Crowds a concern

[Elroo]

Shaving my balls with a rusty razor is going to be less painful than watching Essendon this year. Going to see a huge decrease in attendance at Essendon games

Here you go:

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[Mat Mann]

as we are lined up and 1 by 1 wanded upon entry, when the security starts waving their wands over my very young children and I demand they stop, kids don't need to be conditioned to that in this country.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but this fake security checking is a scam, its certainly not a welcoming entrance

 

[PP34]

Not being able to rock up and just scan in is putting some off. Covid would be putting people off.

Given the ticketing arrangements most only have home game access.

Yep. Even though capacity has been raised and that theoretically should allow more people in it doesn’t really work like that. Some people are ordering tickets and not going because it costs nothing to do so and plans change by the weekend.

Then you’re essentially preventing those ones who would normally decide on Friday or Saturday that they feel like going to the footy that weekend.

It might sound like some are being a bit precious but the footy can sometimes be one of those things you either feel like going to or don’t feel like going to.

Going in a group currently right now is tough too. You basically need full commitment from early in the week to guarantee decent seats.

 

[Jupes]

it's almost as if folks are weary of gathering in large numbers after a year of nonstop fear mongering about other people and fresh air being poison.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Construction has shut train lines down so it’s an hour and a half to get to the G from south eastern suburbs using replacement buses. Try driving in and traffic along punt rd is virtually at a standstill. Then for some reason the MCG car park is closed even when it’s not even close to full. It just seems so much harder than it was in 2019.

not really happy that I have to pay for tickets when my membership is already supposed to give me access to all games either.

ive got tickets for this week but am considering not going. Buddy back playing and the new look swans might convince me to give it one more try though

 

[Tackle Bag]

as we are lined up and 1 by 1 wanded upon entry, when the security starts waving their wands over my very young children and I demand they stop, kids don't need to be conditioned to that in this country.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but this fake security checking is a scam, its certainly not a welcoming entrance

Must say that it seems odd that they can’t pick up my phone, keys, loose change or belt buckle with the security wand. Been waved through two weeks in a row without emptying my pockets. Waste of time

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Been to both Collingwood games so far this season, but I can understand why people have stayed away.

• Reluctance to use public transport. I'm in the same boat, so I've driven in and parked at the ground or near it instead.
• Some people still scared to go out due to COVID, particularly older age groups.
• The process of "redeeming" or buying a ticket is a pain. It feels like we're buying finals tickets every week, whereas a simple scan of your membership card was all that was that needed to access the ground previously.
• The social aspect of footy has been somewhat limited. Caught up with an old friend at half time last Thursday and we were both instructed to go back to our seats as soon as the siren sounded for the third quarter by security.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

it's almost as if folks are weary of gathering in large numbers after a year of nonstop fear mongering about other people and fresh air being poison.

Yep exactly.

A year of scaring the bejesus out of the public was always going to have a ripple effect in the long term.

 

[AstuteTiger]

The Tiger Army has gotten used to staying at home

Round 1 v Carlton
2021: 49,000

Round 2 v Hawthorn
2021: 41,000

Lol you do realise RD 1 Rich V Carl the max allowed was 50K, we almost maxed it out with 49,218 (coll v dogs 46K out of 50K allowed)
RD 2 Coll v Blues 51K out of possible 75K
Hawks V Tiges this year, your home game and expected way more hawks fans, but that's footy atm. Covid, QR codes, many members are comfortable to watch it at home without the hoohaa to get tickets weekly and being shunted up top in the nose bleeds.

 

[AstuteTiger]

How many of Hawthorns 76k members upgraded a seat and didn't turn up?

RD 1 Rich V Carl, some of my blues mates got tkts and didn't roll up because they got back of level 4. As tickets are free to upgrade no doubt as hawks being the home team some not happy with their seating could easily just decide not to go.
These tkts are taken off Ticketek and thus not able to purchase.

The hawks set the prices and many level one seats were 60-70 dollars. The away team in these times are disadvantaged so there will be lower than expected crowds until it eventually goes back to normal. I must also say It looked embarrassing on both sides at the cheer squad ends, way too many empty seats.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Maybe some people simply do not like the thought of large crowds during a pandemic? Maybe some people can't be bothered dealing with unique ticketing arrangements during said pandemic?

Maybe?

 

[David_Full]

Round 1 only a couple of games got close to the limited capacity.
Today, only 40k turned up to hawthorn and Richmond with both teams coming off wins.
Have people started Turing their backs on the Australian game?

With all rule changes, I'm not surprised ppl turning their back on the game.

 

[Hooker]

For me the worst part is all the pre-game, and half time bullshit thrown in amongst 60 seconds between a goal and the ball being bounced. Add in the fact the game has gotten gradually more boring over the past 5 years and it’s hard to justify throwing away money.

 

[Ron The Bear]

With all rule changes, I'm not surprised ppl turning their back on the game.

Not sure that's the case but they were trying pretty hard on 360 to pump it up. The rule changes have "saved the game", we've been campaigning on this for years etc.

Facts are that crowds were at their highest for a decade before Hocking started fiddling, and scoring is actually down marginally on last year on a points:minute basis.

 

[JohnZ]

Must say that it seems odd that they can’t pick up my phone, keys, loose change or belt buckle with the security wand. Been waved through two weeks in a row without emptying my pockets. Waste of time

It's for guns and knives mate. No one cares if you're brining in a phone. smh

 

[dean33]

I've been to two games this year and it wee-easy for both games. Even today, people were predicting massive queues to get in because of the QR code. They had heaps of places to scan in before going in. Sure I had to book a ticket for both games - that took all of five minutes.

