Opinion ANZ Stadium attendance

[Maddhew]

I will prefix this by saying, I prefer the SCG, am annoyed at our contractual obligations, but would have caught the train to Broken Hill (if there was one) to be at yesterday's game.

I like most were extremely disappointed with the crowd number yesterday. It is easy to point to some mitigating circumstances. The most popular being "no one likes ANZ", "Shoulda been at the SCG", "too hard to get to", "the weather had been bad all week", "Sat arvo is a bad time".

The reality is 35k in a home final, in a year we have won the minor premiership, 2 seasons after a GF win is simply not good enough. Buddy is the game's most exciting player, a recruiting masterstroke who has turned us from contenders into premiership favorites. We have an excellent young midfield, and the best forward line on the comp which has resulted in us playing the most exciting style of footy in recent memory. Despite having the best defence in the comp, we have the fourth best attack, only marginally behind second and third.

So where were all the fans? The main remark overheard yesterday was "no one travels to ANZ". This simply isn't true, and we need to point to history to see that Swans fans will and can travel to ANZ stadium (15 mins from Central).

2003 was a good season for the Swans, Finishing 4th we knocked off the minor premiers Port Adelaide setting up a home prelim vs the eventual premiers Brisbane. We had 3 crowds at ANZ stadium that exceeded yesterday's. 2002 was a poor year where we finished 10th and there weren't high expectations heading into that season.

• 2003 R11 vs Essendon 46k
• 2003 R21 vs Collingwood 72k
• 2003 PF vs Brisbane 71k

2007 was a year of high expectation, member numbers were up as the Swans had contested consecutive Grand Finals. A disappointing (high standards) year ensued finishing 7th with no home final. Still, the Swans played 3 H&A games at ANZ, averaging 60k+ despite 2 games being against teams that don't attract significant away support or travelers.

• 2007 R1 vs WC 62k
• 2007 R12 vs Collingwood 64k
• 2007 R19 vs St Kilda 63k

Myth Busted.

To be taken seriously in the competition (from a support perspective) we need to improve on attendance dramatically. Mitigating circumstances such as weather and the extra 20mins travel are soft should not apply for finals games.

A home Final in a year we are premiership favorites is not the time to "vote with your feet"

Instead of blaming ANZ Stadium or the AFL for not staging the game at the SCG, we need to take a good hard look at ourselves for not doing everything possible to watch our team WIN A HOME FINAL and make a third consecutive prelim.

Got off your asses and get to the game in 2 weeks.

I understand the irony of posting this on Bigfooty where I'd like to think we moved heaven and earth to be at the game.

 

[Costanza_]

Yeah it was poor. Didn't even look close to the 36k reported - I'd guessed at 28k before they put it on the screen.

 

[Sanecow]

It was better than the game versus North in 2008 at ANZ in bad weather, so maybe things are improving.

 

[mtooler]

Drove down from Newcastle. First game for the year. Took my 5 kids. Depends what fixture we get in two weeks, if its an arvo game will go to that too.

 

[bg79]

Price. I had family commitments that disappeard due to the weather in the morning. Thought about going but after looking up the price, cheapest was $85, decided against it. With the potential of $390 coming up for the GF, not including travel costs, $85 is too much for me.

 

[vonn]

Many people are saving for prelim/grand final.

 

[baja]

I will be watching on my 65" HD big screen with pause and rewind, sitting in my well worn in leather recliner by the fireplace drinking full strength ice cold beer from glass bottles. Does that make me less of a supporter?

 

[ntomby]

The only positive is that maybe all members who want tickets will get Grand Final Allocation!

 

[The King!]

I dont understand anyone who would of gone to the scg yesterday but not anz. If you wouldnt go either way for cost etc thats understandable i meam purely if its because you hate the ground

 

[Maddhew]

I will be watching on my 65" HD big screen with pause and rewind, sitting in my well worn in leather recliner by the fireplace drinking full strength ice cold beer from glass bottles. Does that make me less of a supporter?

YES

 

[The King!]

I will be watching on my 65" HD big screen with pause and rewind, sitting in my well worn in leather recliner by the fireplace drinking full strength ice cold beer from glass bottles. Does that make me less of a supporter?

No

But get a new chair and support the economy

 

[baja]

YES

I pay my membership and have followed the club my whole life, never missed a game at lakeside these days I prefer to watch the game at home. I hate going these days, foods crap and over priced, beers warm, weak and in plastic cups I could go on and on, Im am no less a supporter than you.

 

[baja]

No

But get a new chair and support the economy

My chair is about 15yrs old and worn in just right.

 

[MF]

I pay my membership and have followed the club my whole life, never missed a game at lakeside these days I prefer to watch the game at home. I hate going these days, foods crap and over priced, beers warm, weak and in plastic cups I could go on and on, Im am no less a supporter than you.

Do you go to the grand finals? Just curious.

 

[Maddhew]

I pay my membership and have followed the club my whole life, never missed a game at lakeside these days I prefer to watch the game at home. I hate going these days, foods crap and over priced, beers warm, weak and in plastic cups I could go on and on, Im am no less a supporter than you.

No one goes for the food or the quality of the beer

 

[grimlock]

I will be watching on my 65" HD big screen with pause and rewind, sitting in my well worn in leather recliner by the fireplace drinking full strength ice cold beer from glass bottles. Does that make me less of a supporter?

Yes.

 

[grimlock]

Price. I had family commitments that disappeard due to the weather in the morning. Thought about going but after looking up the price, cheapest was $85, decided against it. With the potential of $390 coming up for the GF, not including travel costs, $85 is too much for me.

