Which clubs are really the big four of the AFL?

[PonsfordMagpie]

Collingwood has the Top 6 Home and Away Attendance averaged in history and 8 of the top 9. Even in Premierships years the Tigers did not have the ability to draw like Collingwood. That is rather remarkable.

Average Home Attendances (50,000+):

2010 = Collingwood (63,256)
2011 = Collingwood (61,488)
2018 = Richmond (61,175)
2019 = Richmond (59,987)
2012 = Collingwood (59,799)
2008 = Collingwood (59,213)
2019 = Collingwood (58,975)
1999 = Essendon (57,309)
2017 = Richmond (55,950)
2013 = Collingwood (55,487)
2007 = Collingwood (54,898)
1998 = Essendon (54,894)
2009 = Collingwood (53,435)
2019 = West Coast (53,313)
2018 = West Coast (53,250)
2011 = Carlton (53,212)
2006 = Collingwood (53,024)
1997 = Essendon (52,848)
2007 = Essendon (52,294)
2001 = Essendon (51,790)
2013 = Richmond (50,901)
1980 = Richmond (50,864)
2017 = Essendon (50,812)
2002 = Collingwood (50,608)
1992 = Collingwood (50,595)
2009 = Essendon (50,377)
2003 = Collingwood (50,124)

Average Home and Away Attendances (50,000+):

2010 = Collingwood (59,385)
2011 = Collingwood (57,725)
2008 = Collingwood (56,700)
2007 = Collingwood (55,755)
2012 = Collingwood (54,897)
2019 = Collingwood (54,894)
2018 = Richmond (54,313)
2009 = Collingwood (54,088)
2013 = Collingwood (53,846)
1998 = Essendon (53,161)
2006 = Collingwood (52,954)
2001 = Essendon (51,128)
1999 = Essendon (51,023)
2003 = Collingwood (50,904)
2019 = Richmond (50,835)
2018 = Collingwood (50,572)
2002 = Collingwood (50,443)
2000 = Essendon (50,334)
1997 = Collingwood (50,135)

 

[smasha]

Collingwood have never bottomed out like Richmond,comparing 2011 figures when the Tiger was still sleeping is mute.

 

[BruceTempany14]

Pretty much why I was really hoping GWS would win the grand final. I use to like Richmond but once you guys got good so many nuftie supporters appearing out of the woodwork.

I hate collingwood as much as the next afl fan but you need to give them credit when it is due. They are easy top 2 clubs if not too club and their supporters stick by them when they're not doing as well. Can't say the same for Richmond. You guys almost had the same membership as melbourne 10 years ago...

Club Memberships - footindustry

www.footyindustry.com

You used to like Richmond ......? What , when were were easybeats ? Don’t be such a feeble minded nasty knob .
37 years , still got 35 years of payback to make sure you NEVER like us again


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[What else we can do]

Collingwood have never bottomed out like Richmond,comparing 2011 figures when the Tiger was still sleeping is mute.

Good point! some around here forget that Carlton are in a coma and we still got 52,000 and 55,000 against St Kilda and Melbourne.

 

[BruceTempany14]

Average Home Attendances (50,000+):

2010 = Collingwood (63,256)
2011 = Collingwood (61,488)
2018 = Richmond (61,175)
2019 = Richmond (59,987)
2012 = Collingwood (59,799)
2008 = Collingwood (59,213)
2019 = Collingwood (58,975)
1999 = Essendon (57,309)
2017 = Richmond (55,950)
2013 = Collingwood (55,487)
2007 = Collingwood (54,898)
1998 = Essendon (54,894)
2009 = Collingwood (53,435)
2019 = West Coast (53,313)
2018 = West Coast (53,250)
2011 = Carlton (53,212)
2006 = Collingwood (53,024)
1997 = Essendon (52,848)
2007 = Essendon (52,294)
2001 = Essendon (51,790)
2013 = Richmond (50,901)
1980 = Richmond (50,864)
2017 = Essendon (50,812)
2002 = Collingwood (50,608)
1992 = Collingwood (50,595)
2009 = Essendon (50,377)
2003 = Collingwood (50,124)

Average Home and Away Attendances (50,000+):

2010 = Collingwood (59,385)
2011 = Collingwood (57,725)
2008 = Collingwood (56,700)
2007 = Collingwood (55,755)
2012 = Collingwood (54,897)
2019 = Collingwood (54,894)
2018 = Richmond (54,313)
2009 = Collingwood (54,088)
2013 = Collingwood (53,846)
1998 = Essendon (53,161)
2006 = Collingwood (52,954)
2001 = Essendon (51,128)
1999 = Essendon (51,023)
2003 = Collingwood (50,904)
2019 = Richmond (50,835)
2018 = Collingwood (50,572)
2002 = Collingwood (50,443)
2000 = Essendon (50,334)
1997 = Collingwood (50,135)

All this and still Collingwood only have 85k (approx) members ( incl. pets).

