Expansion Canberra

[weewilly]

The AFL (read broadcasters) does not want big stadiums any more. They want full stadiums that look good and generate atmosphere for TV. 23k will do, same as Tas, GWS & GC. Along the lines of the previous post from PP, build a new eastern stand with some corporate facilities and get it up to 23k. Easy.

I think you are 100% correct and that why the AFL matches mostly look much more inclusive with the fans packed in and going nuts!

Even with 85 plus at the G it looks full and no other code can match that on a regular basis in Australia.

In another life I set up and ran dances in the 1960s -70s and it was much better to a have a smaller space packed than a few hundred in an old cavenous town hall.

 

[Walshawk]

I think you are 100% correct and that why the AFL mostly look much more inclusive with the fans packed and going nuts!

In another life I set up and ran dances in the 1960s -70s and it was much better to a have a smaller space packed than a few hundred in an old cavenous town hall.

Like the queue outside a nightclub when it is empty inside. A crowd is the best way to draw a crowd. The easiest way to increase demand is to reduce supply.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Unfortunately no Canberra Aleague men’s team for the 2024-25 season. However, Aleague despite the delays still wants us for the 25-26 season.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/aleague-to-have-weekly-bye-next-season-following-delay-in-entry-of-canberra-club/news-story/0c5066ccc0f5ef7c3b1c0688a30b4f74

 

[3rd Grade Maggy]

ACT pays for interstate travellers. While good for local society if it's a good game, fans won't travel if it isn't easy and smooth to get an away ticket. Sellouts presume big home crowds, which there's no need for ongoing ACT support.

Tasmania are paying for their stadium because even with 23k capacity, there won't be consistent sellouts from local crowds year on year that prevents a few thousand traveling fans going if they want to.

This is it exactly. ACT Government want a return on investment. I'm sure there is a business case sitting somewhere in the Chief Minister's Dept showing that the millions we spend on bringing GWS here is actually a net positive to the economy because of travellers spending additional bed nights here, boosting the economy.

 

[Canberra Pear]

This is it exactly. ACT Government want a return on investment. I'm sure there is a business case sitting somewhere in the Chief Minister's Dept showing that the millions we spend on bringing GWS here is actually a net positive to the economy because of travellers spending additional bed nights here, boosting the economy.

Which is why the ACT Government should be keen on a team of our own, too.

GWS are generally only bringing the smaller teams. No Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon, only Richmond once. Whereas plenty of Saints, Suns, Bulldogs and Port games.

A team of our own would bring nearly four times as many opportunities for fans to travel (including finally getting home finals), plus actually hosting the teams with the biggest fanbases.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Which is why the ACT Government should be keen on a team of our own, too.

GWS are generally only bringing the smaller teams. No Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon, only Richmond once. Whereas plenty of Saints, Suns, Bulldogs and Port games.

A team of our own would bring nearly four times as many opportunities for fans to travel (including finally getting home finals), plus actually hosting the teams with the biggest fanbases.

I think the point is that you can't support a team for inherently contradictory arguments - that capacity is needed and there'll be strong support reflecting a big population and locals will sell out the stadium, but the government should fund the team and the stadium for travelling fans. Both cannot be true, but both are arguments being made at the same time.

 

[Canberra Pear]

I think the point is that you can't support a team for inherently contradictory arguments - that capacity is needed and there'll be strong support reflecting a big population and locals will sell out the stadium, but the government should fund the team and the stadium for travelling fans. Both cannot be true, but both are arguments being made at the same time.

It's not binary.

Canberra is big enough to support its own team. It has the population, and that population have an above average income.

But the fact that the ACT government provides its national teams funding makes the team more sustainable.

The ACT Government has stated that GWS gets more money than any other team because "AFL fans travel more". So the fact a team of our own would bring four times as many tourists, that'd be further justification for funding.

Canberra can support the team crowd-wise, but travelling fans help justify the funding.

