Poor AFL Crowds *Worst in 20 years*

[FootyJunkie]

I've missed four Ess games in melb since 1973, my mates look at me as a bit strange. Most people I know struggle to make the commitment each week, kids sport is a big thing. My boy has just started playing and the wife has been told, don't expect me there every week. She accepts this, well trained.

Have to ask. What made you miss those four games?

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

Every game live. Siren to siren with no ad breaks. 50" HD TV. Or. Sh*tty pi$$y weather outside. Trackwork between home and the stadium. Mmmmmmm. Which option for most families will be more appealing?

That said, I've only missed 2 Giants home games in Sydney. One clashed with dad's 75th birthday out of town. The other was scheduled at lunchtime on Mother's Day. Who the f#ck schedules a game AT LUNCHTIME on Mother's Day??

Back in the day of one FTA match of the day, with ads after every goal, you'd have to go to the game. These days? Not so much.

 

[teknodeejay]

Scheduling one of my must attend games in Bombers v Blues on a Sunday night killed it for me.

Foxtel will get my attention this Sunday.

And the same old cold half salted chips now cost close to $6!! Streuth!!!

 

[Slax]

We're two Rounds in, have had 2 games at the MCG, one of which featured Melbourne. Apart from Carlton vs Richmond, Port vs Crows and Essendon vs Hawthorn, no games have been real blockbusters. That's very different from previous years after Round 2. Generally, the new price system as well as all games being live, means I think the real blockbuster games will see reduced numbers. I don't think we'll get as many 70-75k+ games at the MCG. However, with the Adelaide and SCG complete, we should see a rise in Crows, Swans, and Power crowds, plus the improvement in GWS and Gold Coast will mean their crowds will improve.

Let's not jump the gun yet. We've had two games at the MCG for christ sake.

32,347 for the Collingwood game will have taken the smile of the face of the GWS crowd from the preivous week. This figure is a massive concern for the AFL and if it is shown to be more the norm than an anomily then the AFL will be incredibly nervous.

 

[HJ 12]

Price. But who cares. I like being able to watch the games whenever they are played. Happy enough to fork out my dough to support the Suns every second week personally though.

 

[caitsith01]

Yes, I think you're right with most of this.

I do think the cost of going to the footy has become very real for many people, especially when they're being asked to fork over $40 or $50 for a reserve seat in addition to their club memberships, plus $9 booking fees. It's become an undeniably expensive hobby these days for people to take their whole family along.

As for free agency, I don't think anyone really begrudges the players the money they earn. A million bucks a year is nothing really when you compare it to how much everyone else makes out of the game. This isn't the issue. But you've hit the nail on the head about about the stars leaving and the dampening effect it has on the passion of the fans. I was gutted when Buddy left. I still am. The footy is less enjoyable to see him running around in Swans colours. It gives me no joy to see him struggling to fit in and copping s**t from everyone. He should've been a Hawthorn hero, but now he is a traitor. He is dead to me. (Or a small part of me is dead…)

I'm sure there are many Geelong fans who feel the same about Gary Ablett on the Gold Coast. Some Cats fans still enjoy watching him play, probably because he went to a non-threatening minnow club whilst they remained a premiership contender. Things might change if Gold Coast were to climb above Geelong on the ladder (or beat them in September.)

The sense of loss is very real. We channel all of our passion into following our football club and our players. When the top guys walk out as free agents, you realise they don't really give a s**t about the jumper - they say they do - but it becomes clear that it's nothing more than a job for them and they're playing for the money. How can we maintain our fervour and support these guys when it's all a one way street? We need to maintain the illusion that AFL footballers are "our players" who will run through brick walls for the clubs we support.

I don't expect anyone to have any sympathy for the Hawk fans. We've enjoyed success on the back of poaching players from our rivals. But the issue with free agency is we're now seeing the superstars walk out on their club whilst in their prime: Lance Franklin, Brendon Goddard, Dale Thomas. Gary Ablett was basically a free agent. Same with Tom Scully and Callan Ward. Those last two weren't superstars, but their loss was felt just as keenly by Melbourne and Bulldogs fans. Adelaide and Carlton fans will probably face the same thing with Patrick Dangerfield and Bryce Gibbs. How can you support players when you suspect they're going to chase the big bucks on offer elsewhere?

