Which team has the most supporters/fans/support?

[wally funk]

I imagine there's rather a lot of hawks fans these days

 

[marty36]

West Coast, or maybe Adelaide, would easily have the most supporters. It's nothing to brag about, it's just the fact that there are only 2 teams in each of these AFL mad states.

But if AFL ever really, truly takes off in NSW, Sydney would be a shoe in to be the biggest club in Australia.




Perth has the highest percentage of foreign born in Australia, so factoring that in for Melbourne is a but silly.

It presently is coming down to population and the dominant sport in the state. Vic have 10 teams amongst 5.7 million ave 570K but prominant team Collingwood SA 2 teams 1.6 million average 800K prominant team Adelaide WA 2 teams 2.5 million average 1250K prominant team west coast granted not everyone follows footy. NSW and QLD would be huge if they can convert the punters

 

[ep2018]

There was a poll done a few years ago on this. Sydney Swans were so far in front it was incredible. Then you had West Coast and Adelaide roughly on the same level (most popular team in two team states) followed by a clusterfcuk of Vic teams.

 

[liz]

Not necessarily, what about all the bitter rugby supporters who HATE AFL, surely they don't support Sydney.

Aerial Ping Pong I believe is the name they give it.

Welcome to 20 years ago. Growth in bolted on support has been slow and steady in Sydney, but casual support of the game (and the Swans) has grown massively since the mid 1990s.

I am sure there are followers of the two rugby codes who have no time for Australian Rules, but there are plenty more who have come to appreciate the game.

The annual Roy Morgan poll has shown for many years that the Swans have the highest number of people willing to identify themselves as supporting a club, whatever form that "support" takes.

 

[Cudi_420]

West coast also seem to be the best supported interstate side in Melbourne. I have a few relatives that go for west coast, every time I ask them how they could pick the the Eagles they claim a big part of it was west coast home games being shown live into Melbourne late 80s/early 90s, just a gun team that you could watch live every 2nd week. Not sure how big a factor that is for other Melb based eagles fans.

I'd say Adelaide or Sydney (South Melbourne factor), WC a close third.

 

[Iron]

I think just in general that in most places West Coast is significantly the more popular team than Fremantle.

How come Freo fans are so readily able to admit to being the smaller team, but Port fans struggle so much?

 

[Papa G]

How come Freo Dan's are so readily able to admit to being the smaller team, but Port fans struggle so much?

Port have a smaller supporter base than the Crows no doubt, better looking, cooler, younger and vastly more knowledgeable, but smaller just the same.

 

[rdhopkins2]

WB are the biggest and best.

Don't GWS believe they are?

 

[Papa G]

West Coast are by far and away the biggest and richest club in Australia. The Victorian media talk up their Big 4 bullshit but West Coast are in a different stratosphere from the likes of Carlton and Richmond with only Collingwood being any where near them.

 

[brad cooper]

I think after this election, the elected government should call a referendum to settle this once and for all.

 

[Saintt]

Depends how you measure it. Sydney have the most fans if you force everyone to choose a club. By a long margin. They probably have the most fans who 'casually support' their club as well. Doesnt mean they are all aficionados or even know how many points you get for a goal, just that they support the Sydney team.

Favourite team across all codes is the best way to measure IMO. Better way to measure Sydney's actual support.

 

[Bokonon]

Don't GWS believe they are?

We will be, early days for us

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

West Coast are by far and away the biggest and richest club in Australia. The Victorian media talk up their Big 4 bullshit but West Coast are in a different stratosphere from the likes of Carlton and Richmond with only Collingwood being any where near them.

West coast have like 40 million in the bank that they can use.

By far the richest club in australia

 

[LoungeLizard]

Not necessarily, what about all the bitter rugby supporters who HATE AFL, surely they don't support Sydney.

Aerial Ping Pong I believe is the name they give it.

I know a lot of rugby supporters who hang crap on AFL, most still at least "casually" support an AFL side.

 

[kranky al]

I know a lot of rugby supporters who hang crap on AFL, most still at least "casually" support an AFL side.

I hang shit on sniff bums but very casually support manly.

