A question on crowds

[Ford Fairlane]

As you guys would be aware Port supporters cop a hammering about our crowd sizes - now as you would also know Freo have had an amazing jump in crowd figures over the last 5 years, something like a 15,000 inc in average home crowds. What do you put that down to? Is it improvements to Subi, or that people can't get to WCE games so go to the other AFL game in town, population surge, greater identification with the Fremantle area?

 

[sumavich]

As you guys would be aware Port supporters cop a hammering about our crowd sizes - now as you would also know Freo have had an amazing jump in crowd figures over the last 5 years, something like a 15,000 inc in average home crowds. What do you put that down to? Is it improvements to Subi, or that people can't get to WCE games so go to the other AFL game in town, population surge, greater identification with the Fremantle area?

Its the money honey. There's more money in Perth than Adelaide.
People can afford to pay for memberships here, Pt Adelaide supporters generally don't have the money, and I did say "Generally".

 

[dominguez]

Most of it has to do with winning. Only passionate supporters were willing to fork out their hard earnt for season tickets to sit in the rain watching a team that was winning a handful of games a year.

I used to make fun of rugby supporters, but now that the Force are doing well I try to watch most of their games on telly. I'm a long way off buying a membership, but will probably go to a game before the season is out. The wildcats have been getting much better crowds recently since they started playing well, and the Glory were getting big crowds when they were doing well.

 

[Ripper]

As you guys would be aware Port supporters cop a hammering about our crowd sizes - now as you would also know Freo have had an amazing jump in crowd figures over the last 5 years, something like a 15,000 inc in average home crowds. What do you put that down to? Is it improvements to Subi, or that people can't get to WCE games so go to the other AFL game in town, population surge, greater identification with the Fremantle area?

I put it down to us winning a spoon and nearly getting wound up. As the other mob also didn't go well there was a Govt inquiry into WA footy, We got the vote to elect some board members and some Freo footy people were appointed to the board.

How would Port people have felt having the Crows appoint their board and get asked to recomend a coach for Port ?

We got a CEO who knew about footy instead of hockey and combined with a new coach who promoted the club and it links to Fremantle , people could start to have some confidence in the Club, instead of it being a rabble and perceived as the WC second side that would help pay the rent on Subiaco.

Ironically it took two Eastern States people to do what the WAFC had been trying to avoid since they got the licence that they didn't really want.

Just about everything they did was done to protect WA footy's cash cow.

Since we have had some autonomy (which We should have had form the get go) and stability the Club has gone from strength to strength and there are many more footy mad people to jump back on still.

They only way to go now is up.

 

[Topdock65]

I reckon when we started we made some terrible blunders .... Hardly any freo players ... Claremont players galore ....

Recruits did`nt want to come .

Ripper said some true points in his above post ... having a hockey guy as CEO , who openly admited knowing nothing on the football side.

Even though a core of us jumped on straight away, we had some fans who have jumped on once they could see things were heading in the right direction.

 

[Rob]

A number of things.

Not being a complete joke on the field.
Natural increase in support base.
Population growth.
Growth of the local rivalry.
Not being West Coast.

One thing it certainly isn't is the condition of Subiaco. That place is a hole.

 

[dugrene]

Fremantle is a generic Club. While the area has football history no one feels as though they are jumping ship to support an AFL team.

Port Adelaide as a Club has it's own individual history within the SANFL. I think a mistake was made when a team with the same name was included in the AFL.

Sorry to Port Adelaide members and supporters, but your team should not have been included in the national competition.

Mind you, I think, once the competition went national the speedo should have been wound back to zero so all the VFL finalists should be treated like any other State Club win.

Same for the Brownlow. SA and WA is insulted by the National competition.

 

[Rob]

Fremantle is a generic Club. While the area has football history no one feels as though they are jumping ship to support an AFL team.

Port Adelaide as a Club has it's own individual history within the SANFL. I think a mistake was made when a team with the same name was included in the AFL.

Sorry to Port Adelaide members and supporters, but your team should not have been included in the national competition.

That's harsh. Port's problem seems to be that their support base is declining. And it's not like Adelaide's population is dropping. Their first year they drew excellent crowds, but since then the general trend has been down. I can't really tell you why, and I gather the Port fan that started the thread can't either. But it's got to be more than just being an SANFL side. People don't jump off for that reason. If it was that, they wouldn't have jumped on in the first place.