2019 AFL Crowds & Ratings Thread

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New MCC policy for sold out games



A step in the right direction which will hopefully prevent a repeat of the embarrassing and infuriating sight of thousands of unused seats in the Prelim last year.
Very unlikely I'd suggest that we'll actually see general public in the reserve. The MCC will just open sales to their provisional members and increase the number of visitors tickets that full members can buy.

Not to mention they'll probably backflip the next time there's a lockout.
 
AFLX certainly hit its ideal demographic last night. TV viewership had AFLX 2nd most watched program in the 16-39 Demographic (95k). Sydney 11k (16K) Melbourne 57k (201k) Brisbane 8K (16k) Adelaide 12k (66k) Perth 7k (26k)
 

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I think your numbers might be a bit off.....A 42,000 crowd is going to have a bit more of an impact on the average than the 400 or so you've got in your graph.
You sure it's not 4000 difference?

Correct it was 6,949 ex optus game

Given the extra game I'd say the crowds are holding up really well this year...good crowds today as well
 
You would think it will be a long time between drinks for another 42,000 at an AFLW match.

I reckon the AFL would be happy with an ave of 6000 per match.

Be interesting to see what Collingwood v Carlton pulls next week at Princes Park
 
Wrong thread I know, but can't find a better one.

Does anyone else find 18 v 18 footy a boring tackling fest?

This isn't an original observation, but I'm going into the season with a level of antipathy I haven't felt before and I'm chalking it up to the congestion tackle fest that is plaguing footy. Hope to be proven wrong and hope that 6-6-6 improves the look of the game substantially

If it were up to me I'd cut it to 15 blokes on the field, 3 on the bench and limit rotations to 10 a quarter, if not lower.

Plus keep a few players locked in each respective 50m arc.

Edit - above post born from appreciating all the one on one contests seen in AFLX, which has many flaws, but at least you get to enjoy two players going head to head in a contest
 
Sadly, 2019 AFLW ratings have significantly declined, cf 2017 & 2018 (IIRC, 2018 AFLW FTA & Foxtel combined TV ratings averaged c.160,000+ per game; & 2017 FTA & Foxtel combined 220+ average per game).
Channel 7 gave the AFL an "ultimatum" that AFLW ratings had to rise significantly, or all games would be removed from the main Ch.7 channel- which has now occured. This is a major setback for the AFLW, as ratings inevitably fall when the same program is transfered to a secondary channel.

It should be remembered that the opening Round 1, nationally broadcast FTA 2018 AFLW Coll. Carlton had a half of no goals being kicked- as did a Carlton v. Brisbane game shortly after. Both these games (played in good conditions) received massive, justifiable, public criticism for their halves of extremely ugly, scrappy, congested, stoppages-infested low-scoring tackleball. The antithesis of the spirit of AF, & contrary to the principles enunciated in the AFL's own Charter Of The Game.
IMO, these 2 2018 games trashed the AFLW's image, indefinitely, for the curious/casual/non "rusted-on" AFLW observer.

The opening 2019 FTA broadcasts games Coll. v. Geelong was a very scrappy, poor spectacle, re skills; Adelaide v. Footscray had, generally, great skills, but a total of only 3 goals.

Women's AF had much goodwill after the 2015 female Melb. v. Footscray exhibition game outrated the men's Adelaide v. Essendon game the day before; the 2016 Melb. V. Footscray stand-alone exhibition game on the Finals' bye-weekend peaked at over 1,000,000, as did the opening 2017 Coll. v. Carlton AFLW game.

It is a great pity, as the vast majority of 2017-19 AFLW games are entertaining, with adequate scoring & skills on show.
The women are tough & courageous, & deserve much more support, a big majority of games are a great spectacle of AF in the AFL off-season. The horrendous tackle rates (games are played on harder, summer surfaces) in the AFLW are almost on par with the AFL, even though the AFLW is played for a much shorter playing time!

The AFLW is, also, undeniably hurt when "clean air" is removed from it, by playing AFLX during its season.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...aflx-for-the-limelight/10841882?section=sport

The AFL is doing a very good job with the AFLW, & female GR AF generally.
It should, however, have forseen the likelihood of too many low-scoring games- & the major negative impact this would have on Ratings/viewers' enjoyment. Goal scoring quantums similar to soccer (ie less than a total of 5) are totally unacceptable (excluding games played with a wet ball/strong across-ground winds/over 26 degrees/high humidity).

