Ranking Victorian clubs by size

[gopies1981]

Won’t be as many as you think, or in previous years. I’m certain the Lions have record membership and season seat sales. This means logically less seats to public than previous years, irrespective of how good the microphone on TV is Thursdsy!

Collingwood always get 10,000 fans to the Gabba every year. Wait and see

 

[What else we can do]

I’m back giving hell to Richmond supporters who actually think they are the biggest club.

Collingwood are the biggest club. When Essendon and your blues finally get their acts together they will jump over Richmond and become the 2nd and 3rd biggest clubs.

Imo the biggest clubs In Australia are;

1. Collingwood
2. Essendon
3. Richmond
4. Carlton
5. Hawthorn
6. Geelong
7. Melbourne
8. St.Kilda
9. Western bulldogs
10. North Melbourne

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and comes up with their own conclusion to this debate. Eg A fellow Collingwood supporter of your's Michael Gleeson from the Age put's Collingwood and Carlton as the biggest I posted the link previously. He's been writing articles for 30 years and I like many other's agree with him.

 

[citizen-erased]

If Essendon pull their finger out and become a genuine good team over the next couple years and join the Pies and Blues... could be a super exciting era

Blues is my favourite rivalry to be up and about against at the same time.
I am hoping we get that finger out sooner rather than later. Would be fun to get back to being competitive in finals the same time they are

Funnily enough, GCS aside, the two of us have been the worst clubs this century.

I miss the anticipation of the big games between the two when they're both strong sides.

 

[Cudi_420]

Melbourne is clearly the biggest pulls out measuring tape

 

[Tasmanian saint]

It clearly goes like:

Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon
Richmond
Geelong
Saints
The Rest

Don't reply to this referencing membership tallies because I don't care.

Richmond in front of Essendon and Carlton easily

 

[gopies1981]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and comes up with their own conclusion to this debate. Eg A fellow Collingwood supporter of your's Michael Gleeson from the Age put's Collingwood and Carlton as the biggest I posted the link previously. He's been writing articles for 30 years and I like many other's agree with him.

Biggest rivalry is collingwood v Carlton especially when both playing well! I remember from 1993 to 1995 the average crowd was 84,000.

Also from 2008 to 2013 Collingwood v Carlton were drawing a crowd between 80-88,000

But imo Essendon are more popular then the blues and have been since they won the 1993 premiership.

Essendon for a short brine were bigger than collingwood but that was only due to collingwood being a bottom club from 1995 to 2001 when Essendon were a powerhouse. As soon as collingwood started winning in 2002 Collingwood overtook Essendon.

Carlton were always 3rd until Richmond was the premiership in 2017 and Carlton were terrible on field for 15 years by then.

 

[Walshawk]

Pies
Dons
Blues
Tiges
Hawks
Cats
Dees/Saints
Dogs/Nth

It will be interesting to see how full the upgraded 40k Kardinia Park is over the next five years with the Cats likely to be bottom six for a while once their over 30s retire. Reckon the might drop right back, like the Hawks have.

 

[What else we can do]

Biggest rivalry is collingwood v Carlton especially when both playing well! I remember from 1993 to 1995 the average crowd was 84,000.

Also from 2008 to 2013 Collingwood v Carlton were drawing a crowd between 80-88,000

I went to all those games the build was like no other Round 23 last year reminded us of that. Carlton and Collingwood are the biggest and most popular clubs it's just that Carlton have been down for so long that some people forget this. In nearly every metric Collingwood is number 1 and when compairing Carlton with Richmond/Essendon they are mostly above but it's a lot closer between the 3 than it was in the early to mid 90's.

 

[GordonBlue]

If they were going well, I have no doubt Essendon are the biggest club in Vic in terms of passionate fan base, the entire Northwest corridor is dominated by them, and they are relentless when up and about. Carlton are big, but we have lost a generation of supporters through being so poor for 15 years..

Passionate? I will speak upon the Geography where I live, they have the biggest "Yay Essendon, Go team", "I like their colours" fan base.

I will hand it to Carlton and Richmond fans, for a long time they had to (Carlton's case, still have to) raise multiple generations based on stories alone with barely a reward of a win to help the process. Even after all of that, still among the biggest.

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[peetoo]

Pies
Dons
Blues
Tiges
Hawks
Cats
Dees/Saints
Dogs/Nth

It will be interesting to see how full the upgraded 40k Kardinia Park is over the next five years with the Cats likely to be bottom six for a while once their over 30s retire. Reckon the might drop right back, like the Hawks have.

Hawks v ess r1. 4th biggest crowd v essendon
Syd v hawks r2. 5th biggest crowd v syd in sydney
Hawks v north r3. Worst non covid crowd v north in Tassie.

This is when everyone and his dog tipped hawks for the spoon? Not sure about drop off and I don’t reckon Geelong will drop off either

Predicting Essendon and carlton to come good on field at the same time seems more unlikely. Admitted they have a bigger latent supporter base… for now

 

[dave10]

Collingwood always get 10,000 fans to the Gabba every year. Wait and see

… Until the Lions increased membership sales. I reckon you’ll get 5-7,000 Thursday. That assumes

Hawks v ess r1. 4th biggest crowd v essendon
Syd v hawks r2. 5th biggest crowd v syd in sydney
Hawks v north r3. Worst non covid crowd v north in Tassie.

