This article continues my series of monthly updates on the ratings and attendances of club football games in Australia across all four codes.
This month, surprisingly, the AFL took the top spot in the Fox TV ratings with the Friday night game, Fremantle versus Richmond (305k), a game in which the Tigers caused a bit of an upset, resulting in the Dockers’ first loss for the season.
The next highest AFL game was West Coast versus Essendon in fifth spot (285k).
Second, third and fourth spots went to the NRL, with the first two represented by Monday night games: Parramatta versus North Queensland (293k) and St George Illawarra versus Sydney Roosters (291k).
The AFL and NRL got five games each in the top 10. The most pleasing aspect for both leagues is the spread of teams in each of those five games with the AFL having nine clubs and the NRL having seven.
In total, 43 games of football managed ratings of over 150k during June. The AFL had 25 games and the NRL had 17 games.
One Super Rugby game made it onto the list: the semi-final between the Waratahs and the Highlanders (174k).
Another surprise was in store for us this month, with an A-League club hosting the largest attendance for any club football game in June, being the exhibition game against Chelsea (83,598).
The AFL came in second with the traditional Queen’s Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood (66,120). The AFL took the 13 spots between second and 14th. Of the 33 games on the list, the AFL had 22.
Super Rugby managed to get four games into the list with some big late season games, including two finals. The semi-final between the Waratahs and the Highlanders had the largest attendance (32,632) in 15th spot.
The NRL’s largest attendance was Brisbane Broncos versus Manly (28,691) in 19th spot. In all six NRL games made our list.
Fox TV Ratings (in thousands)
1. Fremantle versus Richmond 305
2. Parramatta versus North Queensland 293
3. St George Illawarra versus Sydney Roosters 291
4. Canterbury-Bankstown versus St George Illawarra 289
5. West Coast Eagles versus Essendon 285
6. North Melbourne versus Sydney Swans 280
7. Fremantle versus Collingwood 276
8. Geelong versus Melbourne Demons 276
9. New Zealand Warriors versus Sydney Roosters 274
10. Canterbury-Bankstown versus Penrith 267
11. Melbourne Storm versus Parramatta 265
12. Parramatta versus St George Illawarra 264
13. St Kilda versus Melbourne Demons 261
14. Sydney Swans versus Richmond 255
15. Canterbury-Bankstown versus Melbourne Storm 254
16. Sydney Roosters versus Melbourne Storm 241
17. Richmond versus West Coast Eagles 241
18. Brisbane Lions versus Adelaide Crows 239
19. North Queensland versus Cronulla 237
20. Port Adelaide versus Geelong 236
21. Adelaide Crows versus Hawthorn 229
22. Hawthorn versus Essendon 223
23. Carlton versus Gold Coast Suns 223
24. Collingwood versus GWS Giants 220
25. Souths versus New Zealand Warriors 216
26. Gold Coast Titans versus New Zealand Warriors 216
27. Melbourne Demons versus Collingwood 213
28. St Kilda versus Western Bulldogs 213
29. Carlton versus Adelaide Crows 212
30. Canberra Raiders versus North Queensland 211
31. Penrith versus Melbourne Storm 194
32. Gold Coast Suns versus Sydney Swans 193
33. Carlton versus Port Adelaide 185
34. GWS Giants versus North Melbourne 184
35. Newcastle Knights versus Cronulla 181
36. New Zealand Warriors versus Canberra Raiders 176
37. Western Bulldogs versus Brisbane Lions 175
38. NSW Waratahs versus Highlanders 174
39. Essendon versus Geelong 173
40. Gold Coast Suns versus Fremantle 167
41. North Melbourne versus West Coast Eagles 162
42. Newcastle Knights versus Canberra Raiders 160
43. Port Adelaide versus Western Bulldogs 152
Attendances
1. Sydney FC versus Chelsea 83,598
2. Melbourne Demons versus Collingwood 66,120
3. Hawthorn versus Essendon 62,500
4. Adelaide Crows versus Hawthorn 49,108
5. Port Adelaide versus Geelong 47,058
6. Richmond versus West Coast Eagles 45,178
7. Collingwood versus GWS Giants 43,390
8. Port Adelaide versus Western Bulldogs 41,813
9. Essendon versus Geelong 40,632
10. Fremantle versus Richmond 38,019
11. Sydney Swans versus Richmond 37,579
12. West Coast Eagles versus Essendon 37,306
13. Fremantle versus Collingwood 37,145
14. St Kilda versus Hawthorn 33,886
15. NSW Waratahs versus Highlanders 32,632
16. North Melbourne versus Sydney Swans 32,217
17. Carlton versus Adelaide Crows 32,035
18. Carlton versus Gold Coast Suns 30,207
19. Brisbane Broncos versus Manly 28,691
20. Geelong versus Melbourne Demons 28,007
21. Carlton versus Port Adelaide 27,693
22. Canterbury-Bankstown versus St George Illawarra 27,291
23. Brisbane Broncos versus Newcastle Knights 27,246
24. NSW Waratahs versus Queensland Reds 26,746
25. St Kilda versus Western Bulldogs 26,511
26. Queensland Reds versus Chiefs 25,841
27. St Kilda versus Melbourne Demons 25,187
28. Western Bulldogs versus Brisbane Lions 21,129
29. Souths versus New Zealand Warriors 20,272
30. ACT Brumbies versus Crusaders 19,398
31. North Queensland versus Cronulla 18,826
32. Brisbane Lions versus Adelaide Crows 18,146
33. Canterbury-Bankstown versus Melbourne Storm 16,764
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I agree, but then again, we're well into the second season of the new AO, and both Port and Crows are only mid-table, to it"s just insane that they are maintaining that average.
