Opinion Crowd on Sunday

[Augustine]

14,204!

There were at least 2k Eagles fans there too. I’m struggling to understand this. The last time this fixture was played in front of crowds was Round 1 Sunday, 2017 when we got 21,997 people. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always kind of hovered between 18-22k for games against interstate teams, dropping into the lower teens only against Gold Coast or GWS.

How have we seemingly lost around 7k game attending fans? The reserve seat areas on level one were especially thin.

Are some people still nervous about Covid?
Has the toll of successive years of abysmal performances deadened all supporter enthusiasm?

This is a serious concern. We used to be attacked for our crowds around 20k. I can see crowds vs interstate teams this season dropping below 10k.

 

[Mav]

14,204!

There were at least 2k Eagles fans there too. I’m struggling to understand this. The last time this fixture was played in front of crowds was Round 1 Sunday, 2017 when we got 21,997 people. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always kind of hovered between 18-22k for games against interstate teams, dropping into the lower teens only against Gold Coast or GWS.

How have we seemingly lost around 7k game attending fans? The reserve seat areas on level one were especially thin.

Are some people still nervous about Covid?
Has the toll of successive years of abysmal performances deadened all supporter enthusiasm?

This is a serious concern. We used to be attacked for our crowds around 20k. I can see crowds vs interstate teams this season dropping below 10k.

Same across all games. It was the AFLs lowest Rnd 2 crowd total for 20 years.

 

[Gasometer]

OP needs to read the Membership 2022 Thread more

 

[giantroo]

I reckon the 3 reasons below had some effect on the crowd number

1 - Covid/Iso rules
2 - Membership/ticketing issues
3 - Train/bus replacement issues on a couple train lines

 

[Ashley B]

I always dispute Etihad crowds they don’t count half the people that enter most of the time .

 

[Augustine]

I always dispute Etihad crowds they don’t count half the people that enter most of the time .

Number seemed about right to me.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I would have given my right nut to be there but Covid protocols had me isolating. I don't know what the crowd was at the Collingwood game but as they were evacuating for the fire, it looked like half the numbers from our Hawthorn game the previous week. Covid must be having an impact, whether through infection and illness, enforced isolation, or concerns about being infected.

 

[see see]

I reckon the 3 reasons below had some effect on the crowd number

1 - Covid/Iso rules
2 - Membership/ticketing issues
3 - Train/bus replacement issues on a couple train lines

4 - My wife going on a girls' weekend, leaving me to look after the kids.

 

[amaz199]

lots of ticketing issues it seems


The mobile membership stuff is still an issue for a lot of people.

 

[teethmeetsflesh]

The matchday MC and camera operators would have the hardest job going around - inspiring our crowds and finding anyone participating in the, albeit terrible, attempts of creating interest lol.

I was there yesterday and there were prolonged moments of literal silence. I was in disbelief at how silent / disengaged our fans were with anything that wasn't JFH - could have been the quality of the game, but it was still very eerie. The Hawthorn game was much better - maybe we are much better at giving the energy back to larger supporter groups than creating it ourselves? idk. I don't want to be too harsh as I'm sure the club and the supporter groups are trying, but things need to change.

on a side note, why they shut the roof on what was the most glorious day Melbourne has ever seen is beyond me.

 

[Hojuman]

Pretty sure the bus replacement on the Hurstbridge & Mernda lines kept a few away. Go to platform 9 at Southern Cross post game going home. Packed with North supporters.

And l took 3 extras with me to their first game !

 

[Augustine]

The matchday MC and camera operators would have the hardest job going around - inspiring our crowds and finding anyone participating in the, albeit terrible, attempts of creating interest lol.

I was there yesterday and there were prolonged moments of literal silence. I was in disbelief at how silent / disengaged our fans were with anything that wasn't JFH - could have been the quality of the game, but it was still very eerie. The Hawthorn game was much better - maybe we are much better at giving the energy back to larger supporter groups than creating it ourselves? idk. I don't want to be too harsh as I'm sure the club and the supporter groups are trying, but things need to change.

on a side note, why they shut the roof on what was the most glorious day Melbourne has ever seen is beyond me.

I was also there and agree with everything you said. Extremely eerie periods of near silence.

 

[King Corey]

I reckon the 3 reasons below had some effect on the crowd number

1 - Covid/Iso rules
2 - Membership/ticketing issues
3 - Train/bus replacement issues on a couple train lines

They have completely overcooked and ****ed this. I can only comment on it from a north perspective but assume the issues are broader league wide.

Use of traditional barcode printed membership cards with no pre-planning for gameday would probably double the crowds.

