Melbourne’s Clint Bartram tackles Gary Ablett of the Gold Coast Suns during the AFL Round 23 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
In a season where a new team is introduced that plays out of a 25,000-seat venue, it should come as no surprise that crowd figures have fallen in 2011. After all, even if the Gold Coast Suns sold out every game that 25,000 is still below the average AFL crowd. But let’s not let plausible explanations get in the way of a good story.
Let’s start whipping out photos of two people sitting in an empty bay of the upper deck at the MCG (ignoring the fact it’s the upper deck of a 100,000-seat stadium).
Let’s ask the people of Melbourne why they aren’t going to the footy anymore (ignoring the fact both Melbourne venues have actually increased attendances this season).
Let’s have Rebecca Wilson write an article claiming these “dwindling crowds” are threatening “the game’s livelihood” (ignoring the fact we’ve just allowed a Rebecca Wilson article to see the light of day).
Honestly, it’s time for the nonsense to stop.
Yes, the average attendance for AFL games will be down this year. No, there’s no need to panic.
Last season’s average crowd was 36,908. This year’s is 34,950. That is a drop of around 2000, or 5.6 per cent.
Can I ask, what did the likes of The Age, 3AW and Wilson expect?
From the outset of Season 2011, it was obvious there would be a drop to the average crowd figure. That’s what expansion usually does, especially when it involves non-traditional markets.
The Suns playing out of a small venue creates 11 games where it would be impossible to meet the league average, and that’s if you overlook the fact they are playing out of a smaller market and should not be expected to draw that many anyway.
Throw in the fact their lack of history means less fans at away games too and it’s perfectly natural for crowd numbers to dip. The same thing will probably happen next year with the GWS Giants.
Now, does this account for the entire 5.6 per cent? Maybe, maybe not.
But it only takes a couple of one-off variables to make up the rest – like the Sydney Swans encountering “the wettest July in more than 60 years, two blockbuster washouts and a clash with the royal wedding”.
The line everyone’s trotting out is that the predictability of results this season and the number of blowouts are the driving force at play. They may’ve had an impact, but they aren’t the driving force. Only Port Adelaide and Gold Coast fans can cite the expectation of getting absolutely thrashed as a reason for not attending the football.
Do you honestly reckon fans of other clubs stayed away in their thousands expecting to avoid witnessing a 100-point blowout?
Crowds suffered a drop in 1986 and 1987 when West Coast and Brisbane joined the competition.
The same thing is happening now on the back of an even smaller market entering the competition.
There’s simply no reason to hit the panic button.
Tony
Guest
Gosh, only 85,705 at the MCG last night.......AFL must be in decline!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I welcome opinions from everyone, but you didn't really introduce any "facts". For instance, you mention declining revenues - how can that be a fact?? The AFL is on track to get higher aggregate attendances this season than last season, albeit it with more games and an expected drop in the average (and it will drop gain next season with GWS). But to jump to conclusions about teams having poor seasons and experiencing a drop in crowds is sort of silly. And the AFL isn'treally interested in coverting people, it's about offering sporting choice to as many people as it feasibly can - no one needs to be converted for the AFL to continue prospering.
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
And the A-League crowds up and down the east coast of Australia, with Suncorp flooded for the last part of the Roar's season.
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
How can any of you be so dismissive of the opinions of non-AFL fans and the facts presented to you. I am the sort of sports fan that the AFL should be trying to convert. If AFL is to succeed outside Melbourne then it must win over the non-AFL fan, otherwise how will it grow? Yet, any time a non AFL fan tries to say something that is not praising AFL or Demetriou you get all defensive and dismissive. I've even suggested a solution to you that might stop the decline - just be honest with people and cut out the spin. More advertising and marketing gimmicks is not the answer.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
i sense a bitter west coast supporter
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
ItsCalledFootball, thanks for the laugh.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
"and they all get home finals (now)." Dot Dot Effing Dot
Nathan of Perth
Guest
My bad, Kardinia is 7m narrower
Redb
Roar Guru
I've been to the MCG this year for probably 6 x 80,000 plus crowds and everyone one of them was a public sellout. We all thought the big Vic clubs would be good for the crowd average but not when the MCG can only hold 100,000 with 20,000 reserved in MCC or AFL not to mention club members. Same with Subiaco for West Coast games. It's actually better for the crowd average to have most of the interstate clubs doing well and only 1 or 2 of the big 5 doing well. This Friday night was reported yesterday as 3,000 short of the full capacity (sellout) for Coll v Geel. The crowd will be 85-88K and thousands will miss out due to MCC/AFL members not turning up.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
ALL Melbourne teams except those selling their games interstate play 3-4 matches a year interstate. Not just the big ones. Its an unfortunate side effect of the way the league was formed in the 80s and 90s with so more than half the teams based in and around melbourne. Non victorian sides MUST travel every fortnight or so. Victorian clubs can go months without travel and still face different oponents. Revenue has nothing to do with the amount they travel. Where they travel perhaps, but not how often, no matter how its spun. There are 8 non vic teams (next year anyway), and 10 vic teams. The 8 non vic teams must travel to play each other and the vic teams. The 10 vic teams only have to travel to face the interstate teams. Its unfortunate, but its life. They all play the same number of matches, and they all get home finals (now).