 

[WestCoast05]

Welcome to 20 years ago. Growth in bolted on support has been slow and steady in Sydney, but casual support of the game (and the Swans) has grown massively since the mid 1990s.

I am sure there are followers of the two rugby codes who have no time for Australian Rules, but there are plenty more who have come to appreciate the game.

The annual Roy Morgan poll has shown for many years that the Swans have the highest number of people willing to identify themselves as supporting a club, whatever form that "support" takes.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WestCoast05]

West coast have like 40 million in the bank that they can use.

By far the richest club in australia

Actually, word on the street is we used up most of it to pay the Umps off.

 

[Tyler Hodges]

Cant answer your question because you cant define what supporters are. Nearly all of NSW know enough about afl that if someone asked who they support they'd say Sydney, so there is your answer. If your talking hardcore footy fans= Coloingwood has most members, cant get any more specific than that.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Depends how you measure it. Sydney have the most fans if you force everyone to choose a club. By a long margin. They probably have the most fans who 'casually support' their club as well. Doesnt mean they are all aficionados or even know how many points you get for a goal, just that they support the Sydney team.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure. I mean, if you said, 'if you had to go for an AFL club' then yes, most would say Sydney, but in terms of those who follow, I feel the number of people in Sydney who do is far, far less.

 

[PerthBoy86]

I like your logic, but please don't read that as a view that Sydney clubs have the most support. I chuckled at you comment about how many points make a goal because I live it at work and socially every day.

The thread is ridiculous though because you really shouldn't claim an unbiased view that just happens to be a convoluted way of bragging your club has more supporters than anyone. If you're biased that's ok, just say so

Nah I'm genuinely interested. Whether WCE has the most supporters doesn't factor too much. If you have a good argument why it might be another club I'd be keen to hear it.

 

[PerthBoy86]

West coast also seem to be the best supported interstate side in Melbourne. I have a few relatives that go for west coast, every time I ask them how they could pick the the Eagles they claim a big part of it was west coast home games being shown live into Melbourne late 80s/early 90s, just a gun team that you could watch live every 2nd week. Not sure how big a factor that is for other Melb based eagles fans.

I've noticed this. Living in Melbourne, I do notice a lot of Eagles fans at away games here. In some games it seems as high as 25-30%, especially against teams like the Western Bulldogs. I remember going to WC vs Adelaide prelim in 2005 and there was literally about 3 Crows supporters - at least obvious supporters in Crows gears. One reason is a lot of West Aussies come to Melbourne.

 

[PerthBoy86]

There was a poll done a few years ago on this. Sydney Swans were so far in front it was incredible. Then you had West Coast and Adelaide roughly on the same level (most popular team in two team states) followed by a clusterfcuk of Vic teams.

Interesting. I mean, it might be possible really. Like I said, supportership is hard to measure. Wonder how many Swans fans live in Melbourne.

 

[PerthBoy86]

How come Freo fans are so readily able to admit to being the smaller team, but Port fans struggle so much?

Membership figures seem to suggest they're neck and neck...it's kind of hard to argue Freo are the no 1 club in Perth, I haven't met a Docker who claimed such a thing. Also the fact Port has done so well in their AFL career for being such a young club while Freo has not.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Cant answer your question because you cant define what supporters are. Nearly all of NSW know enough about afl that if someone asked who they support they'd say Sydney, so there is your answer. If your talking hardcore footy fans= Coloingwood has most members, cant get any more specific than that.

Of course, there are more people in NSW who know nothing or next to nothing about AFL. Like those who wouldn't know all 16 or even any of the team except Sydney, and perhaps the biggest (or even not) clubs like Collingwood, maybe West Coast. They wouldn't know the rules, or when the Granny was played. Whereas in AFL states, most people at least would know these things. Likewise, a lot of people in the AFL states probably know next to nothing about NRL or Rugby League and Union. They'd know nothing about State of Origin, the big NRL clubs, any Wallabies players etc.

 

[Bostonian]

Carlton have a lot of fans interstate that might not show up in membership numbers but when we play interstate you can hear them.

Decent enough following in WA and SA. Against GWS recently up there it sounded like there was quite a few of us there too.

I'd say we have one of the biggest supporter bases of fans outside the clubs home state.