Tale of 2 Anzac Days

[Footy Rules Australia]

In Melbourne a footy game can attract over 90,000 fans on Anzac Day.

In Sydney an NRL game can scrap together a touch over 18,000.

The Melbourne footy game attracts over 1.1 million viewers on commercial tv nationally.

The Sydney NRL game pulls just over 240,000 on Pay TV nationally.

More people in Sydney watched the Pies-Dons blockbuster on TV than they did the Roosters Dragons thing.

Chalk and cheese.

The AFL should bite the bullet and give the Sydney sporting public a proper Anzac footy match to follow like it did a couple of years ago.

Thoughts?

 

[*PAF]

Thought this was another Shaw McGough thread.

 

[Roddy]

The only question I have now is: will one single game of Football in Melbourne outdraw the entire round of Ugly League games? Will come damn close I'd say...

 

[grayham]

The only question I have now is: will one single game of Football in Melbourne outdraw the entire round of Ugly League games? Will come damn close I'd say...

Been done before many times. Even Swans games occationally beat all Sydney NRL games for a weekend.

 

[Mickdog]

Give us a second team, as they say strike while the iron is hot

 

[Le KooK]

The obsession continues...

 

[Lensen]

In Melbourne a footy game can attract over 90,000 fans on Anzac Day.

In Sydney an NRL game can scrap together a touch over 18,000.

The Melbourne footy game attracts over 1.1 million viewers on commercial tv nationally.

The Sydney NRL game pulls just over 240,000 on Pay TV nationally.

More people in Sydney watched the Pies-Dons blockbuster on TV than they did the Roosters Dragons thing.

Chalk and cheese.

The AFL should bite the bullet and give the Sydney sporting public a proper Anzac footy match to follow like it did a couple of years ago.

Thoughts?

But isn't it the day and the day alone which causes massive crowds in Melbourne?

 

[Dan26]

Next year Anzac Day falls on a Friday. A good idea would be to have Sydeny vs West Coast at Telstra Stadium during the day (a night game would clash with Friday night NRL on free-to-air), and have Collingwood vs Essendon on at 7:40pm as the Friday night game.

 

[DeeHughMan]

Next year Anzac Day falls on a Friday. A good idea would be to have Sydeny vs West Coast at Telstra Stadium during the day (a night game would clash with Friday night NRL on free-to-air), and have Collingwood vs Essendon on at 7:40pm as the Friday night game.

put another melbourne based team with a strong following. eg Sydney V Carlton. i think this will draw better.

 

[Cyclops]

Not as bad idea, to have local matches in the capitals on ANZAC Day. Pies/Dons is a success, but that won't be spoilt if there's other games on.

Just so long as it doesn't ruin the draw. Pies and Dons now have a big rest advantage over their next opponents.

 

[MarkT]

The AFL should bite the bullet and give the Sydney sporting public a proper Anzac footy match to follow like it did a couple of years ago.

Thoughts?

I agree. Not sure it would fly like the MCG game but what the hell harm can it do? Not quite sure who the opponent would be though. I suppose at the moment WCE would be the best choice.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

Whats with the Sydney v Carlton/WC Eagles,

Isn't it traditional that Sydney and Melbourne will play on ANZAC Week?

 

[Dan26]

Whats with the Sydney v Carlton/WC Eagles,

Isn't it traditional that Sydney and Melbourne will play on ANZAC Week?

There is no rule that says Sydney must play the Demons. And why would there be? There is nothing special about a Swans vs Melbourne clash. If the AFL want a marquee Anzac Day next year, they should have Syd vs West Coast at 2:10 at Telstra Stadium and Coll vs Ess at 7:40 pm later that night.

 

[tandino]

There is no rule that says Sydney must play the Demons. And why would there be? There is nothing special about a Swans vs Melbourne clash. If the AFL want a marquee Anzac Day next year, they should have Syd vs West Coast at 2:10 at Telstra Stadium and Coll vs Ess at 7:40 pm later that night.

Never happen unless you swap them around, have the Melbourne game at 2:10 and Sydney game at 7:40.

These next three years will be the big test to see if ANZAC day football can draw crowds outside Victoria. They tried it last time ANZAC day fell on a weekend and it didn't work.

 

[greenhat]

The ANZAC day game is, aside from the Grand Final, the biggest event of the AFL year.

The ANZAC day game in the NRL is not much bigger than any other normal game. There's probably been more hype about tonights Brisbane vs Melbourne grand final rematch than there was about the ANZAC game.

You'd be more accurate comparing the NRL's State of Origin to the AFL's ANZAC game.

 

[Dry Rot]

The ANZAC day game is, aside from the Grand Final, the biggest event of the AFL year.

The ANZAC day game in the NRL is not much bigger than any other normal game. There's probably been more hype about tonights Brisbane vs Melbourne grand final rematch than there was about the ANZAC game.

You'd be more accurate comparing the NRL's State of Origin to the AFL's ANZAC game.

At least person here knows what they are talking about.

 

[Wolfpac]

The Sydney NRL game pulls just over 240,000 on Pay TV nationally.

Really, that isn't too bad for Pay TV. Isn't there only like 1.5 million Foxtel subscribers? That is 1 in 6 people watching the Rugby. Quite good figures if you ask me.

 

[andypie]

In Melbourne a footy game can attract over 90,000 fans on Anzac Day.

In Sydney an NRL game can scrap together a touch over 18,000.