That's weird. There were plenty of cat 4 seats empty. $43

 

[AlibiMonday]

Supposedly as a Sydney supporter, I shout "ball" when my own team are tackled and keep saying "No. 26's playing well". So I saved myself the embarrassment and stayed in London.

 

[baja]

Do you go to the grand finals? Just curious.

Yes. (05,06.12) My membership usually gets used even when I don't go. I cant make a lot of games due to stupid inconsistent timeslots anyway. I work Saturdays so cant do Friday night or Sat arvo games. Except the granny, I pencil that day to have off every year.
My point is you shouldn't bag 'supporters' for being less committed we all have our circumstances and preferences. I also pay for my foxtel it all helps. I usually want to punch people at the football these days I much prefer the comfort of home. I am as passionate as anybody.

 

[Millky95]

This is what annoys me about being an interstate supporter. I would have loved to go and seen that... hoping people were saving money for prelims and GF

 

[PVF]

As I said, they should've played it in Tassie cause I would've went and the weather was fantastic down here

Plus going to the footy is a pretty expensive experience where you could spend easily over $100-150 on beer and food at the game but watching it at home would cost me less than $50 for a carton of boags and cooking off some pizzas while yelling at the TV screen without getting judged by people that don't know me

I've never been to a Swans game in Sydney before but do they get many casuals turning up to the game? Like they don't go for either team but just go because a few mates are going.

 

[Tuco]

As passionate as the OP is. Who gives a ****?. Seriously.

Upper end of a QF crowd would have been 40k regardless of weather.

With 25% of ANZ's seats in the hands of the ANZ stadium members, big crowds depend on them. Weather was shit. If the majority of them watch it on tv the numbers plummet.

We'll get 50k for the prelim with 60k a target if all things align beautifully.

But even if we get 60k some **** wit will post about how pissweak crowds in Sydney are. Best to ignore it and hope the haters crawl back in their holes. Peace.

 

[Horts]

I've been to every game in Melbourne, one at the Gold Coast, 4 in Sydney this year including this week & I've booked my flights for the prelim.

Just get to the ground the crowd was embarrassing yesterday.

 

[Swan Dive]

I will prefix this by saying, I prefer the SCG, am annoyed at our contractual obligations, but would have caught the train to Broken Hill (if there was one) to be at yesterday's game.

I like most were extremely disappointed with the crowd number yesterday. It is easy to point to some mitigating circumstances. The most popular being "no one likes ANZ", "Shoulda been at the SCG", "too hard to get to", "the weather had been bad all week", "Sat arvo is a bad time".

The reality is 35k in a home final, in a year we have won the minor premiership, 2 seasons after a GF win is simply not good enough. Buddy is the game's most exciting player, a recruiting masterstroke who has turned us from contenders into premiership favorites. We have an excellent young midfield, and the best forward line on the comp which has resulted in us playing the most exciting style of footy in recent memory. Despite having the best defence in the comp, we have the fourth best attack, only marginally behind second and third.

So where were all the fans? The main remark overheard yesterday was "no one travels to ANZ". This simply isn't true, and we need to point to history to see that Swans fans will and can travel to ANZ stadium (15 mins from Central).

2003 was a good season for the Swans, Finishing 4th we knocked off the minor premiers Port Adelaide setting up a home prelim vs the eventual premiers Brisbane. We had 3 crowds at ANZ stadium that exceeded yesterday's. 2002 was a poor year where we finished 10th and there weren't high expectations heading into that season.

• 2003 R11 vs Essendon 46k
• 2003 R21 vs Collingwood 72k
• 2003 PF vs Brisbane 71k

2007 was a year of high expectation, member numbers were up as the Swans had contested consecutive Grand Finals. A disappointing (high standards) year ensued finishing 7th with no home final. Still, the Swans played 3 H&A games at ANZ, averaging 60k+ despite 2 games being against teams that don't attract significant away support or travelers.

• 2007 R1 vs WC 62k
• 2007 R12 vs Collingwood 64k
• 2007 R19 vs St Kilda 63k

Myth Busted.

To be taken seriously in the competition (from a support perspective) we need to improve on attendance dramatically. Mitigating circumstances such as weather and the extra 20mins travel are soft should not apply for finals games.

A home Final in a year we are premiership favorites is not the time to "vote with your feet"

Instead of blaming ANZ Stadium or the AFL for not staging the game at the SCG, we need to take a good hard look at ourselves for not doing everything possible to watch our team WIN A HOME FINAL and make a third consecutive prelim.

Got off your asses and get to the game in 2 weeks.

I understand the irony of posting this on Bigfooty where I'd like to think we moved heaven and earth to be at the game.

I sympathise with the sentiment in your post. I was disappointed with the crowd yesterday, but not surprised.

The build-up to the game was marred all week by the rain, and on Saturday morning it was torrential. That was always going to affect crowd numbers.

But throw in the fact we faced a poorly drawing opponent like Freo, and the constant whingeing, whining, bitching and complaining about ANZ by supporters of the SCG in the club and media, it all adds up to undermine the match as an event.

I'm concerned about crowd for the PF. We might be on the right side of the draw with less challenging opponents, but that will feed into perceptions of the event. Geelong's bubble has burst. North draw Freo-like crowds. And our precious Sydney members might have something else on anyway.

Such are the challenges faced by the code in Sydney.

 

[Tuco]

That crowd was 3k higher than any NRL final week 1 last year.

People shouldn't be embarassed by crowds. Why so insecure?