The PM, the Lions and AFL in Brisbane
Roar Guru
By Michael C, 8 Sep 2009 Michael C is a Roar Guru
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On Saturday night 32,702 fans, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, were at the Gabba to see the Lions come from five goals down at three-quarter time to record a stirring home win.
The best crowd ever for the Lions was the 2001 preliminary final, drawing over 37,000. Other than that, this crowd figure was about on par with the earlier part of this decade, with around 32,500 about par.
In eleven previous home finals at the Gabba, the Bears/Lions have averaged 29,104.
Of interest, Kevin Rudd appeared to be the guest of AFL Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick (a former Carlton premiership captain). On the same night, across town, the Wallabies played host to over 47,000 to defeat the Springboks. The curious thing at the Gabba was that there appeared to be fairly empty corporate box sections on the night.
The Lions obviously have a nice ‘place’ in the Brisbane sporting landscape. However, perhaps this example is a little reminder of where the corporates go when the Wallabies are in town.
Was this a mistake by the AFL or an unavoidable fixturing clash?
After all, normally the AFL and ARU do their best to avoid clashing.
Perhaps though, in a broader sense, this exhibited Brisbane as a vibrant multi-football code city, with 80,000 people turning up on the one night to two distinct football matches.
One wonders how we’d go with the Wallabies, Broncos, Lions and Roar running head to head. Perhaps, just perhaps, there would be NO clash for attendees……other than the corporates.
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Tiger Town said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Rudd ain’t the Pope, and AFL isn’t Christendom.
oikee said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Good week-end all round M.C, just goes to show how important having all codes going well in your city. As shown by the saturday nite clash, all codes are well supported here in Brisbane. I wont mention ex-pats anymore, i think those days are long gone. As for corparate boxes, having the PM sitting in the stands is good publicity for the game no dought.
The broncos got 35 thousand sunday nite which makes a total of 115 thousand fans all up for the 3 codes. I see the Storm Manly game will be telecast to spike t/v this week in America M.C. Good promotion for Etihad stadium and Melbourne.
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Oikee,
I’ve always liked the Broncos, keen for them to do well and give Karmichael Hunt a good send off as well. Their season looked off the rails with the big loss to Canberra maybe they lost focus with the Hunt ‘defection’ but I think its credit to the players including Hunt to have got back on track and have a decent crack this year.
Must be something about Brisbane, I really enjoyed the Lions beating Carlton as well.
Always liked the Lions.
Redb
Michael C said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Yep – as a few of us have said for a long while, Brisbane is more and more like the US model (‘Bris-vegas’ becomes sadly more apt) – of having 1 major team in each national competition. The Gold Coast has allowed the pseudo 2nd team in the broader market………I just wonder, at what point will each code be so well entrenched that a REAL 2nd Brisbane team becomes absolutely impossible? (I guess then you go for a few more ‘pseudo’ Brisbane teams, Logan, Sunshine Coast, etc.
Re Storm game on in US, yeah – as good promotion for Melb and Etihad Stadium as is the AFL telecast into the US…….depending how many people bother to watch it……….although, I noticed even the AFL finals on the weekend had ‘Melbourne’ emblazoned on the turf below the main turf signage. Seems a new focus with more of AFL and NRL getting aired overseas.
Nice little bit of hijacking in bringing the topic back to RL at the very first opportunity.
cuzybro said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
MichealC…”Nice little bit of hijacking in bringing the topic back to RL at the very first opportunity……..” well its un-Australian not to like rugby league bro!!!!!
AndyRoo said | September 8th 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
I think there is a lot of Rugby League fans in Brisbane who would support a second team in Brisbane. The crushers were very popular before it all went pair shaped off the field.
Not an AFL fan but the man in the street doesn’t care one iota that the corporates din’t show up apart from that seat could have gone to areal fan.
Michael C said | September 8th 2009 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
AndyRoo -
that’s the thing, you look at the corporate boxes and would just prefer a whole bunch more seats there for the average Joe,
and it makes me look at the Medallion Club areas at Docklands stadium….effectively normal seating, but with ‘benefits’. (and the odd little personal ‘screen’). It at least doesn’t look as pretentious as a corporate box……but, I guess there’s always been a demand for corporate boxes (why you’d keep the window shut is beyond me!).
The Crushers just showed the NSW dominance in the Superleague carve up……and people accuse the AFL of being too Melb/Vic centric!! (at very least – both NRL and AFL are level pegging in that regard!!).
AndyRoo said | September 8th 2009 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
The guy running the crushers was a right fool and ruined them…. as I continually hear from my boss. I would recount the full story but it’s hard for me to recollect because it entails a bunch of QLD RL folk who I have never met.
They were close to broke when they were cut and I am sure the NRL would love another team in Brisbane.
But the only time Brisbane got to host the Grand Final was during the Super League war.
Matt said | September 8th 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Which do you think was a better evening? Seeing the Lions come from 5 goals down in the last term, or seeing the Wallabies score a couple of tries and get a rare win?
Michael C said | September 8th 2009 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
perhaps the better evening was had by an armchair viewer sitting at home flicking between the two.