Free agency is going to require a bit of attitude adjustment from footy fans. We're going to have to let go of our sense of ownership of our club's players. Which is a shame because I reckon it's a big part of why the AFL has been so successful per capita (like a religion in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth) compared to other sporting codes around the world.

AFL footy has become a business and the fans are becoming less fanatical and more like any other customer. When you're not as fanatical, it becomes easier to keep your hand in your pockets and stay home, or spend your money elsewhere on other things.

Great post.

I think your conclusion is right. If player loyalty is more casual and money driven, the it's perfectly understandable that fan loyalty will become more casual and money driven.

Geelong people talk about people 'bleeding blue and white', but apparently in some cases that blue and white blood magically changes colour to whatever club the player walks out to go and join.

I actually do sympathise about Buddy. In many ways it would have been better for him, Hawthorn, and footy if he were to play out his days as a talented but perhaps slowly fading star at Hawthorn. Instead he's in this weird corporate transaction and now 'bleeds red and white' up in Sydney while the media and fans hound him relentlessly on and off the field.

Despite my earlier comment, it does seem that the cost of following footy is increasing faster than inflation. I wonder if the AFL has built a house of cards, where the fat TV deals of recent years have made the whole system more money dependent and money hungry. The biggest risk will be if that TV money ever disappears, which is quite possible given how quickly the media landscape is changing, then suddenly the whole thing will collapse.

It would also be interesting to see an economic analysis of the merits of having a half empty stadium with expensive tickets, versus the merits of having a full stadium with cheap tickets. I suspect the half empty stadium is actually not that smart in many cases, even if people are paying more per ticket.

 

[Andrew Mc]

The usual reasons don't seem to apply to this game (early start to season, bad timeslot). I can't imagine ticket prices were too high as the AFL would do everything in its power to make sure people would attend Sydney matches. In my view I wouldn't be surprised if the game has lost its image. Which is worrying from a NSW expansion perspective.

I suspect the rain in Sydney has a bit to do with it. Been copping it for weeks, and that's always going to lessen the crowds.

 

[clogged]

I suspect the rain in Sydney has a bit to do with it. Been copping it for weeks, and that's always going to lessen the crowds.

It didn't rain on Saturday night.

 

[caitsith01]

You have to wonder about the fundamentally awful scheduling of the first round.

I'm sure most people who bother to post here were just psyched that footy was back. But for casual fans, it would have been a confusing couple of weeks of mostly mediocre match ups at apparently random times, with very little logic to it.

Round 2, with all of its match ups, should have been round 1.

 

[Lockyer24]

My family has begun to attend less games due to the club prioritizing reserved seat ticketing for those disgraceful 3 game memberships which minimize the decent seating available. More of a club issue though than an AFL one.

 

[caitsith01]

Excellent post.

The Essendon doping scandal has kept football in the headlines over summer and my feeling is that a lot of people were suffering from "footy fatigue" before the season started.

Combine that with the AFL becoming a victim of its own success in generating headlines and coverage through the off season with a draft fortnight, 18 games in 18 days etc. Even the most die hard footy fans appreciate a bit of respite from the AFL's media/spin cycle. It's little wonder that fans aren't champing at the bit for the footy.

Give us some breathing space!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Of course, the obvious solution to the Essendon situation would have been to rapidly and decisively deal with it once and for all, then move on.

As for the draft etc, they should have one day of coverage about that, one week for all trading, and otherwise shut up between the end of the GF and the start of round 1.

Another factor might be that the pre-season competition this year was utterly pointless, was scheduled in a totally bizarre way, and was viewable only on Foxtel. Not exactly building much anticipation for the season. May well be time to dump it in favour of a couple of practice matches followed by round 1 proper.

 

[Billy ray]

W

I've missed four Ess games in melb since 1973, my mates look at me as a bit strange. Most people I know struggle to make the commitment each week, kids sport is a big thing. My boy has just started playing and the wife has been told, don't expect me there every week. She accepts this, well trained.

What were the four games?

 

[invinciBlues]

Have to ask. What made you miss those four games?

Wouldnt count on it being his kids birthday.

 

[clogged]

W


What were the four games?

All of Essendon's premierships.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

It's a little disparaging to say that my remarks were about personal preference and not AFL failings like everyone elses gripes.

That was my interpretation, I retract them. No intent to belittle you.

 

[Confuscius]

Is it really a mystery?