The Melbourne footy game attracts over 1.1 million viewers on commercial tv nationally.

The Sydney NRL game pulls just over 240,000 on Pay TV nationally.

More people in Sydney watched the Pies-Dons blockbuster on TV than they did the Roosters Dragons thing.

Chalk and cheese.

The AFL should bite the bullet and give the Sydney sporting public a proper Anzac footy match to follow like it did a couple of years ago.

Thoughts?

agreed. who would be the swans biggest rival?

 

[mcgarnacle]

The ANZAC day game is, aside from the Grand Final, the biggest event of the AFL year.

The ANZAC day game in the NRL is not much bigger than any other normal game. There's probably been more hype about tonights Brisbane vs Melbourne grand final rematch than there was about the ANZAC game.

You'd be more accurate comparing the NRL's State of Origin to the AFL's ANZAC game.

so true.

besides, Easts are hardly a well supported club in Sydney. They may be cashed up, but that's due to the different way of football clubs raising funds in rugby league as opposed to the AFL, i.e., through their affiliated leagues club, and not via memberships. Easts Leagues is a very healthy business at bondi junction.

to get the equivalent of essendon/collingwood, you would need to get 2 of the big sydney clubs in on it......Parramatta, Canterbury, St George or Wests Tigers. Souths too supposedly have a large supporter base, but we've been so shit over the last 15 years that not many fans own up to it.

still though, it would never get close to ess/coll. State of Origin is such an event in rugby league, that club footy is regarded as inferior and suffers because of it.

 

[Dan26]

Never happen unless you swap them around, have the Melbourne game at 2:10 and Sydney game at 7:40.

These next three years will be the big test to see if ANZAC day football can draw crowds outside Victoria. They tried it last time ANZAC day fell on a weekend and it didn't work.

No, the Col-Ess game would have to be at 7:40pm, if there was to be a game in Sydney.

Next year Anzac day falls on a Friday so to have Sydney involved in a night game would mean going head-to-head with Nine's NRL Friday night coverage in Sydney with a Swans games. Not an option.

The ONLY option (if there is to be a game in Sydney) is to have:

2:10pm - Sydney vs West Coast Telstra Stadium
7:40pm - Collingwood vs Essendon MCG

Collingwood vs Essendon would get a bigger live audience on a Friday night than in the middle of the afternoon, anyway, so it makes perfect sense.


*The Anzac day Coll vs Ess game was played as a twilight game in 1998, starting at 3:40pm, and also had a 1:10pm start in 2004. In 2007 it started at 2:40pm. It's also started at 2:10 in other years so it's had four different starting times in its 13 years.

 

[Dan26]

These next three years will be the big test to see if ANZAC day football can draw crowds outside Victoria. They tried it last time ANZAC day fell on a weekend and it didn't work.

Anzac Day has fallen on a weekend three times:

1998
In 1998, Anzac Day was on a Saturday. There were 3 games. The two "other" games were:

Hawthorn vs Bris. Lions at Waverley 22,366 (match was 15th vs 16th. Neither side had won in the first 4 rounds. Acceptable crowd

Fremantle vs North.Melb at the Waca 26,525 Excellent WACA crowd for a Freo game in their early years.




1999
In 1999, Anzac Day was on a Sunday. There were 3 games. The two "other" games were:

Fremantle vs Brisbane at Subi 24,077 (Freo were winless in the first four rounds. Acceptable crowd)

Adelaide vs Sydney at AAMI 42,439 Typically good solid Crows home crowd.




2004
The last time Anzac day fell on a weekend was Sunday in 2004. There were 3 games. The "other" 2 were:

Fremantle vs Geelong at Subicao 35,021 (good crowd before Freo's current popularity)

Port vs Bulldogs at AAMI 26,839 (standard crowd for a Port home game)


Anzac day was also shared in 1997 (Friday) the other game was Freo vs St.Kilda at Subi 23,629 and it was shared on 2000 on a Tuesaday when Fremantle played Brisbane at Subi in front of 19,672. Anzac Day was also shared in 2003 when it was on a Friday when Sydney played Melbourne at the SCG that night in front of 24,286

 

[Dan26]

Anzac Eve games have been played to successful crowd too.

2006 : Port vs St.KIlda 32,188 (about 6,000 more than what port normally get for their home games)

2005 : St.KIlda vs Richmond at Telstra Dome 49,580 (Big Dome crowd)

2000 : Rich vs Carlton on Easter Monday, the day before Anzac Day 63,149

1995 : Rich vs Kangaroos on a Monday night 62,606 (record for these two teams in a H&A match)

 

[Roddy]

Anzac Eve games have been played to successful crowd too.

2006 : Port vs St.KIlda 32,188 (about 6,000 more than what port normally get for their home games)

2005 : St.KIlda vs Richmond at Telstra Dome 49,580 (Big Dome crowd)

2000 : Rich vs Carlton on a Monday night 63,149

1995 : Rich vs Kangaroos on a Monday night 62,606 (record for these two teams in a H&A match)

Thems is good numbers...

 

[Footy Rules Australia]

18,000 last night for a clash of two so-called massive western sydney NRL clubs.

Is western sydney really that much of an NRL stronghold?

Bring on a west sydney based NRL side immediately. The Swans attract the biggest crowds of all football clubs in the east and west of Sydney.

 

[Le KooK]

Bring on a west sydney based NRL side immediately.

Clearly indicative of an unhealthy anti-NRL obsession.