Crowd

[Alex99]

I'm still staggered that a country prelim final is more enticing than an AFL final. Then again, I am a Victorian living in SA - there's a lot of things that confuse me.

So how many relatives or very close friends play for the Collingwood football club? Now compare that to how many relatives in your family or very close friends potentially play country football that would get a bigger kick out of winning a country preliminary final.

Football is a passion to many, many people but family and friends are way more enticing than some passion

 

[Bosley]

Maybe this weekend just proves that there are plenty of other things to do in Adelaide and Sydney but **** all to do in Melbourne except go to the football.

The fact that so many supporters of Melbourne clubs have nothing better to do than have a go at us about our crowd only serves to support this theory.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The financial burden on families gets churned out all the time but I reckon it's BS. Have a glance at the cars in the car park at the first Crows home game next season. Blue collar we ain't.

A typical Crows family is more likely to spend a weekend in Melbourne holidaying, shopping and watching the Crows at the Dome than they are to line up for tickets in the outer at a final.

I don't think money is the issue. I think it's apathy and I have a solution. If you are a Crows season ticket holder and we subsequently get a home final, then the $40 or whatever it is for a finals ticket is automatically debited from your account and you are emailed the ticket. There would be a 24-hour grace period from the Sunday evening where you could ring up and cancel this automatic transaction. Most people would be too lazy to ring and cancel so they would be stuck with the tickets.

 

[jackster83]

I don't normally go to AFL finals for the same reason I don't go to concerts: once they start chargin heaps for tickets, I just don't see the point of paying all that money to go when I can stay home and watch the game for free (or in the case of music, download it illegally for free).

The overinflated price of finals, which is still just a 120 minute game of football, always keeps people away. I went to the Eagles/Port game and got in for a lousy $3.

If my season ticket got me in, of course I would've gone. So I didn't buy a ticket...kiss my ass Demetriou you can go get ****ed!

 

[cocka]

If the AFL are seriously worried about crowd numbers then don't show the game live or near live on TV. Should be a full replay after the event. This won't happen because number one priority is $, and these come from the TV rights.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

And another thing...

The ground is backwards.

We've got our cheer squad (and gun club) at the southern end of the ground, surrounded by empty seats and corporate boxes.

And we've got the opposition cheer squad in the most central part of the ground, surrounded by AFC die hards in the outer and the new northern grandstand.

Switch them round for Christ's sake. You want the noise from your cheer squad to influence and encourage the other supporters to make noise. Apart from banging on the glass between rounds of champers, there's not much the corporates can do.

 

[crowsup]

And another thing...

The ground is backwards.

We've got our cheer squad (and gun club) at the southern end of the ground, surrounded by empty seats and corporate boxes.

And we've got the opposition cheer squad in the most central part of the ground, surrounded by AFC die hards in the outer and the new northern grandstand.

Switch them round for Christ's sake. You want the noise from your cheer squad to influence and encourage the other supporters to make noise. Apart from banging on the glass between rounds of champers, there's not much the corporates can do.

What a good idea!!!!!

 

[birdmanptr]

Posted this on the main board. Did a bit of research.

Not sure why anyone would think AAMI would sell out given Adelaide's history with Saturday arvo finals footy. Adelaide has played 7 finals games at home and the two lowest attendances of the 7 occurred on a Saturday arvo (38,641 for an Elimination Final 2003 and 42,203 for a Qualifying final 2006).

When final has been played on a Saturday night they have had attendances of 46,319 (1997) 48,678 (2005) and 50,521 (2005). Its bleeding obvious Saturday arvo on the first week of finals (which coincides with the Royal Adelaide Show) has an impact.

Interestingly, Adelaide has never had a Friday Night Final at AAMI. Port has had 4 of their 10 home finals on a Friday night and only one (last years Preliminary Final) on a Saturday arvo.

Not just that on Saturday there were still SAAFL Games a full round of Under 19's ,4 games of Under 17's.

 

[KingsCrow]

And another thing...

The ground is backwards.

We've got our cheer squad (and gun club) at the southern end of the ground, surrounded by empty seats and corporate boxes.

And we've got the opposition cheer squad in the most central part of the ground, surrounded by AFC die hards in the outer and the new northern grandstand.

Switch them round for Christ's sake. You want the noise from your cheer squad to influence and encourage the other supporters to make noise. Apart from banging on the glass between rounds of champers, there's not much the corporates can do.

And you gotta love how the only banner they hold up is 'Crows Cheer Squad'.

 

[Bosley]

Next year the AFL have 2 options if they want decent crowds:

a) If they are going to have two non-Victorian teams hosting finals on a Saturday, have them both on a Saturday night. They could always hold one as a twilight game and the other as a night game as they are that opposed to the finals being played at the same time.

b) Have the Saturday afternoon game in Melbourne.

Problem solved ... altho it doesn't solve Sydney's crowd. Maybe the AFL should pump a few million more $ in there! They are like a child with ADD ... u can't turn your back and leave them alone for a second!

 

[kirky]

And another thing...

The ground is backwards.

We've got our cheer squad (and gun club) at the southern end of the ground, surrounded by empty seats and corporate boxes.

