Adelaide Crowd?

[smoovy]

All this debate is pointless. Every single point raised here is a potential reason/excuse, it is % amount you want to attribute to each point.

Clearly there is a pricing pressure point at which the game would've sold out. You don't think if tickets were $1 that it wouldn't sell out? It is a sliding scale, and it will vary depending on the week and each given circumstance. Clearly though the price point is lower in Adelaide than other cities, there is no escaping that.

I would've been quite interested had we hosted a home prelim final v Collingwood. My gut feel is that that game would sell out, even though tickets are about 75% higher than the semi finals.

You will also find that there will be potentially 5-10,000 Crows supporters head to Melbourne this week.

 

[PrideOf]

I don't think there's any one particular reason for the low crowd. But before I list a few thoughts I would say that maybe we are too conditioned by the AFL and Melbourne expectations as to what good crowds should be. After all 31,000 probably beats most NRL finals crowds including games where both teams are Sydney based.

Here's my list of possible reasons:
1. SA is the poorest mainland state, not supported by big business in NSW and Vic or mining in WA and QLD. Also with the smallest (state) population there aren't as many people with the money to splash around.
2. September finals coincide with the Royal Show so when the Crows get a second home final in consecutive weeks, many will have already committed their budget to the Show.
3. Maybe some Crow supporters had a choice both in time and expense of going to Crows-Freo or local SANFL finals and chose SANFL.
4. Someone could correct me but I think Crows membership is 20% country people. My folks have a 4 hour round trip to get to AAMI and would get home around 1.00am with an 8.15pm start. Maybe do it once but not two weeks straight. Why go to all the effort when it's shown on tv? Scheduling is important.
5. Live on tv against the gate. If the AFL doesn't like the low crowds then remove live against the gate. This is all about their contractual obligations with Foxtel and 7.
6. Membership. There are those members (or ex members) who are somewhat disgruntled by the lack of membership priveleges. Finals games aren't included in AAMI stadium memberships so there are zero benefits of being a member. You may as well pay at the gate for only the games you attend. MCG members can see games for free in the first two weeks can't they? Take those figures out of the equation and how many paying supporters actually went to the MCG in the last two weeks?
7. Non core Crows supporters are probably pretty fickle (just like most clubs). When things aren't going that well, crowds drop off, even after a finals loss. I wonder whether this is a result of the Crows being a manufactured club where it's easier to jump on and off. You always have your SANFL club to fall back on.
8. Ticketing. Not sure if this is an issue at AAMI but I don't like having zero or little choice in seating preferences.
9. Media and marketing mis-information. How many times have you heard a game is a sellout but during the game there's something like 5000 empty seats. What the? Not saying it happened in this case though.

For me the biggest influence is the live tv against the gate. Too much tv saturation.

Two bolded parts are two prime reasons. We get a lot of country people head to Footy Park for Crows games. 8.10pm on a Friday night, the night before country prelims and grand finals means they didn't make the trip.

And the second one shits me to tears. The AFL demands massive TV coverage to maximise the TV rights deal, so they schedule live against the gate. The strategy works and people watch it on TV. Then the AFL whinges that nobody goes. Can't have your souvlaki and eat it too Demetriou.

 

[Moonwatcher]

My grandparents are 80 :O and attended every home and away game this season. They also went to the first final but with no real reason to expect anything more from the Crows this season missed the semi final.

I went to both finals this year and am considering going to the Prelim, but once again I know it is $200 with little chance of coming home succesful.

 

[jarmanagic]

My point is, playing home finals at the MCG does inflate attendance.

Whilst its possible its very doubtful that Collingwood would have drawn 65,000 to that final without the assistance of AFL, MCC and Series Ticket holders...

Play a standalone final at the MCG (with the assistance of Series, MCC and AFL members) and 35k-40k Collingwood supporters in attendance gets boosted to 65k+

Whilst Adelaide's attendance was poor, its probably equivalent to 50,000 at the MCG.

This post is exactly right. We of course just copped a predictable bake from Caroline Wilson, no chance of her thinking about this just a little. Mind you she hasn't attended a single Richmond final in the last 10 years.......

 

[Slax]

Just on pricing, while finals aren't as cheap as they used to be they aren't expensive in relative terms. A good dinner with wine or half a comperable world sporting event at best. If price is really the reason then the AFL has to re-think venues because they aren't coming down in price.

Finals are massively overpriced. The AFL expects the average supporter to cough up another few hundred dollars at the end of the season on top of their membership shows that greed rules our game not the fans.

As a comparison NRL vs AFL Prelim finals tickets shows just how much of a rip-off it is. the AFL is twice the price which I fail to see how they can justify.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/mos...t-at-same-ground/story-e6frf9io-1226473721338

 

[MarkT2]

Pretty easy to justify if you ask me. There will be over 60,000 people at the game - as there was last week to Collingwood v an interstate side. Don't know what crowd the RL prelim will get but the ANZ Stadium match on Saturday got 35k and the one on Friday got 16k.

