Monday saw 90,000 fans pack into the MCG and witness a gripping encounter between two of the traditional AFL powerhouses and most supported teams in the league.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, 34,976 fans filled the Sydney Football Stadium.
In Melbourne, the ANZAC Day clash was the hottest ticket in town. Infact on Tuesday I recieved an email from the AFL informing me that a limited number of standing room only seats had been made available, then an hour or so later they were gone.
On the other hand, just yesterday I had three people offering me tickets to the Dragons-Roosters game, I declined them all, for a variety of reasons.
One, I am Bulldogs supporter so I have no interest attending and two, I was parking myself on the lounge to watch the AFL (and then the NRL later).
The AFL just does the big occasions better than the NRL, and yesterday was no exception.
The fact that the NRL ANZAC Day game was on pay TV already excludes many.
That is the first thing I would change. The ANZAC Day game has been a great marketing ploy for the AFL. I remember years before the NRL had their own ANZAC Day fixture, many of my mates were introduced to AFL through the fixture, as it was the only thing on the box.
If you didnt have pay TV yesterday,as a sports fan, what would you have been watching?
The AFL ANZAC Day game gets nuetral fans of teams not involved, who go to the match for the occasion.
This does not happen at the NRL version.
The NRL’s ANZAC Day game has never sold out. Whilst the AFL get 90,000 we have never sold out a 40,000 seat stadium.
Ben Hornby yesterday called it the biggest club game of the year, I tend to disagree.
Yesterday just felt like another regular game. Their was no hype around town nor in the papers.
Last weeks, Bulldogs and Parramatta clash had a crowd of 4000 less… on a weeknight.
Therefore I think its time for a few changes.
Starting with the teams.
Sure the Roosters and Dragons have put a lot into the fixture and in growing it year upon year, but there is an argument that they are just not the right fit.
The Collingwood-Essendon game is built on a great rivalry between two traditional clubs.
Now, whilst Roosters and Dragons are two traditional clubs, they do not bring the fans through the gates like Souths-Roosters, Bulldogs-Parramatta, Bulldogs-Dragons, Dragons-Sharks or South-Dragons.
What was so profound about the Bulldogs-Parramatta getting over 30,000 was that both sides had lost consecutive games and were in questionable form.
The thing is there is always something about those local derbies that has fans circling it on the draw every year.
It’s what has made the Pies-Bombers game so great and I think its something the NRL need to tap into.
The second thing I’d change is the Stadium.
The Sydney Football Stadium has been chosen given the proximity to the City and ANZAC Day festivities. It is tailor made for league and has a great atmosphere.
But games are played their every week, ANZAC Day needs to be different and special.
I would play the game at the SCG.
It adds a bit of nostalgia to the occasion and makes it different from every other NRL round.
Now, sure the Bulldogs and Dragons played their Heritage round game at the SCG, but I’d keep it exclusive for the ANZAC Day game.
The ANZAC Day game should be a special occasion which like the AFL, it is the hottest ticket in town.
Have you ever seen any advertisement for the AFL’s version? It sells itself.
Changes need to be made so that the NRL ANZAC Day game does the same.
Redback
Guest
great idea dave
Sam el Perro
Guest
Hear hear!
Dave
Guest
or maybe all the nz super teams to take on their australian counterparts. crusaders vs reds, blues vs waratahs, chiefs vs brumbies, rebels vs highlanders and hurricanes vs force.
Redback
Guest
What needs to happen is a Bledisloe on ANZAC Day. Would pack Olympic stadium.
Redb
Roar Guru
bilbo, 89,000 v 34,000. :) Game over. (no kidding)
betamax
Roar Guru
I think that says more about Melbournians and their football culture than the quality of the game/code. As I mentioned before Melbourne is an international sporting anomaly. Sydney and Brisbane are much more in line with attendances on a global scale, taking into account their size geographically and population wise. Melbourne is different. Speaks volumes for the city, but not in a good way.
zach
Guest
Even the North Melbourne/Richmond twilight game on Sunday at Etihad got a bigger crowd than the NRL game, and it was between the two bottom teams.
zach
Guest
Not only that, but there were advertisements for the Storm game on the screens at the MCG during the Collingwood/Essendon game. Can you imagine the paranoid NRL allowing advertisements for the Swans or GWS at a league game in Sydney?
tigergerry
Guest
I believe the Wests Tigers vs Eels game is amoung the biggest local derby's in Sydney along with Dogs v Eels. Considering the tigers have only made the finals twice in the past 18 years or so and until last year (now the dogs) averaged the highest crowds in Sydney the past 5 years, really shoul've been involved in the Anzac day game. Otherwise Tigers vs Souths is amoung the best and most popular local derby's in the NRL. How did the Roosters vs Dragons game get rewarded with this showpiece? Whenever the roosters get the 'home' game there crowd average is inflated greatly. I'm sure they were rewarded with a $1 million dollar plus gate. As always with roosters games it looked like the Dragons had at least 70% of the crowd. Last season the tigers actually sold out Leichhardt Oval against the storm 2 days prior to the game which is a feat no other Sydney club with a suburban club game could dream of doing. I believe the tigers should be rewarded with there popularity by being invloved in this showpice in some shape or form.