This is when everyone and his dog tipped hawks for the spoon? Not sure about drop off and I don’t reckon Geelong will drop off either

Predicting Essendon and carlton to come good on field at the same time seems more unlikely. Admitted they have a bigger latent supporter base… for now

you can’t compare Carlton and Essendon latent support bases to Hawthorn. These two clubs are on an entirely different level to the Hawks. They’d have 40% bigger bases than the Hawks.

 

[peetoo]

… Until the Lions increased membership sales. I reckon you’ll get 5-7,000 Thursday. That assumes

you can’t compare Carlton and Essendon latent support bases to Hawthorn. These two clubs are on an entirely different level to the Hawks. They’d have 40% bigger bases than the Hawks.

My point is hawthorn and geelong have closed the gap considerably. Don’t rest on your laurels cos generational change will do its work

I’m not denying what you are saying, but success clearly is a factor.

 

[dave10]

My point is hawthorn and geelong have closed the gap considerably. Don’t rest on your laurels cos generational change will do its work

I’m not denying what you are saying, but success clearly is a factor.

I’m not certain if this. Their membership bases and crowds are / were recently reflecting their on field success. The gap closing is more a reflection of engaged fans than fan base size. Simple as that.

 

[smasha]

Passionate? I will speak upon the Geography where I live, they have the biggest "Yay Essendon, Go team", "I like their colours" fan base.

I will hand it to Carlton and Richmond fans, for a long time they had to (Carlton's case, still have to) raise multiple generations based on stories alone with barely a reward of a win to help the process. Even after all of that, still among the biggest.

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

Richmond had the lowest ebb of any club in the comp before we got back up and won the 3 flags.

Collingwood have never experienced that so I find it funny we are called bandwagonners with all the pain we have been through.

And the media loved it when we were down.

We were lower than an ant’s arse in that dark period.

Richmond tend to dominate then go to periods of darkness and depression,why alot of us are alcos lol.

That’s when we used to rock up and know we’d be belted every week.


Collingwood have won more home and away games than anyone so I find it very rich calling the Tiger Army bandwaggonners.

Collingwood have never been as low as our club.

For us to have the support we have now is incredible.

Essendon will always have a big supporter base because of the red colours but the drug thing tested them.

Pies,because they consistently are up there.

Carlton,16 flags but they too have had some dark periods but not in the same league the Tiger Army had to put up with.

Richmond was run poorly,now we have Benny and Dimma and now everyone wants to dip their lid into the Tiger deli tray and bring us down again.

Of all the teams,the Saints have a terrific fanbase,only one flag but have good crowds turn up to games.

 

[Blahu]

Richmond had the lowest ebb of any club in the comp before we got back up and won the 3 flags.

Collingwood have never experienced that so I find it funny we are called bandwagonners with all the pain we have been through.

And the media loved it when we were down.

We were lower than an ant’s arse in that dark period.

Richmond tend to dominate then go to periods of darkness and depression,why alot of us are alcos lol.

That’s when we used to rock up and know we’d be belted every week.


Collingwood have won more home and away games than anyone so I find it very rich calling the Tiger Army bandwaggonners.

Collingwood have never been as low as our club.

For us to have the support we have now is incredible.

Essendon will always have a big supporter base because of the red colours but the drug thing tested them.

Pies,because they consistently are up there.

Carlton,16 flags but they too have had some dark periods but not in the same league the Tiger Army had to put up with.

Richmond was run poorly,now we have Benny and Dimma and now everyone wants to dip their lid into the Tiger deli tray and bring us down again.

Of all the teams,the Saints have a terrific fanbase,only one flag but have good crowds turn up to games.

All Carlton has top do is play finals and you'll see how big they really are. 90,000 members without playing finals on 15 years must give some insight.

 

[Blahu]

Wondering about peoples thoughts in how the the clubs rank in terms of support/profile, i would go 1. Collingwood- i think easily the most consistant highest profile/biggest club 2 Richmond- massive club, close to collingwood in profile, close with essendon, maybe put them higher to not sound too bias 3 Essendon-ditto massive club 4 Carlton- massive club always seen a one of the big 4 5 Hawthorn- another big club, though wouldnt put them with the top 4 6 Geelong- medium size 7 St kilda - medium size, gets good crowds when winning, as seen in 2009-10, or 1997 8 Melbourne-smaller club though i think bigger than bottom 2 9 Western bulldogs-small club 10 North melbourne -smallest club

All Carlton has top do is play finals and you'll see how big they really are. 90,000 members without playing finals on 15 years must give some insight.

 

[peetoo]

All carlton has to do…….

 

[Engimal v3]

Essendon and Carlton are both sleeping giants. Will be up there with Richmond/Collingwood once they get some success going again.

 

[peetoo]

Essendon and Carlton are both sleeping giants. Will be up there with Richmond/Collingwood once they get some success going again.

Indeed they would, but the continuing lack of success such as Geelong and hawthorn at least as powerful

Historically they are carlton Essendon are sleeping giants due to past success

Maybe if hawthorns success has started before the seventies………

 

[Tigerlaird]

Collingwood probably has the most fans around the country. They are "Australia's club" afterall.

Richmond, Carlton, Essendon and Hawthorn have got fans everywhere.

North must have the smallest size for a vic club, surely.

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

Indeed they would, but the continuing lack of success such as Geelong and hawthorn at least as powerful

Historically they are carlton Essendon are sleeping giants due to past success

Maybe if hawthorns success has started before the seventies………

That’s a mess