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.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Pretty good crowd all things considered. Would have been freezing and miserable to sit and watch through that

For all that channel 7 were talking up how cold it was, and why the other end of the state needs a roofed stadium - the "feels like" was roughly 1 to 2 degree colder than Melbourne through match time. Barely a noticeable difference if not for psychological reasons of constant "Tassie is cold" talk.

Not that Tasmania would get Friday night games if they join the comp anyway. They would be a tiny club, with zero growth prospects and no advertising reason for broadcasters to want them in prime time. And only early afternoon games really allow people to drive to out-of-region games, so the club purely for travel reasons would be asking for 1pm games as often as possible.

 

[Rouel_14]

Looks a seriously impressive crowd at the G..

 

[Cmarsh]

For all that channel 7 were talking up how cold it was, and why the other end of the state needs a roofed stadium - the "feels like" was roughly 1 to 2 degree colder than Melbourne through match time. Barely a noticeable difference if not for psychological reasons of constant "Tassie is cold" talk.

Not that Tasmania would get Friday night games if they join the comp anyway. They would be a tiny club, with zero growth prospects and no advertising reason for broadcasters to want them in prime time. And only early afternoon games really allow people to drive to out-of-region games, so the club purely for travel reasons would be asking for 1pm games as often as possible.

Wouldn't be that small. I would think they would probably have 50k members.

 

[ep12]

For all that channel 7 were talking up how cold it was, and why the other end of the state needs a roofed stadium - the "feels like" was roughly 1 to 2 degree colder than Melbourne through match time. Barely a noticeable difference if not for psychological reasons of constant "Tassie is cold" talk.

Not that Tasmania would get Friday night games if they join the comp anyway. They would be a tiny club, with zero growth prospects and no advertising reason for broadcasters to want them in prime time. And only early afternoon games really allow people to drive to out-of-region games, so the club purely for travel reasons would be asking for 1pm games as often as possible.

Can almost guarantee that if they opened the season with a Tasmania home game at the new stadium on a Friday night it would sell out in record time.
The problem is they are going to have to play at Bellrieve/UTAS for two years at least and it wont be the same.

Think you are very harsh on the club. The issues around them wont be the membership base, rather talent pool for the comp and issues with 19 teams for a fixture.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Wouldn't be that small. I would think they would probably have 50k members.

Tiny financially, regardless of membership size.
There just aren't the reasons to pay big money on corporate boxes, teriary sponsorships, etc. There's no business to be won. Even things which have their industrial base in Tas don't have any decision makers there to win sales contracts and so forth.
Advertising dollars are miniscule, even by the standards of a small population. People don't have spare money, no reason to advertise to Tasmanians, so even with Seven buying Southern Cross television assets and actually controlling Seven Tasmania there would be no push to have in national prime time slots.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Can almost guarantee that if they opened the season with a Tasmania home game at the new stadium on a Friday night it would sell out in record time.
The problem is they are going to have to play at Bellrieve/UTAS for two years at least and it wont be the same.

Think you are very harsh on the club. The issues around them wont be the membership base, rather talent pool for the comp and issues with 19 teams for a fixture.

In year one. Not by year four or five.

 

[What else we can do]

For context between 1990 and 2010 - clubs in the top 5 for home and away attendance

Collingwood 20
Essendon 20
Carlton 17
Richmond 13
Hawthorn 8
Adelaide 7
St Kilda 6
Geelong 4
Melbourne 2
West Coast 2
Sydney 1

St Kilda really stands out here - given theyve been the second lowest drawing Melbourne team over the last 10 years...

I hope for St Kilda's sake when they get back to the top they bring the same crowds and atmosphere to games it was phenomenal back in the day.

 

[Hawkk]

Saints finished 13th, 14th, 16th and 15th in those years and Dogs played finals in three of them.


Dogs missed finals in two of those seasons and Saints played in one of them.

It’s just a direct form correlation. I agree there’s concern for the Saints if they stay down for another few years, but they’re not at that stage yet. One good season and the fans will flood back.

In 2023, the Saints finished sixth in the home and away season and drew 745,770 to their 23 games (13th in the league). That's despite playing all home games in their home market (unlike North, the Hawks, Dees, Giants, and Suns), playing their 150-year anniversary match against Essendon at the MCG (which drew over 67,000) and Gather Round against Collingwood (45,000).

On a games basis, 2023 (32,425) was their lowest average for a season they made finals (COVID notwithstanding) since 1991 (28,154 - when they played 9 games at Moorabbin). I'm just saying, St Kilda being regularly outdrawn by the Dogs is not usual.

 

[Bjo187]

For all that channel 7 were talking up how cold it was, and why the other end of the state needs a roofed stadium - the "feels like" was roughly 1 to 2 degree colder than Melbourne through match time. Barely a noticeable difference if not for psychological reasons of constant "Tassie is cold" talk.

Not that Tasmania would get Friday night games if they join the comp anyway. They would be a tiny club, with zero growth prospects and no advertising reason for broadcasters to want them in prime time. And only early afternoon games really allow people to drive to out-of-region games, so the club purely for travel reasons would be asking for 1pm games as often as possible.