betamax
Roar Guru
Exactly! I've always maintained that Melbourne AFL attendances are a global sporting anomaly. For a city the size of Melb, which isn't a one club town, to attract 90k for a normal club match(or blockbuster as they call it) is, whats the word.....weird.
bilbo
Guest
Such fair weather fans, the Roosters. They have the best RL stadium in NSW, and pretty good transport options in the heart of the city. ANZ is a lot harder to get to, but the doggies pull much better crowds consistently. At least the Roosters have made an effort this year to make an occasion of things - they are sitting at 20k average so that is pretty respectable. The problem isnt so much the crowds they are capable of, but their lowest crowds. Last year they had several crowds around 20k, but they drop off to around 8-9k with the away teams. Teams like the Storm, Tigers, Dragons pull the big crowds from time to time, but generally have a support base of around 13k attendees for the less popular visiting teams. The Roosters need to boost this hardcore base.
jamesb
Guest
I like it the way it is. Roosters are a foundation club from 1908, while "part" of the st.george-illawarra dragons came in 1921. So the roosters were around when world war I occurred (1915-1919, roosters), and both clubs with world war II (1939-1945). You could say roosters and rabbitohs, both foundation clubs from 1908 should be playing. But hey we could go around in circles here. I also liked the latter game, with storm and warriors. Its their third anzac clash with a new zealand team (warriors) involved. Close to 35000 in one game, while 22000 plus in the other are both great results. However, I don't think ANZAC day should be about which code draws the highest crowd or who does a BETTER ANZAC presentation. It should be about honouring the people who have fallen, honouring the people who have sacrificed their lives, so that Australia would become a great democratic country for which all of us are benefitting from today. Sometimes I wonder what the alternative would have been for Australia if our fallen didn't perform their duty? Why the NRLs ANZAC day needs a facelift? There needs to be a perspective here.
M1tch
Roar Guru
Its set now with Roosters and Dragons and I'm okay with that, just wish more Roosters fans would turn up so we could sell it out.
hutch
Roar Guru
spot on!
hutch
Roar Guru
the game that should be played every anzac day is australia v new zealand, not the dragons v roosters.
bilbo
Guest
AFL wasnt sold out - tickets were available before the match. The SFS capacity is 42K - doubt there were many members seats empty...but then again we play Rugby League in a football stadium, not in a cricket stadium. When NSW cricket fans stay home from a football match, it doesn't result in an empty seat. :)
bilbo
Guest
I think it is up to the NRL and other teams to mark special occasions such as this with big games. I dont think they should change the teams who have been competing for 16 years just in the hope of filling the extra 5 or so thousand seats at the SFS. The Dogs v Parra is the biggest game regularly in Sydney, due to the rivalry the clubs share, the 80s etc. Perhaps they could put it on Labour Day every year, Red Nose Day, Talk Like A Pirate Day, or maybe have it start the season every year?
Redb
Roar Guru
Those 'empty' seats were paid for though, MCC members & the odd AFL member. How many empty seats were members seats at the SFS? Public section sold out at the MCG, was the SFS sold out? p.s. Just kinda joking :)
bilbo
Guest
Hi Marty. I was kinda joking mate, but thats cool... My point was not that the NRL has better attendance than AFL, but that the author was a bit ill informed. The MCG was not at capacity. He said that the NRL had never sold out SFS on ANZAC day, and I was pointing out that neither has the AFL. He said the AFL ANZAC day was at capacity. It wasnt. The AFL attendances are marvellous - really good and reflective of the game's live value. The fact they get averages of 36K to a game which isnt well known above the Murray, and in a sparsely populated country, shows the game's live value. The NRL ANZAC day is getting bigger every year, and is a success. The Roosters are selected because you need two teams that can play at the SFS, and its the Roosters' home ground. The AFL is currently locked in a debate around whether the ANZAC game should have gone to clubs other than two of the powerhouses of the game. While St George are a powerhouse, the Roosters are not (aside from financially). However I cant see a better fit to play a game in the middle of the city after the march.
M1tch
Roar Guru
When one of the teams is the Roosters its never going to sell out. For me the match should be at the SCG and be between the Dragons and Rabbitohs. The anzac game in next tv rights will be on FTA..btw it rated over 390k and another pay tv record for the nrl come tv rights time. However now it is the Roosters and Dragons game so I'd leave it as it is - as for the teams that play the game.