It isn't a general pricing issue. If it is an Adelaide pricing issue than we have a problem with Adelaide.

 

[Papa G]

Far be it from me to defend the Crows, but it really was the perfect storm for a low crowd. I picked it early in the week and said they would struggle to get 35k there.

To compare with Collingwood is a bit disingenuous, although Adelaide as a club really should almost be at Collingwood levels in terms of clout given they are basically a state team, but that's a different arguement. Collingwood fans, above all still believe they are flag threat, I don't think many Crows fans, deep down do. Collingwood also have the advantage of playing in a great centralised stadium that people generally love. MCC and AFL members help crowd numbers plus there would be a significant number of West Coast fans living in Melbourne compared to say Freo fans in Adelaide. On the whole West Australian's seem to love the Melbourne grungy vibe and get excited when they see buildings that were built prior to the 1980's, let alone 1880's. There is a significant WA expat community there and what would there have been 5-10,000 West Coast fans?

The Adelaide Oval can't come quick enough.

 

[MaddAdam]

So when North, one of 9 teams in Melbourne, got 26k to an "interstate" final against Port, Adelaide types were claiming this was incontrovertible evidence that there's too many teams in Melbourne etc.

Too many teams in SA I reckon.

Merge.

 

[Mattrox]

To high priced finals games all in the same fortnight as the Royal show. Too many things competing with the budget.

 

[Geoffa32]

How many people paid for a ticket to the Coll V WCE game and how many were MCC/AFL members who have it as part of their annual subscription. Many of the latter being neutrals going because they can for no extra expense.

Every person at our game had to buy, or be given a ticket. SANFL members included.

Lets compare those figures.

 

[MarkT2]

Papa G I don't discagree with a lot of what you said in principle but there will still be 60k+ at ANZ Stadium on Friday night. I could list a host of reasons why Sydney people wouldn't go and Melbourne people would find it difficult and expensive. I can't go because of work on Friday and kids that I would have to organise. I'd go if it was a Saturday. Also, according to the pundits Collingwood were at least as shot as Adelaide last weekend.

Geoffa32, the MCC/AFLmambership is a furpy. It the cost was a genine issue then perhaps it wouldn't be but Collingwood people will buy a more expensive ticket this week, plus fly plus pay for accomodation. Sure there won't be 40,000 of them doing it but there will be 140,000 wanting a ticket next week if they win. At least there won't be thousands of empty MCC, AFL, Medallion and corporate allocation seats. Best footy day of the year for the fans next week.

 

[chazwazza]

Papa G I don't discagree with a lot of what you said in principle but there will still be 60k+ at ANZ Stadium on Friday night. I could list a host of reasons why Sydney people wouldn't go and Melbourne people would find it difficult and expensive. I can't go because of work on Friday and kids that I would have to organise. I'd go if it was a Saturday. Also, according to the pundits Collingwood were at least as shot as Adelaide last weekend.

Geoffa32, the MCC/AFLmambership is a furpy. It the cost was a genine issue then perhaps it wouldn't be but Collingwood people will buy a more expensive ticket this week, plus fly plus pay for accomodation. Sure there won't be 40,000 of them doing it but there will be 140,000 wanting a ticket next week if they win. At least there won't be thousands of empty MCC, AFL, Medallion and corporate allocation seats. Best footy day of the year for the fans next week.

One thing you should remember is that Adelaide supporters will be buying tickets for this week, travel and accommodation also. While your ehemm 140,000 will supposedly be wanting a ticket for the GF if they win this week, Adelaide supporters will be doing the same if they win but will be paying for travel and accommodation also....again. It all adds up and I think that it's very easy for Victorian supporters to forget the travel and costs involved for a supporter of a non Victorian club that's in the finals when the GF is betrothed to the MCG for no valid reason. I think people should give Adelaide supporters a bit of slack, they, along with Collingwood supporters, are probably the best at supporting their clubs on the road.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I dont think the price really made much effect. It was mostly about pessimism. Price wasn't much of a factor in previous years, we had sell outs in 2005, 2006, and 2009 (3 of our 4 previous finals campaigns with home finals).

Also, of the 8 games in Adelaide in '05, '06, '08, '09 and '12 i'd say that the 4 that had high optimism all sold out, and the 4 with pessimism failed to sell out.

Optimism
'05 QF - Fri Night vs St K - Fans thought we could go all the way. Everyone wanted to be there.
'05 SF - Sat Night vs PA - Fans just wanted to experience the first (and so far only) Showdown final.
'06 PF - Sat Aft vs WC - Fans thought we could be in the GF.
'09 EF - Fri Night vs Ess - Fans thought we could have a repeast of 1998 on our hands winning from 5th.