Not every North Melbourne (or AFL club) supporter is a smartphone using savvy diehard willing to keep loading and retrying clunky and incorrectly configured websites and apps, resetting and re-linking multiple online accounts and then hurriedly having to get it all together on their phone screen under the pressure of a bustling queue on gameday.

Last week people who accidentally went to the wrong gate were not allowed in (why?) while smartphones weren't getting picked up on scanners and PRINTED tickets were. Just a joke.

None of these changes make a lick of difference to Covid transmission. The queues still compress everyone, everyone still sits amongst each other. But the league administration have added layer upon layer of complexity to what was a simple process and I know this is costing us (and probably everyone else - but who cares about that) matchday attending supporters and members.

 

[King Corey]

I was there yesterday and there were prolonged moments of literal silence. I was in disbelief at how silent / disengaged our fans were with anything that wasn't JFH - could have been the quality of the game, but it was still very eerie. The Hawthorn game was much better - maybe we are much better at giving the energy back to larger supporter groups than creating it ourselves? idk. I don't want to be too harsh as I'm sure the club and the supporter groups are trying, but things need to change.

Where were you sitting?

I disagree with these observations. There was plenty of noise and engagement amongst the north faithful imo even if it was bronx cheers and gasps of disbelief when we started attempting Real Madrid football with Stirling Albion skills.

 

[teethmeetsflesh]

Where were you sitting?

I disagree with these observations. There was plenty of noise and engagement amongst the north faithful imo even if it was bronx cheers and gasps of disbelief when we started attempting Real Madrid football with Stirling Albion skills.

I was on the second level section 41 - not sure on stand names as I rarely go to Marvel (interstate supporter)

 

[the big lebowski]

For reference sake, tigers vs gws at the mcg on a glorious day attracted 28k on Sunday

 

[Quivorir]

I always dispute Etihad crowds they don’t count half the people that enter most of the time .

On the flip side to that though I scanned in 5 tickets despite only bringing in 3 people.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Where were you sitting?

I disagree with these observations. There was plenty of noise and engagement amongst the north faithful imo even if it was bronx cheers and gasps of disbelief when we started attempting Real Madrid football with Stirling Albion skills.

I was in a section that genuinely loved and respected Jared Polec.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Pretty sure the bus replacement on the Hurstbridge & Mernda lines kept a few away. Go to platform 9 at Southern Cross post game going home. Packed with North supporters.

And l took 3 extras with me to their first game !

Yes it's true, probably our greatest support coming along those two train lines. And in the middle of Covid, and with no other way to get to Docklands, a lot of people would not want to get into a packed bus to the city. At least the trains spread out the passengers.

 

[Roosurgence]

I always dispute Etihad crowds they don’t count half the people that enter most of the time .

Seemed to be more than 14K.

I’ve been to games that you could hear a pin drop, but yesterday, that wasn’t the case.

I think the Marvel crowd numbers are very rubbery.

 

[King Corey]

I was in a section that genuinely loved and respected Jared Polec.

You're not chasing Alison Polec again are you?

 

[Hojuman]

For reference sake, tigers vs gws at the mcg on a glorious day attracted 28k on Sunday

I believe alot of Tiger supporters turn up at 7.30 every Friday night to the MCG during the season and assume they are the home team.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

You're not chasing Alison Polec again are you?

She was the girl, I know that now. But I pushed her away. So, I've spent every day since then chasing Alison... so to speak.

 

[tazaa]

They have completely overcooked and ****ed this. I can only comment on it from a north perspective but assume the issues are broader league wide.

Use of traditional barcode printed membership cards with no pre-planning for gameday would probably double the crowds.

Not every North Melbourne (or AFL club) supporter is a smartphone using savvy diehard willing to keep loading and retrying clunky and incorrectly configured websites and apps, resetting and re-linking multiple online accounts and then hurriedly having to get it all together on their phone screen under the pressure of a bustling queue on gameday.

Last week people who accidentally went to the wrong gate were not allowed in (why?) while smartphones weren't getting picked up on scanners and PRINTED tickets were. Just a joke.

None of these changes make a lick of difference to Covid transmission. The queues still compress everyone, everyone still sits amongst each other. But the league administration have added layer upon layer of complexity to what was a simple process and I know this is costing us (and probably everyone else - but who cares about that) matchday attending supporters and members.

My mobile membership didn’t scan and I had to get a senior manager across to retry it and it worked.

It’s a mess and heaven forbid we make finals in the next few years with the mess that’s currently in force. It’s a fail.

 

[King Corey]

She was the girl, I know that now. But I pushed her away. So, I've spent every day since then chasing Alison... so to speak.

"With selection #1 in the NAB AFL 2022 draft the North Melbourne Football Club have selected Finger Cuffs of the Rooty Hill Football Club"