2026 Attendances

[Aucklander]

That’s correct

This is one reason I haven't been to a game in ages and will probably cancel my membership next year.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Carlton vs Richmond = 74,313

 

[ep12]

74,314 at the G. Felt way less at the ground

 

[Underarm]

So GA members have to pay an additional $55 to sit on Level 4? If that's true it is ridiculous.

It would be $55-$28 (the cost of a GA ticket).

 

[Rouel_14]

74,314 at the G. Felt way less at the ground

I was sitting in M6 and thought it would just scrape in to 70k.

74K for a home team on the nose and an away team pegged to finish 17th with zero gen admission, level 1 tickets at $90, level 2 tickets at $180 and level 4 tickets at $55 is a great result.

Dam well deserves its opening game of the season status and marquee timeslot back.

 

[Rouel_14]

On a slightly different tangent.

Do Richmond and Carlton still share the gate for round 1 over two years?

If so - it’s 2026 they could have used every single lever to fill the place.

My Richmond app sent a notification every quarter with an update tonight.

There is no reason at all both clubs could not have sent a notification to all their members this morning with a code for $30 reserved seats and got a few more at the top of the Ponsford and Olympic.

It’s 2026 and we’re still working on the year 2010 marketing.

 

[Hawkk]

What about tomorrow night.. It’s much worse than tonight!

This is one of the biggest scams going. ‘Due to overwhelming demand’ they said. Absolute bullocks and fans shouldn’t cop it.. Means 15-20,000 won’t go between both games at the G.

PAX for tonight is 74,000 so almost identical to Carlton v Richmond.

My guess at this stage is 72,500 tonight and 66,000 tomorrow night. I can only speak with authority on tomorrows match and I think what they’ve done pre selling this game is a disgrace and I can’t believe Hawthirn supporters aren’t complaining to their club and Essendon fans to theirs. Think about it, it’s a shocker.

It’s an example of misreading the mood of the match, applying a greedy attitude to the first game and denying thousands of Flexi / GA members access to a game that wasn’t on track to sellout at any stage.

This should have been sold as a typical Bombers / Hawks game. Sell reserved on demand and allow a very strong GA walk up on the night as is traditionally the case for this fixture. Crowd likely 80-82k.

What they’ve done is force fans to pay absurd prices for ordinary seats and the fans aren’t copping it.

My gut feel is that Ess v Haw will draw 70,000 and 75,000 depending on AFL and MCC members roll up. Which is still a very good attendance.

It was Essendon’s call to make this fully ticketed (as it was Carlton last night) and Richmond and Hawthorn last year. In 2023, the Hawks made their late season home game against Collingwood fully ticketed and that game only drew 63,000. The Hawks were 16th at the time…and that game was never going to sell out.

Essendon are probably ahead if they make it fully ticketed even if it means the total attendance drops from 75,000 to 80,000 to 70,000 to 75,000 (that extra gap was Hawthorn members getting in for free anyway).

It sucks but this is the way the clubs are now ticketing their bigger games. It’s the same issue with finals where any crowd between 70,000 to 85,000 looks pretty empty in the top decks.

Imagine being Collingwood where every away game against Ess, Carl, Rich, Haw, Geel and Melb is ‘fully ticketed.’

As an aside, a 74,000 / 75,000 would still be in the top 5 Essendon v Hawthorn crowds ever (and the fourth biggest round 1 crowd). Which given how little expectation Essendon have this season is a pretty good crowd all things considered.

Potentially three MCG games with 70,000 or more would be a big win for the AFL (four 60,000 plus once Collingwood’s game is included).

 

[Gizmo]

Edit: Wrong thread. Sorry.

 

[manicmagpie]

71,384 at the G

 

[Gizmo]

Bombers/Hawks 71,384 at the G.

 

[ep12]

Two crowds that are 10k less than they should have been if GA members were allowed to scan in and sit in the massive empty sections in all of level 4.

This comment is regardless of whether you think 74k was good for two bottom 6 teams or 71k good for a struggling Essendon.

 

[dave10]

See you next year boys and girls

 

[Walshawk]

So GA members have to pay an additional $55 to sit on Level 4? If that's true it is ridiculous.

Nah. You just pay the difference between the reserve seat price ($55) and the GA price of $27. It cost me $28 to upgrade to a seat on L4.

 

[Hawkk]

Bombers/Hawks 71,384 at the G.

Ugliest 70,000 crowd I’ve ever seen for a football game. The top of the Ponsford was basically empty. Looked like a Day 2 or 3 Boxing Day test

 

[Mr Ripper]

Essendon are probably ahead if they make it fully ticketed even if it means the total attendance drops from 75,000 to 80,000 to 70,000 to 75,000 (that extra gap was Hawthorn members getting in for free anyway).

It sucks but this is the way the clubs are now ticketing their bigger games. It’s the same issue with finals where any crowd between 70,000 to 85,000 looks pretty empty in the top decks.

"The game of the people, for the people"

 

[Rouel_14]

This may be the year of AFL Crowds coming back to reality.