 

[Walshawk]

Manuka upgrade: Budget plan for new facilities at historic venue

Manuka might be first major venue to get a significant facelift.

www.canberratimes.com.au

Bit of movement from Canberra. Very good signs.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Manuka upgrade: Budget plan for new facilities at historic venue

Manuka might be first major venue to get a significant facelift.

www.canberratimes.com.au

Hope we get a BBL team. Also if this plan gets implemented, and the Commonwealth provides the 50:50 funding Barr is asking, the AFL crowd capacity will increase to about 20,000

 

[Canberra Pear]

Manuka upgrade: Budget plan for new facilities at historic venue

Manuka might be first major venue to get a significant facelift.

www.canberratimes.com.au

Bit of movement from Canberra. Very good signs.

Very good signs. There are two major hurdles to Canberra getting its own team, and the stadium is one of them. Long-term you'd want greater capacity, but 20k is definitely enough to start with.

And in the meantime, it'll hopefully mean Canberra can host bigger opposition.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Canberra did make a bid early this year for a men’s and women’s BBL team - not sure if we will be successful but promising signs. Seems 4 of the 6 states need to agree for us to get a BBL side

Cricket ACT’s bold multi-billion dollar bid for a Big Bash team

New Big Bash team? Canberra’s bold multi-billion dollar bid as secret meetings revealed

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Teen Wolf]

Along with several other shortcomings, a 20k capacity won't be enough to earn Tier 1 classification, which is needed for a venue to host more than 4 AFL games per year.

The ACT government's focus on incremental upgrades to Manuka now would mean they are eliminating themselves from the race for team 20, and the poor Canberrans on here don't even realise it.

 

[Bjo187]

Barr is a great ally for the afl and getting a team in Canberra. He is setting this all up for a push for the 20th licence, but playing it off as it being for cricket, to keep the rugby people from going feral. It's exactly the way I'd be doing it if I were him as well.

Albo just committed more taxpayer money to his beloved nrl and local area yesterday by giving money to upgrade leichardt oval, which takes his nrl cash handouts to $620 million. Let's hope he puts his hand in his pocket for the afl in Canberra, although it might be harder to get, as he will see the capital as nrl territory and might not want any afl incursion.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Along with several other shortcomings, a 20k capacity won't be enough to earn Tier 1 classification, which is needed for a venue to host more than 4 AFL games per year.

The ACT government's focus on incremental upgrades to Manuka now would mean they are eliminating themselves from the race for team 20, and the poor Canberrans on here don't even realise it.

Do you have any links about that? Never heard of it before. Can't find anything on Google.

This upgrade doesn't limit it to 20k. It's just a sorely needed upgrade to the eastern stand. Still room to upgrade it further on the western side if needed, but this is a good start.

 

[Walshawk]

Do you have any links about that? Never heard of it before. Can't find anything on Google.

This upgrade doesn't limit it to 20k. It's just a sorely needed upgrade to the eastern stand. Still room to upgrade it further on the western side if needed, but this is a good start.

Hobart and Showgrounds are 23k. Won’t take luck to add another 3k to get a team.’

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Canberra’s AFL team, the Giants. The club’s thoughts as it celebrates the 100 year anniversary of its other home ground Manuka, and its special connection with Canberra - the Giants have played 35 AFL games in Canberra, and have been involved with us since the club’s inception.

A GIANT History in Canberra

We take a look back at the GIANTS’ storied history in Canberra as we prepare to celebrate 100 years of Manuka Oval against the Hawks on Sunday.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

 

[Canberra Pear]

Canberra’s AFL team, the Giants. The club’s thoughts as it celebrates the 100 year anniversary of its other home ground Manuka, and its special connection with Canberra - the Giants have played 35 AFL games in Canberra, and have been involved with us since the club’s inception.

A GIANT History in Canberra

We take a look back at the GIANTS’ storied history in Canberra as we prepare to celebrate 100 years of Manuka Oval against the Hawks on Sunday.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

And more than half of those have been against the five (other) smallest sides by membership. And only one against the five largest.