Agree, the whole qr code scan in delay was a massive beat up. I’m an afl member and in past years we had to pay to reserve seats while this year I’ve been able to reserve great seats for naught. If people want to find reasons to complain and excuses not to go they will.

 

[Bluelegs]

Capacity at the mcg is 75k.
They're barely hit 50k for Carlton collingwood

I think people underestimate how important regular seating plans and expectations are for many (especially families and retirees) who go to the football. Furthermore each ground has different sections which all have their own capacity limits.

Melbourne supporters copped a bit for not turning up to the Fremantle game but Melbourne have the most MCC members of any club and the MCC was restricted to half it's capacity (just over 10k) Then you have the AFL members section virtually empty because Melbourne have very few AFL members.

When ticketing and seating returns to normal I expect crowds will as well.

 

[hawkman]

Lol you do realise RD 1 Rich V Carl the max allowed was 50K, we almost maxed it out with 49,218 (coll v dogs 46K out of 50K allowed)
RD 2 Coll v Blues 51K out of possible 75K
Hawks V Tiges this year, your home game and expected way more hawks fans, but that's footy atm. Covid, QR codes, many members are comfortable to watch it at home without the hoohaa to get tickets weekly and being shunted up top in the nose bleeds.

The strangest one for me is that the Essendon Hawthorn game at Marvel got to the general public sale, which meant that the Essendon members didn't snap up the ~20k tickets available.

That straight away signalled to me that crowds might struggle for awhile.

Richmond Sydney will be an interesting one. Pre covid it would probably be 55k plus

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Round 1 only a couple of games got close to the limited capacity.
Today, only 40k turned up to hawthorn and Richmond with both teams coming off wins.
Have people started Turing their backs on the Australian game?

Victorian economy is such a shambles they cant afford to go. The economic pain will last 10+ years I imagine. Zero chance North and St Kilda survive this. Its clear as day we need to move teams out of Victoria and to states with people in it who can afford to attend the football. Need 1 team in Tassie and another in W.A

 

[AstuteTiger]

The strangest one for me is that the Essendon Hawthorn game at Marvel got to the general public sale, which meant that the Essendon members didn't snap up the ~20k tickets available.

That straight away signalled to me that crowds might struggle for awhile.

Richmond Sydney will be an interesting one. Pre covid it would probably be 55k plus

Didn't know that about ess members not snapping up all tkts. Agree, pre-covid this game would be pushing 55-60K but I'm tipping around 35K+

 

[harrythetiger]

I think the extra hassle of buying a ticket is knocking 5-10k off. It doesn’t stop you from going but if you would usually be on the fence about going, even though you’re not paying extra, you kind of just go ‘meh can’t be bothered’.

I think they need to advertise how to access the general reserved seating. It’s the GA equivalent, yet so many people seem to not know about it.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Agree, the whole qr code scan in delay was a massive beat up. I’m an afl member and in past years we had to pay to reserve seats while this year I’ve been able to reserve great seats for naught. If people want to find reasons to complain and excuses not to go they will.

For people like me and you, it's no probs at all. But many do not have smartphones, and if they do not all have the internet plus many don't know how to download QR code app and use it, I've spoken to people that go what's that, oh this is just too hard, I tell them nah it's not but some are programmed a certain way and not interested in the hassle.
Also many just like to print out their tickets and go to the footy, many hate this organizing to get tkts every week whereby before you can just decide on the day if you wanna go. Older people who aren't so tech-savvy don't know how to navigate on Ticketek to get tkts.

Have to be open-minded on the wider football public, it's just too hard for some and after spending all last year watching from the couch I guess it's easier to just do that until things go back to normal even if that means later this year or 2022

 

[Tackle Bag]

It's for guns and knives mate. No one cares if you're brining in a phone. smh

They don’t know it’s a phone when it’s in my pocket with my keys and wallet. I’ve been asked to empty my pockets as standard at many other events around the world, and had my keys or belt buckle make the wand beep previously

 

[blue harvest]

RD 1 Rich V Carl, some of my blues mates got tkts and didn't roll up because they got back of level 4. As tickets are free to upgrade no doubt as hawks being the home team some not happy with their seating could easily just decide not to go.
These tkts are taken off Ticketek and thus not able to purchase.

The hawks set the prices and many level one seats were 60-70 dollars. The away team in these times are disadvantaged so there will be lower than expected crowds until it eventually goes back to normal. I must also say It looked embarrassing on both sides at the cheer squad ends, way too many empty seats.

Yep it was an embarrassment with both ends of the ground empty on level 1 for our game.

Who ever set the prices severely misjudged it - I checked during the public on sale and those seats at each end were available at about $60. I think Hawks reserved seat members booked the seats between the wing around to inside 50m for free, but 6 or 7 bays at each end were left over and priced way too high for our GA members or Tiger supporters. The only seats available at gate prices ($27 or free for GA members) were 6 bays at each end on level 4. The reality for our home games for the last 10+ years is our reserved seat area from M50 all the way around to M16 is only ever half full at best even though most years it is all sold out - I knew the wing seats would get snapped up but there would be massive empty areas left for anyone to buy. It will be interesting to see what they do for our next home game against the Demons, level 1 at each end should really be put into the cheapest category at $27 or free for GA members. Easter Monday (Cat's home game) will be interesting too, if they're trying to get $60 then it will be empty again.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I think you’re right. I’m not bothering this week. Why would I bother go through that rigmarole again only to see my mob done and dusted 20 minutes into the first quarter with another pea hearted effort.. I’m not. It will be my first game in Victoria missed for 13 years, and that includes the year we had no players (2016).

I simply can’t be stuffed!

Soft