1. An absolute arrogance to place profit over members

2. Cost of living in going to bite hard with additional rate rises and petrol through the roof. God knows where it will end with this war.

3. There’s a good chance the top 8 might have 2/3 Victorian teams and 1.5 MCG tenants

4. An inability to be flexible and use all tools at clubs disposal to maximise attendance.

There is no way on earth Carlton and Essendon expected 80,000 through the gates at all this week and no change was made. Either incompetence or a lack of care for their members.

If Saints could pull a lever to offer great priced standing why couldn’t either of these?

 

[Hawkk]

Two crowds that are 10k less than they should have been if GA members were allowed to scan in and sit in the massive empty sections in all of level 4.

This comment is regardless of whether you think 74k was good for two bottom 6 teams or 71k good for a struggling Essendon.

Tonight was never going to draw 80,000. Mid-to-high 70s was always the ceiling, and nobody gave Essendon a hope anyway.

What I can’t work out is why this got Friday Night billing. It’s the third marquee MCG game in five nights, and outside of Essendon and Hawthorn fans, nobody really cares — the rivalry is probably the only VFL grudge match left that isn’t a marketing construct, but that only goes so far. Any neutral got their fix on Sunday night. Thursday and Friday were an afterthought.

Sydney v Brisbane would have been a better Friday Night game and probably would have outrated this one anyway. Ditto Geelong v Fremantle and maybe even W Bulldogs v GWS.

I don’t mind Carlton v Richmond and Essendon v Hawthorn opening the season — two big rivalry games that don’t involve Collingwood is fine by me (especially if the Pies are scheduled against a smaller club for equalisation).

But why do they need Thursday or Friday? Slot both on Saturday twilight or Sunday afternoon and you still get 75,000 without burning a prime-time window on it.

On a separate note — you’ve got to hand it to Essendon. After 20-odd years of no finals and very little to play for, they still drag enormous numbers to these early season games.

It happened in 2024, it happened in 2017 off the back of the ASADA saga, and it happened again tonight. If they’re pulling 75,000 while they’re in the toilet, how big could these games become once they’re actually good again?

When I joined Bigfooty, the Essendon-Hawthorn rivalry was pretty much dead. Somehow it’s grown stronger the longer both clubs have gone without playing a game of consequence against each other (similar to Carl v Coll with the TV and Radio stations pumping it up).

The Line in the Sand game was 22 years ago. The Lloyd-Sewell hit was 17. The 2001 Preliminary Final was 25. The real nexus of the rivalry is only really three Grand Finals in the 1980s — that’s all ancient history, everyone tied up in that are either middle aged or on the pension card.

I couldn’t imagine Geelong v Hawthorn growing in stature decades removed from their last meaningful final. In fact, that one feels like it’s faded and both played off in a PF last year!

I’ve said it for years but I think Esssndon are the sleeping giant of the AFL. They are the only Vic club that can rival Collingwood for drawing power.

 

[Hawkk]

This may be the year of AFL Crowds coming back to reality.

1. An absolute arrogance to place profit over members

2. Cost of living in going to bite hard with additional rate rises and petrol through the roof. God knows where it will end with this war.

3. There’s a good chance the top 8 might have 2/3 Victorian teams and 1.5 MCG tenants

Interested to see which clubs you expect to make finals? I presume this is Hawthorn, Geelong (the 1.5) plus either the Dogs or Saints.

I still wouldn’t rule out Collingwood. I can’t see them dropping below 10-12 so they’ll be in finals contention till the end.

All the AFL needs is Collingwood around the mark (guaranteeing 10-12 60,000 plus games a year) and another MCG tenant contending. This year that’ll be Hawthorn. So we should be okay this year, next year and the Tassie years could be an issue if Collingwood slide and another club doesn’t replace them.

4. An inability to be flexible and use all tools at clubs disposal to maximise attendance.

There is no way on earth Carlton and Essendon expected 80,000 through the gates at all this week and no change was made. Either incompetence or a lack of care for their members.

If Saints could pull a lever to offer great priced standing why couldn’t either of these?

Completely different clubs and membership structures. Essendon for example play 4 or 5 home games at the MCG every year (Carlton 5 or 6).

Every even year they play 3 blockbuster MCG home games (Haw, Coll, Carl) and in odd years they get Rich for Dreamtime. Carlton have Rich on even years and Ess in odd years but get the massive Collingwood game every year (biggest rivalry in the VFL).

Because these teams play so many games at the MCG (and are half tenants anyway) they have 20,000 to 30,000 seats locked off for reserve seat in anyway and make way more from 70,000 than they would from 80,000 or more.

This year Essendon and Carlton play 8 MCG games. The Dons and Blues are far closer to Collingwood (14 games), Richmond (13), Melbourne (12) and Hawthorn (11) than they are North (1 game), the Dogs (2 games), the Saints (3 games) or even Geelong (4 games).

