2025 Attendances

[The_Wookie]

11.12.2024

Gather Round tickets snapped up in record time


The AFL is pleased to announce that more than 195,000 Gather Round…Festival of Footy tickets have sold… with five of the nine games sold out, 20,000 more than this time last year.

Member on sale on Tuesday saw a significant uplift in demand for tickets this year, selling more than 100,000 tickets in the first four hours, in comparison to the same amount in 24 hours last year.

This year there are an extra 47,000 tickets on offer for fans with the two Saturday matches being ticketed separately.

Tickets still remain for Collingwood vs Sydney Swans on Friday night, Carlton vs West Coast on Saturday afternoon, Melbourne vs Essendon on Saturday night and a very limited number of restricted view tickets and tickets for the Pepsi Collective for Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn on Sunday evening.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said it was clear Gather Round momentum was not slowly down.

“The demand for tickets this year was significantly higher than the first two Gather Rounds, with more than 195,000 tickets being purchased in the first two days,” said Mr Dillon.

“A ticket to the matches at the Barossa Park was always going to be one of the hottest tickets in town and the fans have certainly illustrated that by selling out both matches so quickly.”

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “Gather Round continues to exceed all expectations.

“We are honoured that so many footy fans from around the country are making the commitment to travel to our beautiful state to experience this event like no other.

“They’ll be truly welcome.

“If you haven’t got a ticket already – get in quick!”

Tickets for the remaining matches can be found here.

 

[ep12]

Are Saturday afternoons really better than Friday nights for crowds? Thought they would draw in similar numbers.

Saturday and Sunday 1/2pm games are the best for crowds and in particular families.

I'm expecting 59-62k for Friday based on ticket sales and the real possibility that we are going to bring less than 5,000 people.

 

[Purple Suit]

Adelaide oval attendance: 54,283 record home crowd.

How did they get such a big crowd with a 55K stadium? Do they sell the seats at half time if you don't turn up?

Freo v Brisbane only just beat it being a sellout too and we have an extra 5K of seating.

 

[Raz Man]

Bombers are going full tilt with Merret's 250th game and $7 tickets promotion.

Hopefully the marketing that we are so good at generally, will help lift the attendance to 50,000 + against our bitter arch rivals. This season has been terrible obviously but surely the temptation to beat this mob in front of our home crowd should get bomber fans up and about. It is the hope that kills you with us, but that "hope" also can get some through the turnstiles...we can only hope!

 

[Cmarsh]

Bombers are going full tilt with Merret's 250th game and $7 tickets promotion.

Hopefully the marketing that we are so good at generally, will help lift the attendance to 50,000 + against our bitter arch rivals. This season has been terrible obviously but surely the temptation to beat this mob in front of our home crowd should get bomber fans up and about. It is the hope that kills you with us, but that "hope" also can get some through the turnstiles...we can only hope!

Well, if you are only paying $7 you are not risking much by going other than the dissapointment of a potential loss.

 

[Rouel_14]

Saturday afternoons are better for crowds than Friday nights, and Hawthorn hadn’t lost 5 of their last 6 games.

We should still get 60k, but did you know that outside of public holidays Melbourne has only 5 crowds in the AFL era that have reached 65k?

Are you including Anzac eve as a public holiday game?

 

[manicmagpie]

Are you including Anzac eve as a public holiday game?

Yes.

 

[Hawkk]

Richmond need money to finish the punt road redevelopment, so it's easier for them to sell their games than the other way around

It’s good business — especially for the MCG tenant clubs who hate Marvel.

I’m surprised more Vic clubs don’t look at stitching up tourism deals with locations that are a short flight from Melbourne. I know Hawthorn was looking to make Norwood Oval a ‘home game’ for Gather Round a few years ago…

Hawthorn eyeing Norwood as home away from home in Gather Round

The Hawks are keen to return to Norwood Oval.

archive.sen.com.au

Instead of Darwin and Cairns, this is a much better option for Victorian clubs and could see thousands of members travel to Sydney, Adelaide, Launceston, Canberra and Hobart

 

[Hawkk]

Bombers are going full tilt with Merret's 250th game and $7 tickets promotion.

Hopefully the marketing that we are so good at generally, will help lift the attendance to 50,000 + against our bitter arch rivals. This season has been terrible obviously but surely the temptation to beat this mob in front of our home crowd should get bomber fans up and about. It is the hope that kills you with us, but that "hope" also can get some through the turnstiles...we can only hope!

