Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance

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A case of saved by the bell and the massive surge in TV rights revenue.

And that's not going to change in the short to medium term

In September 2022 the AFL signed a seven year $4.5 billion TV rights deal to run between 2025 and 2031.

The TV rights deal is worth $643 million a season - an upgrade on the $473 million per season under the terms of the current two-year deal that ends after the 2024 season.

So there's going to be an extra $170 million per year in AFL coffers for the next seven years. Approximately $115 million was given out in extra AFL distributions to clubs above the base level in 2023.

North aren't going anywhere. Talk of them relocating or merging, especially on the sole basis of their current on-field results is nonsense.
 
GMHBA crowds are by far the most disappointing of the season.

Currently looking like a big waste of money if they can’t get to the old capacity of 33,000.

Where are their 80,000 members? Can’t believe they haven’t been able to sellout the additional reserved seat areas in the Selwood stand.
 

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GMHBA crowds are by far the most disappointing of the season.

Currently looking like a big waste of money if they can’t get to the old capacity of 33,000.

Where are their 80,000 members? Can’t believe they haven’t been able to sellout the additional reserved seat areas in the Selwood stand.

30k against GWS isn’t exactly poor.

Their next 3 games there are against Richmond, Hawthorn and the Dogs. These are the games that the extra capacity is for.
 
30k against GWS isn’t exactly poor.

Their next 3 games there are against Richmond, Hawthorn and the Dogs. These are the games that the extra capacity is for.

Will respectfully disagree. You don’t spend $340 million to redevelop a regional ground for it to be 75% full when you only play 9 games a year down there.

They should easily be getting 35k every week regardless of who they play and nudge 40k against the two big Victorian clubs that should be sent there every year.
 
Will respectfully disagree. You don’t spend $340 million to redevelop a regional ground for it to be 75% full when you only play 9 games a year down there.

They should easily be getting 35k every week regardless of who they play and nudge 40k against the two big Victorian clubs that should be sent there every year.

How many Victorian clubs actually draw 30,000 plus against GWS?
 

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GMHBA crowds are by far the most disappointing of the season.

Currently looking like a big waste of money if they can’t get to the old capacity of 33,000.

Where are their 80,000 members? Can’t believe they haven’t been able to sellout the additional reserved seat areas in the Selwood stand.
Yes it is strange even with the bright shiny new Joel Sellwoood stand that they are struggling to get anywhere near the new stated capacity of 40,000.
 
And most of those were pumped up by 45,000 AFL and MCC members who had free admission
What a crap argument. It is not free entry, I pay $600 a year for my AFL membership and more for my MCC.

Just because I’m not forced to pay for a reserved seat (which I have to anyway to get level 2a in the afl against other Melbourne teams) does not mean it is free.
 
What a crap argument. It is not free entry, I pay $600 a year for my AFL membership and more for my MCC.

Just because I’m not forced to pay for a reserved seat (which I have to anyway to get level 2a in the afl against other Melbourne teams) does not mean it is free.

I do too, but its far different drawing 30,000 at the MCG then a ground with limited AFL / MCC membership to boost the attendance. And this includes the dozen 60,000 plus HFC games against the Swans.

Its downright unrealistic to expect Geelong to consistently draw 35k plus to home and away games against the second lowest draw in Victoria.

If Geelong can draw a floor of 30k that is outstanding - as we know, the 40k cap is really to get bigger Victorian games and finals.

If Melbourne draw an equivalent crowd against the Saints tomorrow (very possible) will you slag off that crowd too?

That is despite Melbourne and Geelong being in the same position on the field, Melbourne playing at a far larger ground with massive stadium memberships against another Victorian team?
 
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If Melbourne draw an equivalent crowd against the Saints tomorrow (very possible) will you slag off that crowd too?

This. I don’t know where this bizarre Geelong bashing is coming from, 30k against the smallest team in the league (both coming off multiple losses) is a very good crowd.

Acting like not reaching 98% capacity is a failure is almost as stupid as people responding with “but where are their ### amount of members?!”
 
Outside the big 4 Vic clubs, The Dees have the biggest against GWS yeah?:cool:
2018 R23 - 37,285

GWS 6th vs Dee’s 7th

It was the last round of season with the rights to host the elimination final up for grabs. The Dee’s would be playing finals for the first time in 12 years.

This crowd is 9,000 more than the next best the Dee’s have against GWS.
 
What a crap argument. It is not free entry, I pay $600 a year for my AFL membership and more for my MCC.

Just because I’m not forced to pay for a reserved seat (which I have to anyway to get level 2a in the afl against other Melbourne teams) does not mean it is free.
I will let Hawkk respond however I think the point being made was that games at the MCG certainly draw a cohort of neutral footy fans who fill these two reserves.

Certainly since they allowed MCC provisional members access to the reserve, attendances in the MCC for matches have increased significantly. Yes, majority are the competing teams. However, there’s no doubt mouth watering matchups are drawing in more and more neutral fans.

Thus is one reason why some of these Saturday / Sunday afternoon games are drawing out of this world attendances.

I’d argue some games are drawing as many as 7-8,000 neutral fans. Thats the point I think was being made regarding attendances in this case.
 
2018 R23 - 37,285

GWS 6th vs Dee’s 7th

It was the last round of season with the rights to host the elimination final up for grabs. The Dee’s would be playing finals for the first time in 12 years.

This crowd is 9,000 more than the next best the Dee’s have against GWS.
I was getting a bit tongue in cheek. I was there that day and it was a great crowd! But I still remember the Dees fans copping it for "not turning up" that day so I'm still gonna talk it up if I can
 
2018 R23 - 37,285

GWS 6th vs Dee’s 7th

It was the last round of season with the rights to host the elimination final up for grabs. The Dee’s would be playing finals for the first time in 12 years.

This crowd is 9,000 more than the next best the Dee’s have against GWS.
And reasonable to assume there was possibly 4-5k neutrals or more casual fans in the ground utilising members rights to see a season defining game. MCG games do get a lumper effect from these games.

That Richmond / Lions game late 2018(?) that drew 78,000.. We aren’t naive enough to think that was just the support of two teams that day. It was probably 15-20k neutrals / casual fans all wanting to see a GF rehearsal and defining game.
 
I do too, but its far different drawing 30,000 at the MCG then a ground with limited AFL / MCC membership to boost the attendance. And this includes the dozen 60,000 plus HFC games against the Swans.

Its downright unrealistic to expect Geelong to consistently draw 35k plus to home and away games against the second lowest draw in Victoria.

If Geelong can draw a floor of 30k that is outstanding - as we know, the 40k cap is really to get bigger Victorian games and finals.

If Melbourne draw an equivalent crowd against the Saints tomorrow (very possible) will you slag off that crowd too?

That is despite Melbourne and Geelong being in the same position on the field, Melbourne playing at a far larger ground with massive stadium memberships against another Victorian team?
I expect Melbourne and St Kilda to draw no more than 35,000.
Geelong are a larger club than we are and the St Kilda train has fallen to pieces. Plus we play the most unwatchable brand of football out there.

I expect Geelong to fill that stadium because they have been given $340m to do so. They are the only Victorian team allowed to play at their original local ground and should be able to draw crowds in line with the big 4.

If you want to take pot shots at Melbourne that’s fine, we get slagged off for our crowds regardless of how many attend. And yes I do always comment when our crowds are bad.
 

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