Over the past few years we've had teams investigated for Salary Cap infringements, deliberately losing games of footy and implementing a performance enhancing drugs program.

Add to that the AFL's insistence of giving every concession imaginable to two expansion clubs in order to create success in a non-AFL geographic that was chosen over a traditional football heartland.

These concessions have seen several fan favourites leave for a pay rise and for the time being have decreased the quality of the games as they find their footing at the elite level.

The look of giving these clubs everything they need in order to win whilst established clubs have to earn everything can also be seen as distasteful to fans of clubs that have had to battle for everything they've gotten (compromised drafts etc)

Then you've got the COLA system which doesn't need expanding upon really.

Then you've got a committee determined to make the game look completely different year to year despite fans never really getting behind change. What would be the percentage of fans liking the Fyfe and Hunt suspensions? 10%? Less? Yet under the new rules they are completely justifiable.

Then there is the decision review farce which despite being in action for a few years has failed to provide anything but poor angled and blurry vision which is impossible to confirm one way or another. Yet every week the system is used to no effect. And every week people rightly ask 'what is the point if the right camera angles aren't implemented?' They've had years to sort this system out and we're still relying on the joke we have now.

And after all this, they've brought in a ticketing system which charges you more for the better games on top of the fact prices have already gone up 25%

Yeah, I wonder why the crowds are low?

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I think the succession of serious problems has had a slow burn effect.

This.

 

[FootyJunkie]

All of Essendon's premierships.

With that type of dedication described, surely not.

 

[windyhill]

That's a big bowl of wrong right there....

Each to their own bud.

 

[The_Wookie]

its poor fixturing. pure and simple. crap games, poor timeslots. split rounds.

Also: wtf at this thread. Its only round 2.

 

[telsor]

its poor fixturing. pure and simple. crap games, poor timeslots. split rounds.

Also: wtf at this thread. Its only round 2.

Yup.

e.g. Richmond Carlton on Thursday night. Thursday night sucks, but when it was the first game of the season, with plenty of buildup, 70-80K turned up. Now it's round 2, bugger all buildup and we get 62K. If it's not going to be the opener, move it to Friday night.

More generally, see how things look in a few more weeks before hitting the panic button.

 

[Jables]

AFL subsidised free agency has been bad for the game, superstars fed to markets that don't care and will not grow if we're being honest. The past few decades Hawthorn has grown due to consistent star power only because there's a die hard market that cares about good Aussie Rules footballers. Buddy has no effect on the Sydney market as anything but a source of derision. They'll make him a lazy toxic party boy because that's the only reason for him to be in a paper there.

On top of all those problems we ALREADY had, what could possibly make fans stay away? Higher ticket prices at certain matches. Fans would draw the line there of all places. Actual football is just flavour to a lot of people, it's mostly a way to feel socially involved in the community and your family. Thus they won't go to the dramatically more expensive "big" matches, because it's not about the football to a lot of people like I said. The die hards will of course still go, but the drop off will hurt crowd numbers if the AFL don't reverse course.

We'll still get big numbers though I'm sure. But I doubt very much this is just an anomaly.

 

[Andrew Mc]

It didn't rain on Saturday night.

No, but it has been pissing down for weeks in Sydney. And it did rain on Saturday. If you're not already committed to going, then this will make a difference.

 

[deck]

Yup.

e.g. Richmond Carlton on Thursday night. Thursday night sucks, but when it was the first game of the season, with plenty of buildup, 70-80K turned up. Now it's round 2, bugger all buildup and we get 62K. If it's not going to be the opener, move it to Friday night.

More generally, see how things look in a few more weeks before hitting the panic button.

I still believe the new ticket pricing was the main reason for a drop in crowd. People aren't just going to fork out a extra $20-40 for the same seat they had last year. The AFL keeps looking at American sport and comparing pricing but it just isn't comparable.

 

[Magnum27]

I still believe the new ticket pricing was the main reason for a drop in crowd. People aren't just going to fork out a extra $20-40 for the same seat they had last year. The AFL keeps looking at American sport and comparing pricing but it just isn't comparable.

This is the big issue, i looked at going to a couple of games over the last few weekends without my side playing, once i saw the bullsh1t prices, and the fact i could watch it live on Foxtel, i changed my mind. I guess that's what the AFL want, foxtel subscribers to increase.