50,000 plus on a Thursday would be like 65,000 in any other slot. Would be one of the crowds of the year IMO if it gets there…

The Dons need another 48,099 from their last two games to crack 1,000,000 through the gates. I think that’s pretty impressive given how many Thursday’s they’ve had and haven’t been competitive for half a season. If they do, it’d be the 19th time they do it since they first achieved it back in 1995…

 

[threenewpadlocks]

It’s good business — especially for the MCG tenant clubs who hate Marvel.

I’m surprised more Vic clubs don’t look at stitching up tourism deals with locations that are a short flight from Melbourne. I know Hawthorn was looking to make Norwood Oval a ‘home game’ for Gather Round a few years ago…

Hawthorn eyeing Norwood as home away from home in Gather Round

The Hawks are keen to return to Norwood Oval.

archive.sen.com.au

Instead of Darwin and Cairns, this is a much better option for Victorian clubs and could see thousands of members travel to Sydney, Adelaide, Launceston, Canberra and Hobart

It's easy when you can more or less guarantee good away fixtures where the ticketing access and fan experience is good. AFL Members, MCC don't make a distinction between home and away games.

On the other hand smaller Docklands clubs need to keep their reserved game seat holders onside and many of them are (rightfully or wrongfully) indignant when you take away the idea that they're entitled to sit in their seat for 11 home games and that's all that matters. Which is fair enough because the away game scheduling is far more unfriendly to those teams than it is for Richmond or Hawthorn who will always get to play 3+ away games at the MCG.

There are a significant number of Bulldogs fans who continue to be angry that we play two home games a year in Ballarat and now we're not "as poor" or whatever can't look to play only one or zero there or have the pipe dream of convincing the AFL to let us play a home AFL game in Footscray.

 

[Hawkk]

It's easy when you can more or less guarantee good away fixtures where the ticketing access and fan experience is good. AFL Members, MCC don't make a distinction between home and away games.

On the other hand smaller Docklands clubs need to keep their reserved game seat holders onside and many of them are (rightfully or wrongfully) indignant when you take away the idea that they're entitled to sit in their seat for 11 home games and that's all that matters. Which is fair enough because the away game scheduling is far more unfriendly to those teams than it is for Richmond or Hawthorn who will always get to play 3+ away games at the MCG.

Great point. You can basically divide the Victorian clubs in two based on away games at the MCG. That’s why home state and not home ground advantage in finals is really unfair for St K, WB and NM.

There are a significant number of Bulldogs fans who continue to be angry that we play two home games a year in Ballarat and now we're not "as poor" or whatever can't look to play only one or zero there or have the pipe dream of convincing the AFL to let us play a home AFL game in Footscray.

I mean if the AFL and FTA want Thursday Night games it’s not necessarily a bad idea. The NRL do it with one off home games at suburban venues like Belmore. Channel 7 are happy to broadcast AFLW and VFL games from the Western Oval, Moorabbin and Princes Park at night, so why not?

If the AFL want to move away from being an attendance product to a TV product those small grounds could add a truck load of interest to games.

 

[Rouel_14]

It's easy when you can more or less guarantee good away fixtures where the ticketing access and fan experience is good. AFL Members, MCC don't make a distinction between home and away games.

On the other hand smaller Docklands clubs need to keep their reserved game seat holders onside and many of them are (rightfully or wrongfully) indignant when you take away the idea that they're entitled to sit in their seat for 11 home games and that's all that matters. Which is fair enough because the away game scheduling is far more unfriendly to those teams than it is for Richmond or Hawthorn who will always get to play 3+ away games at the MCG.

There are a significant number of Bulldogs fans who continue to be angry that we play two home games a year in Ballarat and now we're not "as poor" or whatever can't look to play only one or zero there or have the pipe dream of convincing the AFL to let us play a home AFL game in Footscray.

I’m not sure I agree.
Richmond has Reserved seats in:

Deck 1:M50-57 - M10-15
Deck 2: N49-57 - N1-N15
Deck 3 P1-15

I’m not certain, but pretty confident that Collingwood have more.

That is a lot of members displaced by away games - especially when you are now looking at $60-100 to sit on the top deck for any game with any status around it.