And we've got the opposition cheer squad in the most central part of the ground, surrounded by AFC die hards in the outer and the new northern grandstand.

Switch them round for Christ's sake. You want the noise from your cheer squad to influence and encourage the other supporters to make noise. Apart from banging on the glass between rounds of champers, there's not much the corporates can do.

What? The Collingwood cheer squad and every other cheer squad is behind the northern goals not in the central part of the ground. Nevertheless, your idea has merit given the Northern Stand is behind the northern goals and would get more crowd interaction compared to the southern end.

Why is our cheer squad at the southern end?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

What? The Collingwood cheer squad and every other cheer squad is behind the northern goals not in the central part of the ground. Nevertheless, your idea has merit given the Northern Stand is behind the northern goals and would get more crowd interaction compared to the southern end.

Why is our cheer squad at the southern end?

Sorry, I mean central part of the stadium. Not the wing position on the oval.

The opposition cheer squad at the northern end are surrounded by fans on all sides, thus are in the perfect position.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

And you gotta love how the only banner they hold up is 'Crows Cheer Squad'.

I'm sure that's just to avoid confusion with the other team's cheer squad for people who are colour blind.

 

[subaru]

I'm starting to get sick of this when our crowds are compared to the Vic games last weekend - where were all the Collingwood supporters?

2 Vic teams - 35000 each =70000

1 SA team say 33000 - where are the Vics?

The finals I've been to in Melb would have had easily between 7000 and 10000 Crows fans .

I didn't go Sat arvo (thats any Sat afternoon game as I cannot change my work) but how many Pies fans were there?

 

[zakus]

Originally Posted by PendlesIsAStar View Post
I'm still staggered that a country prelim final is more enticing than an AFL final. Then again, I am a Victorian living in SA - there's a lot of things that confuse me.

You obviously have no idea about community spirit and how country people band together to support each other in good times and bad

Couldn't agree more. Says a lot about Victorians, but then having been part of a Victorian Football League your'e not typical. They do have community spirit. Grass roots is pivotal. Let it die then the top collapses.

I'm also angry about Caro on radio having a go at the crowd. How dare fathers go to their sons finals games rather than an AFL final. How disgusting. Don't they have their priories right.

Luckily (sarcastic) my sons team didn't make the finals. So with my crows supporting wife I was there. Wouldn't have been if he was in the finals.

 

[porpoise]

I'm starting to get sick of this when our crowds are compared to the Vic games last weekend - where were all the Collingwood supporters?

2 Vic teams - 35000 each =70000

1 SA team say 33000 - where are the Vics?

The finals I've been to in Melb would have had easily between 7000 and 10000 Crows fans .

I didn't go Sat arvo (thats any Sat afternoon game as I cannot change my work) but how many Pies fans were there?

Let's rate the crowds for the finals teams shall we ?

Firstly some assumptions - noting that assumptions can often make an ass of one's self - I will state them up front for others to criticise:
Assumption #1: Of the 38k at AAMI, 30k were Crows supporters and 8k were Pies supporters. I was there and it seemed the biggest non-Port away crowd ever at AAMI. Still I reckon 30k is about right.
#2: Of the 19k at ANZ stadium, 17k were Swans and 2k were Roos
#3: At the MCG matches, 20k supporters were MCC members with free entry (I have heard others quote 30k) but I'll go with 20k.
#4: The MCG matches were split 50-50 on team support. In reality there would have been more Hawks than Bulldogs, but I don't know the percentage.

So, with assumptions out of the way, the ranking of crowds in week 1 of the finals is:

1. Crows - 30,000
2. Hawks - 28,500 (77k-20k, halved)
3. Bulldogs - 28,500 (as above)
4. Cats - 26,000 (72k-20k, halved)
5. Saints - 26,000 (as above)
6. Swans - 17,000
7. Pies - 8,000
8. Roos - 2,000

Now given the size of Melbourne and Sydney's population compared to Adelaide's and yet we STILL come out on top of the crowd ladder, the knockers, Victorian media, and AFL heavyweights can go and get stuffed. Not only that we have a stadium out in the boondocks compared to inner city ala MCG. Well done Adelaide crowd I reckon.

And to the w***er Pies supporter in Bay 129, you can go and get f*cked.

 

[porpoise]

Good article in today's Ragvertiser about the sillyness in calling the crowd at AAMI on Saturday as poor. He had a few stats that made interesting reading.

Rucci even had an interesting article yesterday stating "The crowd to the Adelaide-Collingwood elimination final at AAMI Stadium - 37,685 - is the fifth-best to an elimination final with just one local supporter base since 2000." See here, http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,,24316786-5014664,00.html, for the full article.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Our crowd was poor, whichever way you slice it.

We shouldn't be taking comfort from a few of the crappier Melbourne clubs drawing fewer fans than us. If we are a powerful, strong, proud football club we should be filling that stadium. Who gives a stuff what the others do.

 

[maccas_no1]

And another thing...

The ground is backwards.

We've got our cheer squad (and gun club) at the southern end of the ground, surrounded by empty seats and corporate boxes.