If they insist on being "Canberra's AFL team", they really should show the city some more respect in the opposition they bring.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

And more than half of those have been against the five (other) smallest sides by membership. And only one against the five largest.

If they insist on being "Canberra's AFL team", they really should show the city some more respect in the opposition they bring.

The sellout crowds at Canberra for our games show that the city is fine with the quality of the opposition, Canberra’s AFL team and is playing.

 

[Canberra Pear]

The sellout crowds at Canberra for our games show that the city is fine with the quality of the opposition, Canberra’s AFL team and is playing.

They're sold out, but they're not full. We got 12.5k against St Kilda, which means plenty of members didn't rock up.

Would've got close to 15k squeezing in against Carlton, Collingwood or Essendon.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

They're sold out, but they're not full. We got 12.5k against St Kilda, which means plenty of members didn't rock up.

Would've got close to 15k squeezing in against Carlton, Collingwood or Essendon.

Managed to attend the St. Kilda game before moving back to Adelaide this year but going from memory, there were still "Standing Tickets" available before the first bounce compared to this week where it looks like every ticket has sold (which is great news for GWS and also footy in Canberra / ACT region).

Wonder if Manuka Oval will beat their attendance record on Sunday (14.9k against Richmond in 2016), it's going to be close.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

There’s a thread on AFL Attendances in Big Footy that seems to indicate that ground capacity in AFL grounds are rarely ever reached, despite sellouts being announced

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Managed to attend the St. Kilda game before moving back to Adelaide this year but going from memory, there were still "Standing Tickets" available before the first bounce compared to this week where it looks like every ticket has sold (which is great news for GWS and also footy in Canberra / ACT region).

Wonder if Manuka Oval will beat their attendance record on Sunday (14.9k against Richmond in 2016), it's going to be close.

I hope so but a lot of things will need to align for the ground record to be broken. The crowd we got the only time we played Hawthorn here (11,741) will almost certainly be exceeded, as will most probably the crowd we got against Brisbane at the Anzac Day game (13,080).

 

[Giant YoYo]

Wonder whether the stated capacity of Manuka (15,351 (13,550 seated)) for an AFL game is its actual capacity.

Giants/Engie stated stadium capacity is 23,500 but it's actually 1000 less so the correct capacity is 22,500. Gabba's actual capacity is less than its stated capacity. There may be other stadiums which are similar.

I think the actual amount of people that can attend a game at a stadium should be its stated capacity rather than theoretical capacity, but that's probably a topic for another conversation.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Posted initially by Giant Yoyo in a Giants thread, but officially the hawthorn game is now a sell out. Also 6,830 Giants memberships are from Canberra - more if you include those from our immediate region as that stated figure only includes those residing in the nations capital. Canberra’s AFL team has officially sold out all of its matches at our Canberra home!

Record-Breaking Sell-Out in Canberra

The GIANTS’ exciting clash with the Hawks in Canberra on Sunday is officially sold out.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

 

[kranger]

For all the talk of the rectangle codes in Canberra wanting a new stadium, they don’t really fill the 25,000 capacity Bruce Stadium they have now.

GIO Stadium | Austadiums

Everything you need to know about GIO Stadium (Canberra Stadium) in Canberra, including venue layout, history, records, events, maps, tickets, directions and accommodation.

www.austadiums.com

The NRL generally average below 60% each year.

Rugby League Tables / Attendances /Bruce

Rugby League Tables - NRL Stats & Tables

afltables.com

Compare that to the AFL at the 15,000 capacity Manuka Oval.

Manuka Oval | Austadiums

Everything you need to know about Manuka Oval (Corroboree Group Oval) in Canberra, including venue layout, history, records, events, maps, tickets, directions and accommodation.

www.austadiums.com

Excluding Covid years GWS have been averaging over 70% full including several years over 80%.

AFL Tables - Crowds - Manuka Oval