The Richmond rebuild has a level of goodwill around it after a dynasty that we could have only ever dreamed of and probably why the members are okay with selling one or two Marvel games elsewhere.

Without those, we’d have board challenges, 3 coaches sacked and a member revolt.

This shouldn't be considered the normal and if we were in genuine top 8 contention - moving games interstate would go down like a led balloon.

 

[Bjo187]

Dogs have never reached 20,000 on any of their Sunday evening fixtures against an interstate crowd before all but one of these previous games the crowds in the 16k-18k range.

It's a very decent crowd.

From the eye test, do you think dogs supporter numbers have increased much in the past 10 years? I feel it's had a bit of a jump, I use to see them equal to north but now think they have gained a few fans. It might be just competitiveness v non competitive, but interested to hear from a dogs fan if they think there has been much growth.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

From the eye test, do you think dogs supporter numbers have increased much in the past 10 years? I feel it's had a bit of a jump, I use to see them equal to north but now think they have gained a few fans. It might be just competitiveness v non competitive, but interested to hear from a dogs fan if they think there has been much growth.

Yes, but no more than what would be expected if any team was winning a fair few games, notching up as many 10+ goal wins as we have over the last 10 years at home, and playing an attacking brand of footy.

 

[Hawkk]

From the eye test, do you think dogs supporter numbers have increased much in the past 10 years? I feel it's had a bit of a jump, I use to see them equal to north but now think they have gained a few fans. It might be just competitiveness v non competitive, but interested to hear from a dogs fan if they think there has been much growth.

I don’t have a dog in that fight but absolutely they have. The Dogs drawing 40,000 plus to Marvel against a non Victorian club would have been unthinkable 20 years ago — they’ll probably do it twice this year.

I said it a few weeks ago but the Dogs have really picked up and the Saints have dropped off. In 2004/05 they were top 3 in the league for attendances (behind only Coll and Ess) and now they are locked in the bottom 4-5.

Even in 2023 when they made the finals they were in the bottom 5 (32,425) about 6,000 lower than in 2005 (38,283) when they played 2 home games in Launceston. And back in their grand final years of 2009/10 they are only mid table, with their crowds were much bigger in 2004/05.

Back then the Saints drew 52,629 and 46,107 against the Lions, 35,100 against the Crows and 35,329 against the Dockers. Ever since Grant Thomas got sacked and Ross Lyon got to the Saints their crowds have collapsed.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I’m not sure I agree.
Richmond has Reserved seats in:

Deck 1:M50-57 - M10-15
Deck 2: N49-57 - N1-N15
Deck 3 P1-15

I’m not certain, but pretty confident that Collingwood have more.

That is a lot of members displaced by away games - especially when you are now looking at $60-100 to sit on the top deck for any game with any status around it.

The Richmond rebuild has a level of goodwill around it after a dynasty that we could have only ever dreamed of and probably why the members are okay with selling one or two Marvel games elsewhere.

Without those, we’d have board challenges, 3 coaches sacked and a member revolt.

This shouldn't be considered the normal and if we were in genuine top 8 contention - moving games interstate would go down like a led balloon.

There are 15,000+ MCC and AFL Members who are Richmond members who have no distinction between home and away games

 

[Hawkk]

There are 15,000+ MCC and AFL Members who are Richmond members who have no distinction between home and away games

It can be an issue though - we had four ‘designated away games’ at the MCG this year, yet three were fully ticketed (meaning the membership is irrelevant) and two sold out the MCG before the game. In five years time the AFL might have 10-20 MCG lock outs every year — especially if Essendon and Collingwood both went on hot streaks

I’m not sure I agree.
Richmond has Reserved seats in:

Deck 1:M50-57 - M10-15
Deck 2: N49-57 - N1-N15
Deck 3 P1-15

I’m not certain, but pretty confident that Collingwood have more.

That is a lot of members displaced by away games - especially when you are now looking at $60-100 to sit on the top deck for any game with any status around it.

The Richmond rebuild has a level of goodwill around it after a dynasty that we could have only ever dreamed of and probably why the members are okay with selling one or two Marvel games elsewhere.

Without those, we’d have board challenges, 3 coaches sacked and a member revolt.

This shouldn't be considered the normal and if we were in genuine top 8 contention - moving games interstate would go down like a led balloon.