And we've got the opposition cheer squad in the most central part of the ground, surrounded by AFC die hards in the outer and the new northern grandstand.

Switch them round for Christ's sake. You want the noise from your cheer squad to influence and encourage the other supporters to make noise. Apart from banging on the glass between rounds of champers, there's not much the corporates can do.

Wont happen as the CSG would kick up a stink at losing their current seating, thats not saying I dont agree with your idea and thoughts though

 

[maccas_no1]

What? The Collingwood cheer squad and every other cheer squad is behind the northern goals not in the central part of the ground. Nevertheless, your idea has merit given the Northern Stand is behind the northern goals and would get more crowd interaction compared to the southern end.

Why is our cheer squad at the southern end?

Only reason I can think is because players race/doing the banner is at that end of the ground, they have been there from day dot though, before the corporate boxes were constructed.

 

[Klug]

The crowds for the Crows have been below par all year long.

I remember in the mid-90's when just getting a minor-round ticket was like winning the lottery, and there was a real sense of buzz and expectation around the ground each week.

The Collingwood v Adelaide 1993 Final was an incredible atmosphere, where we somehow got 48,500 into a ground that only had capacity for 45,000, and it was the loudest crowd at Footy Park of all time.

For people that are talking about the financial strain of attending footy, yes, prices for finals may have been a little cheaper in the 90's, but Australia (Adelaide especially) was also coming out of a recession, and people were even more selective with their money back then.

Footy Park was cold, wet, far away, had bad parking, crap food, couldn't drink in the seats, and played games over the top of SANFL/Local/Country footy (occasionally on Sat arvo as well) back in the 90's as well. These sorts of "issues" are NOT new. So what is the difference today?

I reckon we have an apathetic supporter base, largely stemming from a signifcant proportion of whom were mid-50's and above when the Crows joined the AFL in 1991. 17 years on, these people are now in their late 60's/early 70's and will only attend on select matches. They would rather entertain their friends at home, and watch the game on TV, either live or slight delay

They don't want to lose their SANFL Cat 1 or 2 Membership, or even their Crows Season Ticket, because they are hanging out for another 1997/98 Blighty miracle finish to a season. They are also the sorts who complain about the style of footy the Crows play, and without the big names playing these days (eg Modra/Ricciuto/young McLeod), find it hard to get the passion up to drive down to Footy Park.

This may be a little harsh, but my extensive sample of family and friends (n=20) leads me to think there may be some truth in this.

I have to say, the Crows games in Melbourne seem to be much more enjoyable, because there are a lot more younger Crows fans at games over here (also due to the mass-exodus of young people from Adelaide as a city), but we are in the minority in the crowd and need to make noise.

 

[maccas_no1]

I have to say, the Crows games in Melbourne seem to be much more enjoyable, because there are a lot more younger Crows fans at games over here (also due to the mass-exodus of young people from Adelaide as a city), but we are in the minority in the crowd and need to make noise.

I guess the REAL supporters have moved over here to VIC, leaving the 'church goers' to wallow away in SA

Give me a game over here anyday over 'church going' AAMI

 

[porpoise]

I guess the REAL supporters have moved over here to VIC, leaving the 'church goers' to wallow away in SA

Give me a game over here anyday over 'church going' AAMI

What a load of crap. I assume you are being sarcastic ? or deliberately provocative. I still maintain, whichever way you slice it, the crowd at AAMI on Saturday - relatively speaking - was a good sized crowd.

 

[maccas_no1]

What a load of crap. I assume you are being sarcastic ? or deliberately provocative. I still maintain, whichever way you slice it, the crowd at AAMI on Saturday - relatively speaking - was a good sized crowd.

I never said anything about size, I was refering to atmosphere, could have 80K there if its like church you might aswell have 10 people.

I mean lets be honest VIC has been sucking the life out of SA for years and rightly so, aside from the AFC what else has Adelaide got going for it??? Ohh wait yeah Tour Down Under I forgot.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Collingwood v Adelaide 1993 Final was an incredible atmosphere, where we somehow got 48,500 into a ground that only had capacity for 45,000, and it was the loudest crowd at Footy Park of all time.

Firstly it wasn't a final it was a rd 22 game and the winner made the final and loser missed out. Secondly the capacity of Footy park was closer 50,000 than 45,000. But that included standing tickets. The Crows drew crowds of over 46,000 to 6 of their other 9 games that year (1993 was only a 20 game season). They got 50,000+ to the last big SANFL GF in 1990. They wouldn't have lost 5,000 seats and standing room area in 3 years.

Thirdly I have it on very good authority from several people close to the SANFL that that crowd was understated by 6,000, maybe as high as 8,000. Allegedly if the SANFL published the correct crowd they were going to cop a huge final from the Metro Fire Service for breaking fire safety regulations.

By loudest of all time I assume you mean Crows games. The 54,000 that went to watch the 1984 State of Origin game where Kernahan kicked 10 against the Vics was bloody loud. Also the 66,897 people who went and watched the 1976 GF Sturt v Port might disagree with you. Once again that crowd was supposedly around 72,000 people as they just opened up the gates just before the start of the game, let a whole of people in and then locked the gates to keep out the late comers.