2026 Attendances

[threenewpadlocks]

Lots of noise about declaring certain Melbourne games fully ticketed (given the footy media obviously from Melbourne), but not much about how these costs and nature of selling tickets have crept up on people outside Melbourne.

I do find it quite amazing that we've let clubs cap ground attendance access via waiting lists etc. for people who want to sign up as members, just so a few people who decide on a whim that they want to pay $100 for a solo ticket, will. You might make the money on the latter but surely for long term health, the former is better? Especially if you have a functional resale system generally for the former?

 

[Dirty Bird]

You know - I'm seeing comments about 'crowds are down' on the main board, and I just thought I'd try and compare things a little more directly.
Because even though they're down, the matchups last year were front loaded with blockbusters.
Here's how each game (outside of Gather Rd) has compared to the previous iteration of that game at that ground (had 1 exception, as it hadn't been played before)

So it's more comparing apples with apples, rather than the apples with oranges comparisons that many are using



As you can see, on average, games are drawing 3.5k more than previously.
And the one game where I wasn't comparing apples with apples, Collingwood got a bigger crowd at Marvel than their previous game at the MCG. So it's actually more impressive. They may have had an additional 10k if at the MCG.

 

[Gizmo]

Blues/Pies 78,058 at the G.

 

[Teen Wolf]

You know - I'm seeing comments about 'crowds are down' on the main board, and I just thought I'd try and compare things a little more directly.
Because even though they're down

?

Average after round 6 this year: 38,726
Average after round 6 last year: 38,414 (and that excludes the 16k GC game rescheduled to August)

 

[Fambam84]

Geelong vs bulldogs hasn’t and won’t sell out due to ludicrous prices. The only seats left - Back rows on level 2 behind the goals - start from $92.

What's up with the extraordinary ticket prices for non-premium seats? Surely you're better off selling those tickets for $50 and getting a sell out (or close to) than having a few thousand unsold.

 

[manicmagpie]

The only Thursday night crowds (excl season openers and public holidays) over 65k:



The 1992 game in top spot was a special occasion as well - Collingwood's centenary match.

 

[dave10]

The only Thursday night crowds (excl season openers and public holidays) over 65k:

View attachment 2584940

The 1992 game in top spot was a special occasion as well - Collingwood's centenary match.

It’d be interesting to know how many of these were school holidays? That obviously helped keep last nights crowd very respectable.

 

[Underarm]

What's up with the extraordinary ticket prices for non-premium seats? Surely you're better off selling those tickets for $50 and getting a sell out (or close to) than having a few thousand unsold.

If your product sells out, then You've set prices too low. They make more money with high prices that almost sell out.

 

[manicmagpie]

It’d be interesting to know how many of these were school holidays? That obviously helped keep last nights crowd very respectable.

I think last night is the only one.

 

[Fambam84]

If your product sells out, then You've set prices too low. They make more money with high prices that almost sell out.

Yes I understand supply and demand, but I believe the benefits of making tickets more accessible and having a packed stadium outweighs the extra few thousand $ they'd make in profit. Geelong are already a wealthy team after all.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

If your product sells out, then You've set prices too low. They make more money with high prices that almost sell out.

Which would be a relevant point if the AFL was solely about raising revenue for shareholders.

The AFL shouldn't solely be in the interest of maximising revenue, to help the sport generally, when all that extra money would do is be spent on ... trying to get people to get to the football with more marketing spend etc.

The AFL doesn't want to be in the business of making football a less inclusive sport by perfectly making ticket prices the perfect equilibrium point to maximum revenue. Because to what end is that revenue - to spend that money to try and re-include people to your sport?

 

[Sammoll]

I think most people were expecting more frequent crowds of 34k+ at Kardinia Park when the new Selwood Stand opened and raised the venue's capacity to 40k. However they've only reached that mark twice (their first game with the new stand vs St Kilda 2024 and the Friday night 'whiteout' game vs Brisbane 2025).

I do think pricing is a big factor. $102 for seats up the very back is simply too much, and I think the lack of sold-out crowds backs this up.



That all being said, still looks like there should be a solid crowd there tonight. Geelong line trains are down at the moment too which certainly doesn't help.

 

[Cmarsh]

I think most people were expecting more frequent crowds of 34k+ at Kardinia Park when the new Selwood Stand opened and raised the venue's capacity to 40k. However they've only reached that mark twice (their first game with the new stand vs St Kilda 2024 and the Friday night 'whiteout' game vs Brisbane 2025).

I do think pricing is a big factor. $102 for seats up the very back is simply too much, and I think the lack of sold-out crowds backs this up.

View attachment 2585245

That all being said, still looks like there should be a solid crowd there tonight. Geelong line trains are down at the moment too which certainly doesn't help.

40k is a big capacity stadium for a city as small as Geelong.

 

[Hawkk]

40k is a big capacity stadium for a city as small as Geelong.

The size of Geelong is a bit irrelevant given how broad and widespread Geelong’s fan base is in Western Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne though…

 

[Cmarsh]

The size of Geelong is a bit irrelevant given how broad and widespread Geelong’s fan base is in Western Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne though…

You cant relay on people from Melbourne and the country to fill a stadium on a Friday night. Needs a strong nearby population base to fill a stadium as big as that. Newcastle is significantly bigger then Geelong but they dont have a 40k stadium fot Knights games.

 

[Hawkk]

You cant relay on people from Melbourne and the country to fill a stadium on a Friday night. Needs a strong nearby population base to fill a stadium as big as that. Newcastle is significantly bigger then Geelong but they dont have a 40k stadium fot Knights games.

Which is precisely why Thursday and Friday night game games in Geelong are stupid.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Thursday Night is going to be terrible next week crowd wise. Out of form with a chunk of your teams best missing.

South Melbourne supporters might even or out number.

 

[magic_johnson!]

33,200 in Geelong - pretty good!

 

[Cmarsh]

Thursday Night is going to be terrible next week crowd wise. Out of form with a chunk of your teams best missing.

South Melbourne supporters might even or out number.

Still 4 from 6. Surely Bulldog fans don't jump ship that easily.

 

[Sammoll]

Many understandably left early with the long lightning delays but impressive numbers in Sydney

 

[dave10]

Still 4 from 6. Surely Bulldog fans don't jump ship that easily.

Imagine if they hadn’t won a final in 22 years ️

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Still 4 from 6. Surely Bulldog fans don't jump ship that easily.

Yeah, I think your right outside of the timeslot dragging it a bit.

had a bit of a melt last night.

 

[pOleK]

Nice crowd building up for the Suns this arvo. Shocking fixturing though. Saturday Twilight is the sweet spot for crowds down at Carrara.

Vaguely remember them requesting the 4:30 slot a while back to due to it being so family friendly. They’ve been shafted with that many 1pm starts on the Goldy it’s not funny

 

[Hawkk]

Should have switched the Marvel and Gold Coast games around. It’s still too hot to play early afternoon games in Queensland.

 

[pOleK]

Should have switched the Marvel and Gold Coast games around. It’s still too hot to play early afternoon games in Queensland.

100%. Feel like crowds are definitely a bit more friendly in Melbourne to those earlier 1pm starts too