That’s only about 15,000 seats though - meaning that there are 35,000 GA seats available every game. At Marvel that’s probably less than 10,000 (maybe 20,000 for North games).

Then you’ve got 40,000 in the AFL and MCC members reserve which makes no difference if it’s a home or away game. As an MCC member it makes bugger all difference if it’s a home or away game for me. Marvel away games are a pain in the arse…

 

[Rouel_14]

There are 15,000+ MCC and AFL Members who are Richmond members who have no distinction between home and away games

And of the 50,000 odd public seats available to a game 20k odd members are not mcc or afl reserve that it does affect.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

It can be an issue though - we had four ‘designated away games’ at the MCG this year, yet three were fully ticketed (meaning the membership is irrelevant) and two sold out the MCG before the game.

In five years time the AFL might have 10-20 MCG lock outs every year — especially if Essendon and Collingwood both went on hot streaks at the same time.

Fair enough, but I'm making the broader point that fanbases treat home/away distinction and attendance patterns far differently. Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and St Kilda matches against each other do not get the same bump in attendances even though the away team is familiar with the stadium, in the same way that the 6 MCG tenants matches get a bump in attendance closer to the average home crowd vs interstate team, because Melbourne team away support is greater at the MCG, and logically part of that is because of the MCC and AFL reserve.

Chicken/Egg or whatever but additionally these teams have blockbuster fixtures, public holiday games, that people are motivated to attend and don't even think of it as being an 'away' game in many cases for their team, again making selling off home games easier.

2011-2019, 2023- average crowd in matches played between North, St Kilda and Dogs at Docklands: 28,807
2011-2019, 2023- average crowd in matches hosted by North, St Kilda and Dogs vs. interstate teams at Docklands: 22,475

28% increase in fans (or alternatively, 28% of the people that would otherwise go as a home game fan are now attending as an away fan in this specific matchup)

2011-2019, 2023- average crowd in matches played between Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond at MCG: 63,984

2011-2019, 2023- average crowd in matches played by Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond at MCG against interstate teams: 37,095

72% increase (or alternatively, 72% of the people that would otherwise go as a home game fan are now attending as an away fan in this specific matchup)

Quite notable in its difference. A similar 72% increase to a typical, 22,000 home game attendance match vs. an interstate team by North, Saints or Dogs when they play each other would see 38,000 fans in these matchups, but that does not happen, obviously.

You can see why selling off games by Hawks/Richmond is not as significant because they attend matches at the MCG as an away team far greater than when Dogs/Saints/North fans play away games at Docklands, even though their fans are used to the stadium.

There is less pushback because the fans that are the ones that are failing to turn up to the home MCG games vs. interstate teams are not bothering to attend those games at the MCG in the first place. On the other hand there is an element of consistency with North/Saints/Dogs fans, with their smaller fanbases, that those fans are consistent adherents to attending every home game irrespective of opponent, and not attending away games.

 

[Rouel_14]

I don’t have a dog in that fight but absolutely they have. The Dogs drawing 40,000 plus to Marvel against a non Victorian club would have been unthinkable 20 years ago — they’ll probably do it twice this year.

I said it a few weeks ago but the Dogs have really picked up and the Saints have dropped off. In 2004/05 they were top 3 in the league for attendances (behind only Coll and Ess) and now they are locked in the bottom 4-5.

Even in 2023 when they made the finals they were in the bottom 5 (32,425) about 6,000 lower than in 2005 (38,283) when they played 2 home games in Launceston. And back in their grand final years of 2009/10 they are only mid table, with their crowds were much bigger in 2004/05.

Back then the Saints drew 52,629 and 46,107 against the Lions, 35,100 against the Crows and 35,329 against the Dockers. Ever since Grant Thomas got sacked and Ross Lyon got to the Saints their crowds have collapsed.

Agree wholeheartedly that dogs have grown, but do we think the saints are a bit of an unknown?

Compared to an Essendon or Carlton having a top 2 year - they couldn’t match them, but I truely think off pure vibes a top 2 saints could sit above dogs/north/melbourne. Hawks and cats probably sit above them in sheer supporter numbers, but saints have a fair bit of upside I’d say.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Agree wholeheartedly that dogs have grown, but do we think the saints are a bit of an unknown?