Pessimism
'06 QF - Sat Aft vs Fre - Adelaide in shit form, Fremantle in the best form they have ever been in, I think to this day, going into this match they had their longest winning streak.
'08 EF - Sat Aft vs Coll - Such an emotional letdown after Essendon tanked the previous week to let St Kilda steal a top 4 spot from us (though, we probably didn't deserve it, North had it wrapped up till they choked vs Port). Just felt nothing could go right for the team.
'12 QF - Sat Aft vs Syd - Media put the thought in the fans' heads that they were unworthy, not the biggest atmosphere going into the game.
'12 SF - Fri Night vs Fre - Media and previous game had got to the fans, people didn't want to be near Fremantle trolls (and from what I've seen around the place, they probably have the highest troll per capita ratio in the AFL) if we went out in straight sets.

Sure, being 8:15pm probably stopped alot of people going there, probably 6-7,000 IMO, but if there was optimism being felt, the crowd would have turned up. No, probably not the family and country folk as the time really does affect them, but the middle class man would go, group of mates might like a night at the footy in a great atmosphere, go have a few after work drinks.

The '09 EF. There were alot of these, this year? none.
It's the week leading up to it. Optimism in the air, people excited to go, this is what draws the crowd, people on tight budgets find ways to pay. They did in 2009, sold out EF and a huge amount of people went to the SF.

 

[saviour01]

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/ca...pack-anz-stadium/story-fndujljl-1226476856054

 

[FootyJunkie]

Caroline Wilson: "Shame on you Adelaide!"

 

[sworc36]

Caroline Wilson: "Shame on you Adelaide!"

I would like to say a whole lot of words to dear Caroline and it wouldn't be that nice....She has no idea what she is talking about, just like when she commented on FC that Sydney had the wood on us and beaten us many times of late...

 

[Mr_Moogle]

There were a lot of friendly Adelaide supporters to.
But we did cop a fair bit of verbal abuse during the game. C bomb, f word, etc.
Beer thrown at a fellow supporter, flag stolen apparently.
Even got a threat for starting a chant (didn't take it seriously of course)

In the end we had security to escort us outside the ground (probably didn't need it)
But the crowd was pretty vocal as a whole so that's good then!

Finally somebody posts a more realistic view of AAMI stadium. Its a very parochial crowd and there's always going to be a few idiots who do something stupid and make us all look bad. Thats one of the things I hate about people here. Some idiot acts like a feral, so the entire AAMI crowd then gets labeled as "feral". Its not just BF posters either. We copped shit from Eddie a few years back when he said he wouldn't want to take his children there. It happened again this year with Scott saying the same things about Subiaco.

Two things need to happen...

-We as a society need to weed out these idiots who go to games and cause trouble (fighting, throwing drinks etc). We are way too accepting of these people.
-Interstate coaches and football media need to stop whinging about parochial crowds. Harden up seriously.

 

[W.C. Fry]

Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg thinks there is going to be 20,000 crows supporters at the MCG this week. What do they put in the water in SA?

 

[Howes_That]

Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg thinks there is going to be 20,000 crows supporters at the MCG this week. What do they put in the water in SA?

20,000, Wow, This is AFL! In the state league down in tassie were lucky to get 1500 peaple. infact we average a total of 98 peaple watch a game lol. Free tickets aswell. Carn't see why peaple don't get out and watch the beloved footy teams.

 

[Righteo]

20,000, Wow, you know nothing about footy! In the state league down in tassie were lucky to get 1500 peaple. infact we average a total of 98 peaple watch a game lol. Free tickets aswell. Carn't see why peaple don't get out and watch the beloved footy teams.

What language are you using out of interest?

 

[sworc36]

Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg thinks there is going to be 20,000 crows supporters at the MCG this week. What do they put in the water in SA?

We do have a VERY good supporter base in Vic and our supporters do travel but not sure about 20,000...but hey, would be great...

 

[Howes_That]

What language are you using out of interest?

Wow, didn't see that many mistakes.
And by the way it's english. Just spelt wrong.

 

[chazwazza]

Heard today only about 50,000 tickets sold to each prelim so far

 

[JHF1870]

AFL jacked up the prices of finals tix a fair bit this year. Gotta be a factor, esp in current economic climate.

Yeah I saw the pricing, for a platinum ticket, it was around $80, now someone has to fork out that coin for that ticket. I wouldn't thats for sure. Obviously people went to the first game, but couldn't afford to go to the second. Marketing at AFL HQ need to re-evaluate pricing, to ensure they sell the stadium out.

It would have been interesting to see Adelaide playing Collingwood this week though, had they won against Sydney, whether they'd have gotten a full stadium.