Does Thursday Night Football Work?

[Matchu]

20 March - Geelong v Adelaide @ Simonds Stadium
Crowd: 23,622 (70% full|33,500 capacity)

27 March - Richmond v Carlton @ MCG
Crowd: 62,037 (62% full|100,024 capacity)

17 April - Brisbane v Richmond @ The Gabba
Crowd: 20,676 (49% full|42,000 capacity)

15 May - Adelaide v Collingwood @ Adelaide Oval
Crowd: 50,051 (93% full|53,583 capacity)

29 May - Sydney v Geelong @ SCG
Crowd: 37,355 (77% full|48,000 capacity)

31 July - Fremantle v Carlton @ Patersons Stadium
Crowd: 35,401 (81% full|43,500 capacity)

They are sharing it around so that every city in Australia with an AFL team (outside of the Gold Coast) is getting a taste of Thursday night football in 2014. So, have we seen enough to decide whether Thursday night football works?

 

[ManWithNoName]

1000% better than Monday night and Sunday twilight football.

 

[master bate]

I believe the Richmond v Carlton crowd suffered due to the drawn out start to the year. And I'm a bit surprised the Geelong crowd wasn't bigger.

But overall I think it works. Most people are coming towards the end of their week and can tolerate a night out on a Thursday.

It certainly makes more sense than Monday night. I think the Carl v Richmond game at the start of the year, Easter Thursday game plus any other public holiday games that fall on Thursday and a few other random ones through the year is a good mix. The 6 in a year sounds about right to me.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

It worked for Adelaide but sustained success I don't think it will work. Adelaide will get a lot of them next year because of last round but after a few years of them I think people will start getting sick of them and the novelty will have worn off. Not good for the 5-10 year olds that have school the next day.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Yes, it feels like the weekend has come earlier

 

[Matchu]

1000% better than Thursday night and Sunday twilight football.

You mean Monday night?

It worked for Adelaide but sustained success I don't think it will work. Adelaide will get a lot of them next year because of last round but after a few years of them I think people will start getting sick of them and the novelty will have worn off. Not good for the 5-10 year olds that have school the next day.

I think the idea is to eventually give every club one Thursday night game each year and to not play on Thursday in bye/split rounds.

 

[ManWithNoName]

You mean Monday night?


I think the idea is to eventually give every club one Thursday night game each year and to not play on Thursday in bye/split rounds.

Yes it does mean Monday night. Whoops.

 

[Crawb]

Should maybe have about 10/11 Thursday Night games a year. We have about 7 this year.

 

[cynical]

no Thursday night, no sunday night, no Monday night k thx

 

[Mayes2Gray]

i dont like thursday night football. nor do i like monday night. worth a shot from the afl though i guess.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

no Thursday night, no sunday night, no Monday night k thx

This.

Always with a Thursday game I get suckered in to thinking it's Friday and I can sleep in tomorrow.

 

[Bailey01]

It worked for Adelaide but sustained success I don't think it will work. Adelaide will get a lot of them next year because of last round but after a few years of them I think people will start getting sick of them and the novelty will have worn off. Not good for the 5-10 year olds that have school the next day.

Meh, one day of school out of a couple of hundred will be affected, the atmosphere is incredible

 

[Truckosaurus]

Only if they make all the clubs release their teams on Wednesday, I've cut it fine with my tipping this year too many times waiting for team sheets.

 

[SJ]

I believe the Richmond v Carlton crowd suffered due to the drawn out start to the year. And I'm a bit surprised the Geelong crowd wasn't bigger.

But overall I think it works. Most people are coming towards the end of their week and can tolerate a night out on a Thursday.

It certainly makes more sense than Monday night. I think the Carl v Richmond game at the start of the year, Easter Thursday game plus any other public holiday games that fall on Thursday and a few other random ones through the year is a good mix. The 6 in a year sounds about right to me.

Extremely hard to be in your seats in Geelong by 7:10PM on a Thursday night if you work until 5PM anywhere east of the Melbourne CBD or in much of the western district (area with a high Geelong supporter rate).

Or if you have kids.

 

[MWPP]

Might work in other states(and as a spectator watching on TV I prefer it to monday night ), but as long as the WA teams continue to get 5.40pm or at the latest 6.40pm starts, it's inconvenient for us as people will struggle to make it to the game from work on time. It's worse on a Thursday than a Friday as leaving work early on a Thursday is much less common.
Eg 2012 we had a game against Carlton which started at 5.40pm on a thursday night. Unsurprisingly it was a lower than average crowd .

Even last year when we played Essendon in Pattersons, it was a decent crowd but with only a slightly later (6.10pm), it was still a subpcar crowd of 36k . Given the opposition and our respective ladder positions at the time, it would have drawn a better crowd if the starting time was later, or if it was on a friday eve or the weekend

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

As a 3-4 time per season event, I love it- but if it were to be every week, it would grow old extremely quickly in my opinion.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

1000% better than Monday night and Sunday twilight football.

Weren't you the guy rage not attending Essendon vs Carlton because it was a work night?

 

[aCunningPlan]

I think it can work, but I think 7:10 would be a more appropriate time to start like they are doing in Sydney, would make a big difference.

 

[JuddsABlue]

Would like 7-8 games a season

Great for opening round and Good Friday

Wth Adelaide being such a success, why not just roll with it and have Adelaide v Pies every year Thursday night in Adelaide, make it a small event like Carlton Richmond. We know the crows fans will get behind it after the good win

Give Port a game against whoever is a good match

Then sprinkle a few here and there, another 3-4 in Melbourne today

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

It will work if the Friday is a public holiday.

 

[The Passenger]

1000% better than Monday night and Sunday twilight football.

I reckon so too

I hope it works. I love Thursday night footy. But I suspect I'm in the minority.

 

[The Passenger]

It will work if the Friday is a public holiday.

or we could just have 4 day working weeks and friday is a weekend anyway.

 

[HBF]

1000% better than Monday night and Sunday twilight football.

This.
Love the Thursday night game against Richmond to open the season (except for this year of course).
Monday night games are bloody awful.

 

[Matchu]

29 May - Sydney v Geelong @ SCG
Crowd: 37,355 (77% full|48,000 capacity)

 

[TheMase]

29 May - Sydney v Geelong @ SCG
Crowd: 37,355 (77% full|48,000 capacity)

Which would be our best crowd at the SCG this season or close to it I think. Geelong have always drawn well in Sydney though.