I am fearful about the possible dilution of skills when 4 new teams are added in 2020 (but skills have definitely risen, on average, throughout the later Rounds of 2017, all of 2018, & 2019). Strong ratings & good scoring are essential if the AFLW is able to deliver, as anticipated by the AFL, full time, professional careers for many/most AFLW players.

I believe further rule changes in the AFLW are necessary, to open up the games, so women have time & space to exercise their good AF skills.

Suggested changes:-

. only 2 on the bench (reduces flooding, 16 + 2; which also- very beneficially- eliminates the least skilled players getting a game)?

. Slashing interchange nos. to 6 per team (ie reduces flooding; ensures the traditional resting of onballers in the pockets; stars having- very beneficially- much more game time)?
M. Fitzpatrick & the AFL's own expert, Prof. K. Norton, advocated for between 20-40 total interchanges per team.

. And/or minimum no. of players, permanently, in the forward 50 & beyond the centreline, as per the elite TAC Cup (which has been proven to open up the game, allows players to show their AF skills, allow more goals to be scored)?

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...ith-congestion-in-tac-cup-20140421-zqx8n.html
 
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In 2017 there were 3 rounds of JLT matches played across 4 weekends

In 2018 there were 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 3 weekends and three nights of AFLX

In 2019 there are 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 2 weekends and just one night of AFLX

The idea that the AFL has been denying the AFLW "clean air" is a load of rubbish. That ABC article is an awful article written by somebody with almost no capacity for critical thought. If anything the negativity of so much of the commentary around the AFLW by supposed supporters would be a much bigger drag than anything else on popularity. It is moronic.

The fact that one off exhibition games and first-games-ever rated much higher than what will be sustainable longer term should not really come as a shock to anyone.

There is no need to butcher the game through zoning. The quality will improve with time
 
In 2017 there were 3 rounds of JLT matches played across 4 weekends

In 2018 there were 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 3 weekends and three nights of AFLX

In 2019 there are 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 2 weekends and just one night of AFLX

The idea that the AFL has been denying the AFLW "clean air" is a load of rubbish. That ABC article is an awful article written by somebody with almost no capacity for critical thought. If anything the negativity of so much of the commentary around the AFLW by supposed supporters would be a much bigger drag than anything else on popularity. It is moronic.

The fact that one off exhibition games and first-games-ever rated much higher than what will be sustainable longer term should not really come as a shock to anyone.

There is no need to butcher the game through zoning. The quality will improve with time
The AFLW is going alright and as far as crowds and ratings its still doing better than female soccer and RL.
 

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103K average for the JLT opener yesterday on foxtel and over 8K through the gate. Pretty good I would have thought given the 630 start. Not sure what the norm is for JLT openers
 
103K average for the JLT opener yesterday on foxtel and over 8K through the gate. Pretty good I would have thought given the 630 start. Not sure what the norm is for JLT openers

179k hawthorn v Collingwood 2015 (Thu)
174k Geelong v Collingwood 2014 (Wed)
169k Collingwood v Essendon 2017 (thu)
144k Hawthorn v Carlton 2016 (thu)
 
179k hawthorn v Collingwood 2015 (Thu)
174k Geelong v Collingwood 2014 (Wed)
169k Collingwood v Essendon 2017 (thu)
144k Hawthorn v Carlton 2016 (thu)

Well there you go, they all seem higher!

What was last years?
 
In 2017 there were 3 rounds of JLT matches played across 4 weekends

In 2018 there were 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 3 weekends and three nights of AFLX

In 2019 there are 2 rounds of JLT matches played across 2 weekends and just one night of AFLX

The idea that the AFL has been denying the AFLW "clean air" is a load of rubbish. That ABC article is an awful article written by somebody with almost no capacity for critical thought. If anything the negativity of so much of the commentary around the AFLW by supposed supporters would be a much bigger drag than anything else on popularity. It is moronic.
JLT and AFLX haven't been trimmed down for the benefit of AFLW though, men's teams would get more practice matches if it's what they wanted.

I think the clean air argument should be scrutinised if the league continues to lean on it while running AFLW on the same weekends and times as men's games (be it pre-season or for premiership points) and BBL finals.
 
JLT and AFLX haven't been trimmed down for the benefit of AFLW though, men's teams would get more practice matches if it's what they wanted.