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
stats dont lie there. We have a much higher win ratio at the MCG than at Etihad.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
yeah but the north game should get at least 30k, and you'd home the dogs game would as well. Gold coast v hawthorn is going to go low, and you know the port game will. With the swans being in the finals, youd expect at least 20k out for that. Likewise a full house for the West Coast eagles youd reckon on the eve of their finals, in full flight..so theres another 40k, Carlton v St Kilda as a blues home game should draw 60k easily at the G, and Cats v pies is already sold out i believe so chalk up another 85k+ for that. Like I said, going to be damn close.
Redb
Roar Guru
Bayman, Please reality. When Adelaide won those flags in 1997 & 1998 those SANFL clubs were long forgotten. For much of the Crows history they have been competitive, they have 1-2 lean years and the drop off is remarkable. I have no doubt there is good footy in the SANFL and close ties with various teams but the 'extra' attraction argument only reinforces my downhill skiers comment.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Wookie interesting numbers, thanks for the update. It's a Collingwood home game, so with a little luck, that might get almost a third of the necessary number on its own. Port vs Melbourne looks problematic!!
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
275k needed this week to beat last years mark (6.49 million) (34,375 ave) 280k needed to kit the 6.5 million mark (35k ave) 291k need to beat the record 2008 mark. (36.4k ave) league crowds this year currently average 34,750. This round features two blockbusters at the MCG - Collingwood v Geelong and Carlton v St Kilda that'll do at least 140k between them on their own in decent weather (and sunny days forecast both friday and saturday). West Coast at home to Adelaide will beat the average. The other 5 games should get around 100k between them. Should go close to a 300k attendance round.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
It wasn't a strong case back then, and it still isn't. Adelaide attracted 38k for a nothing game on the weekend. Are you able to get your head around that? 38k for two teams out of contention for most of the year. Both Perth teams have been getting that all season. The debutants Gold Coast have averaged 19k this year. You can compare that number to pretty much any other non-AFL team in the country and it stacks up very, very well. So if the new team in the comp, the first regional team outside of Victoria, can do that, then ipso facto it follows that the saturation point hasn't been reached.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
King Robbo All of that is true. It has to be said that the AFL made the decision to rationalise grounds over 20 years ago. It has been part of its business model for a while now. It wasn't that hard a decision to make. Richmond's old Punt Rd Oval is literally next door to the MCG, they started playing out of the MCG around the mid 1960s. It's incredible now to think that Melbourne FC used to play out of the MCG on its own. Hawthorn outgrew the tiny Glenferrie Oval in the late 1970s. All the others played out of rundown suburban grounds that weren't worth spending money on. It's also incredible that Collingwood stuck to its 28,000 capacity dungheap for a good 25 years beyond when it had outgrown it. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite nostalgic about the old grounds, in fact, I love any old sporting ground, but I can recognise that they were all rundown, and required far too much money to fix up - the ground rationalisation model is probably one of th every best decisions the league ever made from a financial viability point of view - it effectively pays for two magnificent stadiums.
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
Is AFL at saturation point outside of Melbourne? http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/03/25/the-afls-tipping-point-2/ I'm sure Demetriou and his committee are not as dismissive as you are about falling attendences and game revenues. They are already plotting their marketing strategy and battle plans for next season as we speak. Trouble is when you reach saturation point doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, the effect wears very thin to the point of being almost irritating and insulting to non-AFL football fans. The best approach would be to be honest and open with Australian sports fans, stop silly gimmicks like buying Folau and stop treating sports fans like they're part of yet another AFL marketing experiment. Even non-AFL fans can see why the top drawing teams in the league like Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton play just about all their games in Melbourne - to maximise revenue. That just goes to further establish AFL as a Melbourne game.
Bayman
Guest
Redb, You assume, apparently, that everybody in Adelaide is, or should be, consumed by the fortunes of their AFL team. There are many who prefer to remain attached to their original SANFL team and look on the AFL sides as an "extra" attraction. This is largely as a result of the way the AFL competitiion is set up. Essendon have had a hundred years of collecting supporters, the Adelaide teams twenty or less and then in competition with the teams these supporters grew up with. Let's see Essendon get the flick from the AFL and then see how committed you are to another side in that competition. Yep, not so easy now, is it? Still, I'm sure you'd be following the fortunes of the Ringwood Ramblers no matter how well they were doing.
Mickle
Guest
LOL your retort is about as weak as a Brett Stewart haymaker...