Compared to an Essendon or Carlton having a top 2 year - they couldn’t match them, but I truely think off pure vibes a top 2 saints could sit above dogs/north/melbourne. Hawks and cats probably sit above them in sheer supporter numbers, but saints have a fair bit of upside I’d say.

Saints supporter numbers through polling etc. are always a bit higher than North and Dogs https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9679-afl-supporter-ladder-september-2024

 

[Hawkk]

Agree wholeheartedly that dogs have grown, but do we think the saints are a bit of an unknown?

Compared to an Essendon or Carlton having a top 2 year - they couldn’t match them, but I truely think off pure vibes a top 2 saints could sit above dogs/north/melbourne. Hawks and cats probably sit above them in sheer supporter numbers, but saints have a fair bit of upside I’d say.

There’s a simple way to do it. How many years teams have drawn more than 700,000, 800,000, 900,000, 1 million, 1.1 million and 1.2 million (plus) to a home and away season

Over 1.3m
Collingwood 3 times (best is 1,384,827)

Over 1.2m
Collingwood 8 times
Carlton 1 time (1,277,210)

Over 1.1m
Collingwood 15 times
Essendon 5 times (best is 1,169,551)
Carlton 3 times
Richmond 3 times (best is 1,194,893)

Over 1m
Collingwood 25 times
Essendon 18 times
Carlton 8 times
Richmond 8 times
Hawthorn 1 time (best is 1,013,977)

Over 900k
Collingwood 29 times
Essendon 27 times
Richmond 13 times
Carlton 10 times
Hawthorn 6 times
Geelong 2 times (best is 983,458)
Melbourne 2 times (best is 931,549)

Over 800k
Collingwood 34 times
Essendon 31 times
Richmond 28 times
Carlton 25 times
Hawthorn 13 times
Geelong 9 times
Melbourne 6 times
St Kilda 5 times (best is 862,868)

Over 700k
Collingwood 43 times
Essendon 33 times
Carlton 32 times
Richmond 31 times
Hawthorn 23 times
Geelong 19 times
Melbourne 14 times
St Kilda 13 times
W Bulldogs 7 times (best is 788,467)
North Melb 3 times (best is 732,956)

As always, people under estimate the drawing power of the Dees…

Collingwood (1981) and Richmond (1980) were the first VFL teams to break through the 800,000 mark, more than a decade before Essendon (1994), Carlton (1994) and surprisingly St Kilda in (2004)

 

[____]

St Kilda started 2004 10-0 so I wouldn't say that's surprising.

 

[Hawkk]

St Kilda started 2004 10-0 so I wouldn't say that's surprising.

Over 700k pre 2004

Collingwood 24 times
Essendon 14 times
Carlton 13 times
Richmond 12 times
Hawthorn 6 times
Geelong 3 times
Melbourne 3 times
St Kilda 3 times
North Melb 3 times
W Bulldogs 0 (best was 678,835)

What happened between 2004 and 2025? The AFL started stacking the fixture with Coll, Ess, Carl, Rich, Haw, Geel and Melb games at the MCG. Before the mid 2000s, there wasn’t much difference between the Vic clubs. For example, in 1997 North were drawing ‘big 4’ crowds. They could win the next four flags and they’ll never draw those crowds again (same with the Saints)

 

[Rouel_14]

Depending how many GA have been sold Dogs V Freo ticket sales look a little underwhelming.

Only game in Melbourne.
17c and sunny.
3.20 time slot.
Practically a final.
Pretty good neutral appeal

Thought there was a slight chance of a late sell out after 40K v Adelaide.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Depending how many GA have been sold Dogs V Freo ticket sales look a little underwhelming.

Only game in Melbourne.
17c and sunny.
3.20 time slot.
Practically a final.
Pretty good neutral appeal

Thought there was a slight chance of a late sell out after 40K v Adelaide.

The historic average crowd of Dogs hosting Fremantle at Docklands is only just over 20,000. Expecting a 2.5x jump for a sellout is just highly unrealistic. There were also well over 5k Adelaide fans at that game, it's not going to be the same.

The fact that it'll be almost certainly over 30k, smashing the previous Dogs record home crowd against Freo (27k in R1, 2016, a game played in excellent weather and with Dogs optimism for the season ahead after making finals in 2015), will be an incredible achievement in itself, and even if it did match the 40k vs Adelaide it still wouldn't be near a sellout.