What are you basing this on? The clubs all did play an extra practice match last week, during business hours. There is no other reason I can think of for the trimming down of JLT but for the stated objective of clearing more weekends for the AFLW




I think the clean air argument should be scrutinised if the league continues to lean on it while running AFLW on the same weekends and times as men's games (be it pre-season or for premiership points) and BBL finals.

The BBL was moved into the AFLW season after its first season. The only alternatives are to move to a spring season or to move into the AFL season propper. Best of luck to the AFLW with the latter
 
What are you basing this on? The clubs all did play an extra practice match last week, during business hours. There is no other reason I can think of for the trimming down of JLT but for the stated objective of clearing more weekends for the AFLW
Oh this issue has been discussed a lot over the last five-ten years, particularly various radio interviews with coaches and players that I've heard, but there are some articles floating around that highlight it.

Consultation with clubs/players about shortening the pre-season was certainly happening over five years ago:
The clubs and AFLPA are being asked to comment on a range of potential changes, including:

• Should the pre-season competition be scrapped or reduced in length?

Calls by club officials in March 2016 to reduce the pre-season length:
The AFL will change the pre-season format to whatever clubs want - so long as they can agree.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley called on the AFL to shorten the NAB Challenge from the current three matches per team in the wake of the bruising 48-point win.

Hinkley told SEN radio three matches was too many.

"You don't need three to get ready. Most teams throughout the competition have used one of those games to field a really inexperienced side," he said.

Richmond football boss Dan Richardson said the Tigers were open to change.

"If (clubs) get one or two really solid games out of the NAB Challenge they're going to be happy with that," he said.

From the same article:
AFL football boss Mark Evans said on Friday there was an open mind at head office.

"If (clubs) believe that preparation can be done in fewer games, we would deliver that," he said.

Then this a year later:
A SIGNIFICANT portion of AFL coaches have questioned the length of the JLT Community Series, using a breakfast meeting with AFL CEO Gill McLachlan on Thursday to push for a shorter pre-season competition.

This article from October 2017:
AFL fixture boss Travis Auld said by reducing the pre-season matches from three to two is in response to feedback from clubs that the pre-season competition has been too long.

Clean air gets brought up in the same article:
Despite the success of AFLW and AFL pre-season matches last year, the league has not scheduled any double-headers during pre-season for 2018.

The league said it has provided the AFLW with “clean air’ by programming just one men’s pre-season games on Friday night.

“What we found, a couple of things, one is that AFLW competition deserves it’s own clean air,” Auld said.
Sounds good. Except this was before they announced the dates for the first AFLX, which took the men's pre-season Friday night count up to two. And now in 2019 it's up to three, the air has only been getting dirtier since that comment.

From October 2018:
"We've moved the (JLT) format around a couple of times over the last few years to try and get it right ... that's largely on the back of feedback from the clubs," Auld said.

And then another Auld quote from the same article which to me suggests the AFLW is more of an after-thought, or at least not the impetus for change:
"But (this) also works better with the AFLW season. There's less crossover with AFLW games, it condenses the impact of these games going into the home-and-away series."
On top of that, the Fixturing Chief is full of s**t because last year 6 AFLW games were scheduled at the same time as JLT matches. This year it's 10.

The BBL was moved into the AFLW season after its first season. The only alternatives are to move to a spring season or to move into the AFL season propper. Best of luck to the AFLW with the latter
Yes the BBL made it known well in advance it would run longer, and the AFL still claimed that playing the women's competition in Feb-March was best from the mythical clean air perspective. So the point is they use that narrative while making decisions that go against it. But yeah sign me up for spring, orrrrr the league should just stop rolling out the clean air line.
 
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Not sure if this is the right place to raise this but is anyone else concerned 666 footy is going to hit crowd and viewer numbers?

Not being able to drop numbers back and choke up games will certainly make for high scoring affairs but this is also going to make for a whole lot of slaughterings. I can see sides that are tracking to miss finals hitting some very low attendance numbers when they start seeing sequential drubbings.

Sides that might be in reality better than they were in 2018 like say Brisbane, might find themselves looking at % that makes them look far worse.

Last few years we've been saying that it could be anyone's season and 12 sides could make the 8. This year i think we might be calling the top 4 in June and that only they can win it.

So what is the effect on afl revenues when half the fans turn off mid-season? I'm generally an upbeat person but i can see this going horribly wrong.
 

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