Leigh Matthews mentioned today these extra cold nights (often seen in Tassie) produce the worst spectacle of games, even worse than the rain and wind (also often seen in Tassie). If anybody has watched the two Launceston games and can honestly say the AFL aren't correct in demanding a roof in Hobart, then they need their head read. Two absolute shockers coz of the conditions.

 

[Cmarsh]

Leigh Matthews mentioned today these extra cold nights (often seen in Tassie) produce the worst spectacle of games, even worse than the rain and wind (also often seen in Tassie). If anybody has watched the two Launceston games and can honestly say the AFL aren't correct in demanding a roof in Hobart, then they need their head read. Two absolute shockers coz of the conditions.

How much will the roof actually keep the cold out though?

 

[Bjo187]

How much will the roof actually keep the cold out though?

It keeps the dew out which according to Matthews is the reason these cold winter night games become unwatchable. For me going to marvel in the winter nights is still cool, but nowhere near as cold as the mcg. Even though the mcg is equivalent to a tall building all the way round, you still get the wind chill factor.

 

[ep12]

61,643. Good effort from the bombers supporters

 

[dave10]

61,643. Good effort from the bombers supporters

I said expect 62k.

 

[Tassieboy]

Hard to expect many more when such a one-sided contest was expected (and eventuated).

 

[Cmarsh]

Hard to expect many more when such a one-sided contest was expected (and eventuated).

Yeah todays performance will ensure Essendon fans will vote with their feet for the next few weeks.

 

[dave10]

Yeah todays performance will ensure Essendon fans will vote with their feet for the next few weeks.

Without trying to be a know all. I said at start of year Essendon is a bottom 4-6 team. That’s what they are irrespective of a couple of meritorious efforts and tight wins against lowly teams. They aren’t a September team. Fans know that.

61,600 is a strong crowd for a mismatch on paper so need to be realistic and honest about what crowds we should expect at Bomber games from here on, especially if the margins grow as they likely will with a lack of players available for remainder of the year.

 

[Billy ray]

Looks like 30-32 at Optus ??

 

[catters05]

Looks like 30-32 at Optus ??

Will this be a record crowd for a kangaroos “home” game vs freo?

 

[Hawkk]

Hard to expect many more when such a one-sided contest was expected (and eventuated).

To be honest, I was expecting more. A middling Essendon against a premiership-contending Geelong in the 'Country Game' should have attracted more fans in the prime time 4:30 PM slot at the MCG. There isn't much traditional rivalry between the clubs, and the AFL members' reserve looked very empty.

This fixture really hasn't kicked on like Sheedy's other marquee games. If it did, it would probably attract 70,000. It's more Eureka than Dreamtime...

Essendon do have a lot of marquee games now - Anzac Day, Dreamtime, Kings Birthday Eve and Round 1 - so this game gets lost...

 

[dave10]

To be honest, I was expecting more. A middling Essendon against a premiership-contending Geelong in the 'Country Game' should have attracted more fans in the prime time 4:30 PM slot at the MCG. There isn't much traditional rivalry between the clubs, and the AFL members' reserve looked very empty.

This fixture really hasn't kicked on like Sheedy's other marquee games. If it did, it would probably attract 70,000. It's more Eureka than Dreamtime...

Essendon do have a lot of marquee games now - Anzac Day, Dreamtime, Kings Birthday Eve and Round 1 - so this game gets lost...

Agree. And the other thing in Bomber fans mind is the Cats have rag dolled Essendon for a decade, most games between the two clubs have been big margins and I think this is the reason the fixture hasn’t evolved. Essendon just hasn’t been truly relevant at any time the fixture has been played.

I’m convinced the concept was good with lots of potential but it needed a few cracking contests along the way to build some equity for future years..

We’re asking a lot of fans to roll up to watch a middling team (at best) each year against a Premiership favourite each time they square up.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

North Melbourne vs Fremantle = 31,408

 

[kranger]

North Melbourne vs Fremantle = 31,408

Record North Melbourne home crowd vs Freo, and first time over 30,000.

How many clubs have two interstate opponents that hold their home crowd record against them at the original clubs home ground?

The other being Gold Coast vs Freo in 2018.

Edit: perhaps there are some examples of the record home crowd vs a team being in a neutral state, as a result of gather round, and maybe covid.

 

[kranger]

What ever happened to the days of Demons selling a home game against Brisbane to be played at the Gabba. And the Roos and Bulldogs likewise against Sydney to the SCG? I guess that was all pre Suns and Giants.

 

[Cmarsh]

What ever happened to the days of Demons selling a home game against Brisbane to be played at the Gabba. And the Roos and Bulldogs likewise against Sydney to the SCG? I guess that was all pre Suns and Giants.

Melbourne and the Bulldogs have gone instead to the thriving metropolis's of Alice Springs and Ballarat.

 

[Cmarsh]

30982 at Adelaide oval for Port vs Melbourne