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
I flicked between the two, but the last quarter of the Lions game was compelling viewing.
AndyRoo said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
Well we didn’t bother watching the second half of the rugby becasue the Futbal was starting but when we saw that the Lions were making a come back couldn’t help but miss 10 mins of the Futbal to watch the list 10 mins of the AFL.
Lions win was fantastic
Should admit though Springboks vs Wallabies is a matter of me supporting the Wallabies becasue I hate them less haha.
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
Brisbane TV ratings
Wallabies – 141,000
Lions – 137,000
Pretty close probably a lot of flicking.
National TV ratings
Wallabies – 463,000
Lions – 1,140,000
Redb
AndyRoo said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:40pm | Report comment
Is that channel 7 and Pay TV together for the Wallabies?
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:43pm | Report comment
No just free to air. The Lions game was not on Foxtel becuase it is a final.
Wallabies add 146,000 on Foxtel.
So 600k…ish.
AndyRoo said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Hmm it’s not for me to lose any sleep over but I am very surprised how close that is in QLD a traditional Rugby state.
Well done lions.
Michael C said | September 8th 2009 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Don’t forget Pip’s supplied ABS survey results which show that RU support (attendance and participation) in Australia is actually dominated by overseas born Australians of English speaking backgrounds…..which effectively illustrates that the broad base just ain’t there. Even in a ‘traditional’ Rugby state.
I dunno – - it might explain some of it….
but yep – very interesting figures – although, of course, the Wallabies on 7 outside of NSW and QLD was tending towards midnight wasn’t it?
Steve said | September 8th 2009 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
National TV ratings alf – 1,140,000
576,000 – melbourne
One city provide MORE than half [51%] the national total……… Vicball the ‘national’ game….only if you live in a postcode that starts with a 3.
Redb said | September 9th 2009 @ 7:55am | Report comment
49% or 564,000 dont count eh?
How often does Sydney provide half or more of the NRL ratings?
Based on your logic, research and bias you wont like the answer.
Redb
Steve said | September 9th 2009 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
Rugby League NEVER claims to be or refers itself as a ‘National’ Sport.
Vicball is as much ‘National’ in Australia as Ice-Hockey is on Brazil.
Republican said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
cuzybro
You dont sound that Australian that you should be commenting on such things. Ex pat Kiwi perhaps, which is consistent with League and Unions inflated sense of themselves in this country?
Rudd is a Republican who sees the attraction in patronising our great game. Union is seriously on the nose down under which Kevin is politically astute enough to consider when making such symbolically significant statements as this.
Viva le Republique
Tifosi said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:37pm | Report comment
Republican. Anyone who uses “bro” so much must be kiwi.
Rudd is smart. Jumps on all the football codes bandwagons, that way he cant lose!!!!
Im fully expecting him to be at the Broncos-titans game this weekend.
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:42pm | Report comment
Pretty funny seeing his orchestrated claps …”am i doing it right am i doing it right” and then he stands up to cheer after a quick look around to see if that is appropriate.
Rudd has little clue about sport methinks.
It was good for the AFL to get him to the game but I’m sure he will do the rounds. certainly better than John Howard on that point.
Redb
oikee said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:44pm | Report comment
I dont think ruddy would go to a titans broncos match? we dont need him, afl needs all the support they can muster.
Besides, he would be a fool not to turn up to the AFL and NRL grand finals, there is the australian vote right there.
Redb said | September 8th 2009 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
Be hard for Rudd to go to the Broncs v Titans game – who does he support without annoying someone?
Nobody cared he pissed off Carlton fans. It bought more votes than he could possibly imagine..
Redb
Pippinu said | September 8th 2009 @ 7:19pm | Report comment
heh, heh – that last point is quite funny.
westy said | September 8th 2009 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Thr problem for rugby union is that it cannot quite come to terms with the fact that it competes not only with rugby league but with the AFL. Voss made that wery clear. Rugby union deludes itself that it is somehow exempt.
The AFL will run rings around rugby union on the Gold Coast.
Great game by the way.
Westcoast929406 said | September 8th 2009 @ 7:00pm | Report comment
We have been asking a question since arriving at this forum. Has the AFL expansion in QLD affected the QLD Rugby Union structure such as grassroots growth. Has this led in turn to the mixed performances of the QLD Reds team.
In 2001 the AFL released the Carter report which said pour millions long term into QLD and NSW. Which the AFL has and will continue to do.
Starting with a very low total AFL base of 37,244 in 2001 after 100 years of some neglect from various footy bosses.
2006 – Doubled to 74,622
2008 – up to 97,917
Obviously has increased again in 2009 due to AFL that saying that total Aust participation up again by 35,000 or so of over record levels of 2008 of which QLD will have a share.
Any QLD Rugby Union followers care to comment on their codes figures etc.
Yes we know that Rugby League and Soccer football codes are very healthy at all levels – Just would like an answer from the RU mob.
oikee said | September 8th 2009 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
Westy, you had better hope that AFL runs rings around Union on the gold coast, they dont have a team in the comp there.