and 2012. There were mitigating factors for both.

The irony is that our Docklands match against the eagles drew a very good crowd in the circumstances

 

[Davo23]

Launceston's population is a bit over 100000
How many are in Melbourne ???

Neutrals are completely sick of teams like GC so they've stopped coming.

I go to one Launceston game a year and it’s obvious that the novelty of Hawthorn playing there has worn out and we are depending on hardcore supporters.
It also seems that Hobartians are not travelling up any more.

And the problem with teams like GWS and GC is that they have no supporters anyway, so no one travels to Tassie to see the games. I was at the GWS game last year, and there was group of about 20 people cheering hard for Greater Western: we had a chat with them, found out they were mostly Carlton/Richmond supporters all there to see Hawthorn lose!

Teams like Port & Freo always seem to have some support, but that’s dwindling too.

I guess it’s only the money keeping us there.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

So why are we still there?

$$$

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The irony is that our Docklands match against the eagles drew a very good crowd in the circumstances

Was a pathetic crowd. If you’re boasting about a sub-30,000 crowd and you’re not a NRL side then it’s a bit embarrassing.

 

[Hawkk]

Was a pathetic crowd. If you’re boasting about a sub-30,000 crowd and you’re not a NRL side then it’s a bit embarrassing.

For Docklands? I guess your expectation is very high...

Rd 10 2018 Hawthorn v West Coast 28,088

Compared too...

Rd 17 2017 Richmond v Brisbane 28,188
Rd 3 2016 Richmond v Adelaide 29,951
Rd 21 2014 Richmond v Port Adelaide 21,583

Rd 18 2017 Collingwood v West Coast 22,947
Rd 22 2016 Collingwood v Gold Coast 17,644

Speaking of Carlton...

Their last home game against Fremantle on a Saturday afternoon drew 21,340. And they are good for about 3 sub 25,000 home crowds in Melbourne a season.

The MCC estimate evidently for their game against Collingwood today is 45,000 (about the same as Geelong v Collingwood and Richmond mind you). When was the last time we drew mid to low 40,000’s against Collingwood

Our supposed declining crowds in Melbourne are only 2-3 weeks strong, out crowds have been in freefall in Launceston since mid 2009.

The last 3 Hawthorn games in Melbourne (all against non Victorian opposition) have drawn an average of 29,192. More then half the Victorian clubs average less then 25,000 to games against non Victorian opposition. Our last 2 Launceston fixtures (both against non Victorian opposition) have drawn an average of 11,230

 

[wahawk]

So why are we still there?

I could give you half a million reasons

 

[Walshawk]

Oh I’m familiar with the relentless negativity. Highlighted by the anti power rangers picture - close to two years since we last wore the damn thing.

Relentless negativit? About what? Yes the Power Ranger was a disgrace but it never occurred to me to change the pic. Will get onto it.
I will stand against what a I believe is to the detriment of our great club. Many of you here are yes men who agree with everything the club says and does. If you were old enough I wonder if you would have also agreed with the club when the club wanted to merge in 1996.
So I will stand against four games in Launceston, as I believe it is not in our best interests. I have been there for games and think that it was brilliant 10/15 years ago when we were broke and there were not seven games in the state. If we really have aspirations to be as big as Collingwood or Richmond, playing games in a rural town in front of sub 10k will ensure that we stay where we are as a middle sized club. That is my opinion. It doesn’t make me right, and you may disagree and that doesn’t make you right. It’s called a discussion and I believe that we should negotiate our way out of there as the AFL approved North will take over our games at some stage anyway.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

For Docklands? I guess your expectation is very high...

Rd 10 2018 Hawthorn v West Coast 28,088

Compared too...

Rd 17 2017 Richmond v Brisbane 28,188
Rd 3 2016 Richmond v Adelaide 29,951
Rd 21 2014 Richmond v Port Adelaide 21,583

Rd 18 2017 Collingwood v West Coast 22,947
Rd 22 2016 Collingwood v Gold Coast 17,644

Speaking of Carlton...

Their last home game against Fremantle on a Saturday afternoon drew 21,340. And they are good for about 3 sub 25,000 home crowds in Melbourne a season.

The MCC estimate evidently for their game against Collingwood today is 45,000 (about the same as Geelong v Collingwood and Richmond mind you). When was the last time we drew mid to low 40,000’s against Collingwood

Our supposed declining crowds in Melbourne are only 2-3 weeks strong, out crowds have been in freefall in Launceston since mid 2009.

The last 3 Hawthorn games in Melbourne (all against non Victorian opposition) have drawn an average of 29,192. More then half the Victorian clubs average less then 25,000 to games against non Victorian opposition. Our last 2 Launceston fixtures (both against non Victorian opposition) have drawn an average of 11,230

Cherry picking is fun. Let's give it a try.

Etihad crowds vs interstate clubs.

Round 1 - 2018 - Essendon vs Adelaide - 43,016
Round 1 - 2018 - Carlton vs Gold Coast - 28,015
Round 5 - 2017 - Bulldogs vs Brisbane - 31,822
Round 15 - 2017 - Essendon vs Brisbane - 41,246

Hell you can even cherry pick a few Collingwood crowds in there.

Round 2 - 2015 - Collingwood vs Adelaide - 33,771
Round 16 - 2015 - Collingwood vs West coast - 36,527

Not shocked that Carlton only drew 21,340 against Freo. They are running last and playing dreadful footy. Despite this they were still averaging higher home crowds in Melbourne than we were. This despite being crap, having been crap for the most part of almost a quarter of a century and having a lower membership base than us. We are having a few leanish years coming off a golden era and our crowds crater - and we wonder why Richmond fans giggle at our fans being bandwagoners? I personally would love to prove them wrong - however at least they show up continually even when their team was woeful.

I really don't care if we are better than some teams at drawing versus interstate teams. This is Hawthorn - we should never settle about being middle of the pack at anything. Who cares if we are playing an interstate team? I am going to watch the Hawks play. I don't care which opponents Sicily is making look silly or who Mitchell is slaughtering in the clearances.

We have supporters who throw tantrums about crowds in Tassie yet probably don't show up to home games in Melbourne (not saying you didn't turn up against Adelaide and Sydney). These same fans also overlook the millions of dollars Tasmania hand over to us as well as the handy membership boost. All those that rant and moan about Tasmania never have a workable solution to this. Forgive me if I don't fawn over the hand-wringing over games in Tassie from people who have zero alternatives to the benefits we get from playing there.

Until Hawks fans start showing up to games in Melbourne people can quit it with the Tassie bashing. Once we have a compelling case to mount that Melbourne members are missing out on watching blockbusters against the Suns and St Kilda - then I will happily keep pocketing the Tassie cash and banking on the uptick in memberships.