As for St Kilda they had a one off home game against biggest club in the AFL and they don’t have massive reserve seating reserves like Carl or Ess. For them, a bit like the Dogs last year (and maybe North next year?), it was about cashing in on as many Collingwood fans buying tickets as possible and making buck whilst they can. Of course if they got Collingwood every year in Opening Round it might be a bit different and they might end up selling packages just for that game (like Coll v Ess for ANZAC Day and Rich v Ess for Dreamtime)

Just my take though.

 

[parano1a]

Sydney v Brisbane would have been a better Friday Night game and probably would have outrated this one anyway. Ditto Geelong v Fremantle and maybe even W Bulldogs v GWS.

There are 4 games scheduled at the MCG this round, so there needs to be one on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

[dave10]

Tonight was never going to draw 80,000. Mid-to-high 70s was always the ceiling, and nobody gave Essendon a hope anyway.

What I can’t work out is why this got Friday Night billing. It’s the third marquee MCG game in five nights, and outside of Essendon and Hawthorn fans, nobody really cares — the rivalry is probably the only VFL grudge match left that isn’t a marketing construct, but that only goes so far. Any neutral got their fix on Sunday night. Thursday and Friday were an afterthought.

Sydney v Brisbane would have been a better Friday Night game and probably would have outrated this one anyway. Ditto Geelong v Fremantle and maybe even W Bulldogs v GWS.

I don’t mind Carlton v Richmond and Essendon v Hawthorn opening the season — two big rivalry games that don’t involve Collingwood is fine by me (especially if the Pies are scheduled against a smaller club for equalisation).

But why do they need Thursday or Friday? Slot both on Saturday twilight or Sunday afternoon and you still get 75,000 without burning a prime-time window on it.

On a separate note — you’ve got to hand it to Essendon. After 20-odd years of no finals and very little to play for, they still drag enormous numbers to these early season games.

It happened in 2024, it happened in 2017 off the back of the ASADA saga, and it happened again tonight. If they’re pulling 75,000 while they’re in the toilet, how big could these games become once they’re actually good again?

When I joined Bigfooty, the Essendon-Hawthorn rivalry was pretty much dead. Somehow it’s grown stronger the longer both clubs have gone without playing a game of consequence against each other (similar to Carl v Coll with the TV and Radio stations pumping it up).

The Line in the Sand game was 22 years ago. The Lloyd-Sewell hit was 17. The 2001 Preliminary Final was 25. The real nexus of the rivalry is only really three Grand Finals in the 1980s — that’s all ancient history, everyone tied up in that are either middle aged or on the pension card.

I couldn’t imagine Geelong v Hawthorn growing in stature decades removed from their last meaningful final. In fact, that one feels like it’s faded and both played off in a PF last year!

I’ve said it for years but I think Esssndon are the sleeping giant of the AFL. They are the only Vic club that can rival Collingwood for drawing power.

Yep, agree. I’m hoping 2026 is our last really poor year. It was always going to be ugly and I think if they get through this year, exit humanely Brad Scott and get another 2-3 really good prospects then the foundations will be set list wise. Then it’s trades and FA’s after that to start the ascent. 2026 will be as difficult as last year. Last night was terrible and soul destroying the way they went about the game.

 

[Cmarsh]

Yep, agree. I’m hoping 2026 is our last really poor year. It was always going to be ugly and I think if they get through this year, exit humanely Brad Scott and get another 2-3 really good prospects then the foundations will be set list wise. Then it’s trades and FA’s after that to start the ascent. 2026 will be as difficult as last year. Last night was terrible and soul destroying the way they went about the game.

Off topic I know, but Essendon seems to have not done too well in the Father/son department? Contributes to keeping them in the quagmires I would have thought.

 

[dave10]

Off topic I know, but Essendon seems to have not done too well in the Father/son department? Contributes to keeping them in the quagmires I would have thought.

We’ve done better than most. Jobe Watson and Joe Daniher the highlights. We’ve been our worst enemy for 20 years. We’ve had periods where we had talented lists but for lots of reasons never executed footy programs and plans to deliver results. The stories of Watson and Daniher, both champions and how they ended up at Essendon a little window into the wider dysfunction.

 

[Fletched]

Essendon are in a full blown rebuild still, thats how it is. Our crowds are pretty much going to be the rusted on only.

I think we should be prepared for a downturn league wide. If this war continues which I don't see how it wont, we will have fuel rationing/restrictions over the winter months and a major increase in the cost of everything.

 

[WesternSydneyHawk]

Tonight was never going to draw 80,000. Mid-to-high 70s was always the ceiling, and nobody gave Essendon a hope anyway.

Given Essendon is in a rebuild at the moment and Hawthorn had been pantsed by GWS a week earlier, it was a very impressive crowd.

And I think once some of Essendon's youth get some more experience (Sharp and El Achkar will be stars in the coming years) and the Hawks get that extra midfielder, the crowds are only going to get bigger in the coming years.

 

[ep12]

Gerard asked Andrew dillion about the Thursday and Friday night fully ticketed crowds on crunch time. Dillons first response is that the afl is aware of it and GA ticket prices have stayed the same.
GA prices have nothing to do with it because there’s no GA and if the afl and clubs were actually monitoring and aware of ticket sales neither games would have been made fully ticketed.