Just relax , switch on Fox and watch Richmond : Road to glory or tune initiative SEN and listen to Tigerthon . Do this in the knowledge that we will have 110k members in 2020 AND that Tom Lynch chose Richmond .

Btw Wikipedia is sh.t researching , really lazy .and incorrect.
Richmond 2019 AFL Premiers , deal with it .


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[PonsfordMagpie]

^ Didn't use Wikipedia. Relied on AFL Tables.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Right now, basing it on overall fanbase, membership, attendances, overall success, in no order:

Nationwide:

Collingwood
West Coast
Adelaide
Richmond

Melbourne:

Collingwood
Essendon
Richmond
Hawthorn

 

[Freshwater]

Right now, basing it on overall fanbase, membership, attendances, overall success, in no order:

Nationwide:

Collingwood
West Coast
Adelaide
Richmond

Melbourne:

Collingwood
Essendon
Richmond
Hawthorn

Nearly agree. National I reckon you’re correct.
Melbourne/ Victoria
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong.
I think Hawthorn fans drop off rapidly when they are low on the ladder. I suppose that’s the price of success.
Watch Carlton get going if they start winning.
Traditionally low fan base Vic clubs have amazing resilience when down low and always have good base crowd even when going crap.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Nearly agree. National I reckon you’re correct.
Melbourne/ Victoria
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong.
I think Hawthorn fans drop off rapidly when they are low on the ladder. I suppose that’s the price of success.
Watch Carlton get going if they start winning.
Traditionally low fan base Vic clubs have amazing resilience when down low and always have good base crowd even when going crap.

West Coast imo probably has the most casual fans of any club. A city of 2 million divided into 2 clubs (most don't really follow AFL in Sydney). Even if say, half are footy fans, and 60-65% follow the Eagles, that's 650,000. If half of Melbourne's 4.6 million, 2.3 million footy fans, are divided between 9 clubs, any club would need to have a 1 in 4 share to equal WC.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Nearly agree. National I reckon you’re correct.
Melbourne/ Victoria
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong.
I think Hawthorn fans drop off rapidly when they are low on the ladder. I suppose that’s the price of success.
Watch Carlton get going if they start winning.
Traditionally low fan base Vic clubs have amazing resilience when down low and always have good base crowd even when going crap.

I've noticed the low attendance figures for Hawthorn. I mean, they've been a powerhouse since the 70s, so it seems odd to me. They are by far the most successful Victorian club since the 60s.

Essendon would've been in the big 4 until maybe 2012 with the supplements saga and the rise of Hawthorn again. And the resurgence of Richmond. Carlton was one of the big 4 until the early 2000s.

 

[South of the Yarra]

You asked for an explanation and I gave you one. Nice of you to turn it around as an ‘excuse’.

I appreciate your response then.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Fine let's go back to 1920 when Dan Minogue left the sinking ship Collingwood for the greener pastures of Richmond and ever since then Richmond have been the more successful club

It wasn't a sinking ship Minogue left because his war buddy Jimmy Saddler was not re enlisted at the Pies.

 

[South of the Yarra]

If you include away games then yeah. Home games though? Richmond and its not close.

Why wouldn’t you include Away games. It’s not even in our mentality that you don’t attend Away games. We go to all games unlike Richmond. And if you want to talk Home season attendances Collingwood have the best two Home attendances in history and 5 of the best 7. Even in your Premiership years you couldn’t beat us. Home attendances, Away Attendances, Home and Away Attendances and Finals Attendances. We own them all.

 

[Pessimistic]

Nearly agree. National I reckon you’re correct.
Melbourne/ Victoria
Richmond
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong.
I think Hawthorn fans drop off rapidly when they are low on the ladder. I suppose that’s the price of success.
Watch Carlton get going if they start winning.
Traditionally low fan base Vic clubs have amazing resilience when down low and always have good base crowd even when going crap.

