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.

 

[dave10]

I know we have injuries.. but seriously this result will finish us & our crowds for the rest of 2025! Pathetic..

Whatevs, need a good draft hand. No point finishing 10th Raz.

 

[ep12]

oh Lordy! They’re going to get even worse from here for the ️

Thursday night against the giants could be grim.

 

[Billy ray]

Thursday night against the giants could be grim.

Im going!

 

[Sammoll]

oh Lordy! They’re going to get even worse from here for the ️

The game vs GWS on a wet Thursday night next week seems concerning from a crowd POV. But I think the other games should still be okay.

 

[dave10]

Thursday night against the giants could be grim.

It is what it is Ep12.

 

[Rouel_14]

pretty good crowd tonight all things considered.

 

[dave10]

The game vs GWS on a wet Thursday night next week seems concerning from a crowd POV. But I think the other games should still be okay.

It doesn’t really matter in the end. Essendon is better finishing 16th than 12th. It’s been a cursed year injury wise, I think the fans can be excused for not bothering attending in the circumstances.

 

[ep12]

49,460 at optus

 

[Cmarsh]

In advance of this game tonight, I apologise in advance to all the neutral footy fans who will be put through tonight’s likely dreadful spectacle. This should be at 3:20pm Sunday!

Geez you weren't wrong Dave.

Lots online saying that was genuinely the worst game of footy they have ever seen.

 

[dave10]

Geez you weren't wrong Dave.

Lots online saying that was genuinely the worst game of footy they have ever seen.

I turned it off late in 2nd qtr. mind you, I’ve turned off at halftime on a few occasions this year. Tonight was obviously abominable!

 

[Giant YoYo]

Geez you weren't wrong Dave.

Lots online saying that was genuinely the worst game of footy they have ever seen.

Shocking game

 

[dave10]

Shocking game

Lest We Forget?!

 

[Giant YoYo]

Lest We Forget?!

Still can't be as bad as the Crows Giants game earlier this year, that's forever etched in my memory.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Great crows contingent at the game today. I never want to see Bulldogs/Adelaide be scheduled at Ballarat again.

Ironically this was scheduled at Ballarat with a 5k capacity at the start of the year…

This won’t get 40,000 again though. It was boosted to celebrate Bont and Libbas milestones that were away games plus a rare afternoon game for the Dogs. I just never thought it would be THAT boosted (was thinking 30,000)

It’s the ballarat council that usually wants a SA team in any case.

 

[Cmarsh]

This won’t get 40,000 again though. It was boosted to celebrate Bont and Libbas milestones that were away games plus a rare afternoon game for the Dogs. I just never thought it would be THAT boosted (was thinking 30,000)

It’s the ballarat council that usually wants a SA team in any case.

How much is the city of Ballarat actually paying the Dogs to stage games there each year? Must be a big financial benefit to the club to give up what would be a much bigger crowd at Marvel.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

How much is the city of Ballarat actually paying the Dogs to stage games there each year? Must be a big financial benefit to the club to give up what would be a much bigger crowd at Marvel.

Around 1.42 mil per year from memory. Marvel definitely didn’t make that with 35,000 before the AFL brought it (28,000 was break even)but I don’t think it does now either. While not outright admitted too, if you think the WHitten Oval upgrade was just a convenient timing after a commitment to Ballarat, you would be wrong.

Having said that it has been reported that Ballarat has become the Dogs third biggest postcode for members. Who’s to say what influence they will have on generation of kids of they stay commited?

Edit: Struggling to use English this morning

 

[Giant YoYo]

Having said that it has been reported that Ballarat has become the Dogs third biggest postcode for members. Who’s to say what influence they will have on generation of kids of they stay commited?

Edit: Struggling to use English this morning

I was there in 2023 and beside it being a beautiful town it was very obvious the doggies had a huge following there.

The cars beeping while we were in our Giants gear was a good indication

 

[ep12]

Kids going free may save the crowd today. Train 2 hours early is full of kids going for the pre game stuff.

Hoping it can touch 30k today.

 

[Outtatym]

I doubt Melbourne / North gets 40,000. I’d say 33-35k max and that’s based on it not being a replacement game for the Roos.

You're probably right with the figure but it actually is a replacement game and kids go free I believe.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Still haven't found a crowd figure for the Giants-Cats match.

 

[azyboy]

Still haven't found a crowd figure for the Giants-Cats match.

Likewise. I’m quite interested as I attended yesterday and despite the result not being what I wanted, the atmosphere and crowd was quite good.
I’ve been attending Giants vs Cats games here since GWS entered the competition and the thing I noted about yesterday is the Orange Army and the neighbouring pocket and wing broadcast side are now quite vocal in their support of Giants. They were quite actively engaged when umpiring decisions went against them and it’s the most vocal I’ve heard Giants supporters in my time coming here.
A long way to go but slowly building. Haven’t seen how it looked on tv but felt 13-14k. Cat fans also well represented.

 

[hawkman]

52,125 at the g.

How many will be back for their next games in Melbourne?

 

[Bjo187]

Likewise. I’m quite interested as I attended yesterday and despite the result not being what I wanted, the atmosphere and crowd was quite good.
I’ve been attending Giants vs Cats games here since GWS entered the competition and the thing I noted about yesterday is the Orange Army and the neighbouring pocket and wing broadcast side are now quite vocal in their support of Giants. They were quite actively engaged when umpiring decisions went against them and it’s the most vocal I’ve heard Giants supporters in my time coming here.
A long way to go but slowly building. Haven’t seen how it looked on tv but felt 13-14k. Cat fans also well represented.

Yeah it was a very good crowd, what was the supporter split amongst the attendees did you think?

 

[azyboy]

Yeah it was a very good crowd, what was the supporter split amongst the attendees did you think?

I was on the Eastern side and there seemed to be more Cats fans there but the rest of the ground felt more Giants. Maybe 60:40 Giants:Cats? School holidays probably helped Geelong numbers. Happy to be corrected.

 

[azyboy]

Furthermore, whilst I probably would have left straight after the siren my daughter wanted to watch the players come off. Ended up seeing Whitfield chaired off and the Giants had a massive English Premier League type banner that stretched from the top tier of the Fairfax stand down to the bottom tier. Played it to YNWA (I believe Whitfield is a big Liverpool fan). Stirred up the emotions. Was well done.