c
Guest
it is the brand new adelaide oval effect
BigAl
Guest
If the Australian open attracted (only) 450-80k each year it would be lost to China.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Yes, good pick up, that match was played in Perth.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
On behalf of the eds, I thank you for your input, and look forward to your contribution next month.
fiddlesticks
Guest
i have my countdown set on my computer so i can once again rad this useless report
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
MCG holds 100K, Lords holds 28K. I've been to Australian open twice & walked straight in after purchasing tickets. I've been to Wimbledon once & waited 6 hours to get in from 9AM. Had a friend who is there this year, she was there 6am & there was a long, long line waiting to get in. But yes Melbourians turn up in masses, especially for AFL.
AR
Guest
It's a pretty consistent story... At the Australian Open, the total attendance figure each year is usually around 680k+, which eclipses Wimbledon which attracts around 450-80k each year. For the Spring Carnival, Flemington sees around 360k+ across 4 days. Ascot gets around 300k across 5 days. No question the UK events hold more prestige and history, but Melbournians certainly turn up is mass droves.
AR
Guest
Absolutely. Last year SA's crowd average was 46.2k... for the entire season...and that's obviously an aggregate for 2 separate clubs. Extraordinary figures for a "small" city. Expect Perth to eclipse that figure once the new stadium is finished and non-member attendees aren't locked out on game-day.
Kirk
Guest
Didn't Souths play NZ in Perth?
Greg trilby
Guest
Sadly agree that rugby u is slipping down in NSW. Soccer seems to be doing well but as the figures show rl is falling, although SOO doing very well but at the expense of regular season
no one in particular
Roar Guru
No, it's correct
Kaks
Roar Guru
"I think Football will always suffer from the fact that the A-League is not among the elite club comps in the world" I can guarantee you Epi that this will not always be the case. Fans are slowly but surely being attracted to the A-league, not just because the standard is rising but because of the atmosphere generated in the crowds. There a lot of kids who attend the games and you would think that they will be the new generation who will follow the League as it is OUR league. I will not be surprised if in 5 or 10 years time most clubs average more than 20-25k a week instead of the current 10-12k that most average
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Yep...same for me (for a minute there I was thinking oh oh, I've done it again) :)
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Super Rugby (as far as Australian interest goes) is definitely disadvantaged by the many games played overseas in awkward time zones back in Australia. But, personally I think too many on this thread are exaggerating the decline in the popularity of Super Rugby. While I agree that ratings appear to have taken a hit this year, that's probably the case right across the board. The three top Super Rugby clubs are still capable of getting big crowds: the Reds got 25,841 in the second last round of the season, ,while in the very last round of the season, the Brumbies got 19,398 while the Tahs got 26,746, followed up by a home final of 32,632. These are all good numbers, and the Super Rugby clubs are having to do it in Winter up against the big guns. The Force and Rebels experiments are very much a glass half full/half empty type of scenario. Personally, I think we need to persist with them and try and grow the crowds (just as the AFL has to persist with the Giants in an equally difficult market). The main concern is whether an NRL club in Perth would affect the Force - hard to know. I definitely think the Rebels have a future and can grow from what is a reasonable base of support.
Kaks
Roar Guru
I had to second guess myself when i saw your comment as well, honest mistake haha
Bill
Guest
Those figures are amazing, Melbourne's appetite for attending sport is incredible. Healthy respect to SOO 2 (and to Melbourne) for climbing to the top of the heap in the AFL heartland. It shows that while AFL remains the beating heart of the Victorian sports scene, Melbournites are more than willing to also feast at other tables.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Johno It looks that way! It's amazing that the second team from Australia's fourth largest city is involved in the two highest rating games of footy for June.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The question of exhibition matches and including Super Rugby are both legitimate questions. For my annual update, I focus on home and away attendances, because in comparing clubs, I think one needs to exclude finals. For the month to month look at attendances, I do include finals, because the focus is on matches rather than clubs per se, i.e. I don't average out club figures in the monthly updates. Once you decide to include finals, the door remains open to include other types of games involving Australian clubs (such as ACL matches), and from there it's not really a big leap to including friendlies, pre-season games and exhibition matches. On the question of Super Rugby, firstly there's no doubting that it is a unique competition, even in World terms, it is unique, and about to become more so. But, there is no way known that Shute Shield is the equivalent of the AFL, NRL and A-League (as someone has suggested above), the former being a state competition, and the latter being national competitions. So to my way of thinking, the closest rugby competition we get to the other three is Super Rugby, but always having it in the back of our minds that it is a unique competition in that it is spread over three countries, involving massive distances, and that the game is probably more popular in the other two countries than it is in Australia (meaning the figures I show here are obviously not the full story for Super Rugby).
Renegade
Roar Guru
MF, To me the Waratahs are a state side and certainly not a club side.... Randwick and Eastwood are club sides. Good question on the Brumbies, Force and Rebels though.... As you said - it's not as simple cut and dry, but to me certainly the Reds and Waratahs are state sides.