If thats your rationale with Hawthorn, Geelong are lower

 

[HTT]

Always an excuse at Tiger land as to why you can’t draw the crowds we draw. Sad really.

I expect no excuse for your prelim crowd
2017 PF, Richmond v GWS, Saturday Twilight: 94,258
2019 PF, Collingwood v GWS, Saturday Twilight: 77,828

 

[blckcaviar]

Whatever individuals may think it means, or prefer that it meant; when anyone in the media or around me refers to the "big four" they invariably are referring to Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon

 

[BBC1967]

Why wouldn’t you include Away games. It’s not even in our mentality that you don’t attend Away games. We go to all games unlike Richmond. And if you want to talk Home season attendances Collingwood have the best two Home attendances in history and 5 of the best 7. Even in your Premiership years you couldn’t beat us. Home attendances, Away Attendances, Home and Away Attendances and Finals Attendances. We own them all.

Quit whilst your behind - it is sad and embarrassing.

 

[South of the Yarra]

I expect no excuse for your prelim crowd
2017 PF, Richmond v GWS, Saturday Twilight: 94,258
2019 PF, Collingwood v GWS, Saturday Twilight: 77,828

The fact you have to hang your hat on one match shows exactly why we are the biggest. This just confirms it thank you. We have the biggest finals attendance, the biggest home and Away attendance, the biggest season home attendance average, the biggest season away attendance average and the biggest home and Away season average. Oh but Richmond got more to a GWS final. Thank you for proving my point.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Quit whilst your behind - it is sad andembarrassing.

The only thing sad and embarrassing is Richmond’s failure to gain season crowd records even in a Premiership year.

If Richmond are so big can you please explain why Collingwood have the top 6 Home and Away season averages in history? Can you explain why we have the top 2 Home season averages and 5 of the top 7 and why we have the top 6 Away season averages. We have statistical evidence to support us. You can’t even get more people through the gate in a Premiership year.

 

[South of the Yarra]

For those conned by the Tiger lies please look through the facts yourself.

AFL Tables - Crowds 1921-2024

 

[manangatang]

The fact you have to hang your hat on one match shows exactly why we are the biggest. This just confirms it thank you. We have the biggest finals attendance, the biggest home and Away attendance, the biggest season home attendance average, the biggest season away attendance average and the biggest home and Away season average. Oh but Richmond got more to a GWS final. Thank you for proving my point.

You failed to explain why the biggest club didn't outdraw minnows Richmond in a like-for-like match one season apart.

 

[BBC1967]

z

The only thing sad and embarrassing is Richmond’s failure to gain season crowd records even in a Premiership year.

If Richmond are so big can you please explain why Collingwood have the top 6 Home and Away season averages in history? Can you explain why we have the top 2 Home season averages and 5 of the top 7 and why we have the top 6 Away season averages. We have statistical evidence to support us. You can’t even get more people through the gate in a Premiership year.

Keep punching!

 

[South of the Yarra]

You failed to explain why the biggest club didn't outdraw minnows Richmond in a like-for-like match one season apart.

How can it be like when it is one season apart? Do you mean like as in how Collingwood drew more against West Coast at the G than Richmond did or how Collingwood drew almost 10,000 more to our home game against Richmond than Richmond’s home game against us or how your much advertised dream team match drew 5,000 less than a Collingwood dead rubber. We can all select one off games. Provide me statistics over seasons.

 

[South of the Yarra]

z

Keep punching!

Exactly you can’t respond as you have no evidence, no response or no argument. Your not Scotty Palmer.

 

[HTT]

The fact you have to hang your hat on one match shows exactly why we are the biggest. This just confirms it thank you. We have the biggest finals attendance, the biggest home and Away attendance, the biggest season home attendance average, the biggest season away attendance average and the biggest home and Away season average. Oh but Richmond got more to a GWS final. Thank you for proving my point.

This thread is about the here and now, not stats from years gone by - if it was, this thread wouldn't be worth discussion, the historical big 4 is self evident.

Currently, Richmond have the following
Highest membership: 103,358 (Collingwood 3rd, 85,226)
Highest home crowds: 59,987 (Collingwood 2nd, 58,975)
Highest H&A crowd vs non-vic team ever: 76,995 vs Brisbane, R23 2019
9 consecutive 90k+ crowds in finals at the MCG

Collingwood has
Highest away crowds

You can keep hanging your hat on how many opposition supporters go to your games, my experience is people tend to be more likely to go to games their team is likely to win, make of that what you will.