Smallest Crowd Ever?

[hoss]

Melbourne - 11500
Neutral - 2000
Freo - 750


Will be 14000 - 15000 there, 12000 if it's wet.

 

[skilts]

From my research....

3059: Brisbane vs Footscray, Carrara, R9 1992 (IIRC, remember the lady who dropped her pie on her jumper that was captured on camera? Think this was the game)
3876: Brisbane vs Fitzroy, Carrara, R2 1992
4349: Brisbane vs Sydney, Carrara, R23 1992
4603: Brisbane vs Adelaide, Carrara, R21 1992
4721: Brisbane vs Footscray, Carrara, R24 1991
4902: Brisbane vs Melbourne, Carrara, R12 1992
5083: Fitzroy vs Fremantle, Whitten, R8 1996
5272: Sydney vs Brisbane, SCG, R20 1990

This reminds me of the joke about the Bears at Carrara. Somebody rings the club on Thursday to ask what time Sunday's game begins. Only to be asked, "What time can you get there?"

On the other hand, can't be too smart-arsed, given the number of Fitzroy games I attended where I knew the whole crowd.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Freos worst home crowd was around 10,000 at the WACA vs Port. Was at that game, it was bucketing down. The ground was like a swimming pool and most of the crowd was indoors. We got 1 of our not so many wins for 2000 from that game, so i was happy to get drenched for it.

 

[Roar]

Although, heading back a little further, the Tigers were only drawing 3k.

Considering the hawks feature in 9 of the 10 smallest crowds ever, and Richmond feature in 4 of the 10 largest crowds ever, I think you should go crawl back under your little rock...

 

[Kingpin]

The officially counted lowest crowd in the VFL (according to many publications I've read over the years) prior to it being rebadged as the AFL in 1990 was 4,846 for the North Melbourne v Hawthorn match at Arden Street in 1967.
However, since looking up the AFL stats site, it appears as 3,614 attending the Melbourne V Hawthorn match at the MCG in 1931 is the 'counted' lowest.
Since the rebranding of the league to the AFL, the lowest was 3,059 for the Brisbane Bears v Footscray match at Carrara in 1992 (Yes, the one where the fat shiela dropped her pie down her shirt and started eating it off it )

Since 1960, the lowest attendances of each season have been:

1960: 6,109 - Sth Melbourne v Richmond at Lake Oval
1961: 10,260 - Sth Melbourne v Melbourne at Lake Oval
1962: 8,470 - Nth Melbourne v Hawthorn at Arden Street
1963: 9,506 - Nth Melbourne v Sth Melbourne at Arden Street
1964: 7,167 - Fitzroy v Richmond at Brunswick Street
1965: 7,463 - Fitzroy v Hawthorn at Brunswick Street
1966: 5,835 - Nth Melbourne v Hawthorn at Arden Street
1967: 4,846 - Nth Melbourne v Hawthorn at Arden Street
1968: 5,826 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street
1969: 6,470 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street
1970: 6,435 - Nth Melbourne v Geelong at Arden Street
1971: 6,522 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street
1972: 7,007 - Fitzroy v Nth Melbourne at Junction Oval
1973: 7.016 - Footscray v Fitzroy at VFL Park
1974: 6,418 - Hawthorn v Fitzroy at Princes Park
1975: 8,417 - Hawthorn v Geelong at Princes Park
1976: 7,567 - Hawthorn v Melbourne at Princes Park
1977: 7,575 - Fitzroy v Melbourne at Junction Oval
1978: 9,178 - Hawthorn v Footscray at Princes Park
1979: 9,815 - Sth Melbourne v Footscray at Lake Oval
1980: 6,836 - Fitzroy v St Kilda at Junction Oval
1981: 7,749 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street
1982: 8,282 - Fitzroy v Footscray at Junction Oval
1983: 7,404 - Nth Melbourne v Sydney Swans at Arden Street
1984: 6,920 - Fitzroy v Hawthorn at Junction Oval
1985: 7,341 - Nth Melbourne v Richmond at Arden Street
1986: 6,979 - Hawthorn v St Kilda at Princes Park
1987: 4,859 - Brisbane Bears v West Coast Eagles at Carrara Oval
1988: 7,157 - Richmond v West Coast Eagles at MCG
1989: 5,134 - Brisbane Bears v Footscray at Carrara Oval
1990: 5,272 - Sydney Swans v Brisbane Bears at SCG
1991: 4,721 - Brisbane Bears v Footscray at Carrara Oval
1992: 3,059 - Brisbane Bears v Footscray at Carrara Oval
1993: 6,025 - Richmond v West Coast Eagles at Princes Park
1994: 5,334 - Fitzroy v West Coast Eagles at Western Oval
1995: 7,426 - Fitzroy v Sydney Swans at Western Oval
1996: 5,083 - Fitzroy v Fremantle at Western Oval
1997: 8,664 - Western Bulldogs v Fremantle at Princes Park
1998: 11,321 - Nth Melbourne v Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval
1999: 10,676 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Geelong at SCG
2000: 7,334 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Port Adelaide at SCG
2001: 10,030 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval
2002: 7,671 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Adelaide at Manuka Oval
2003: 10,253 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Geelong at Manuka Oval
2004: 7,222 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval
2005: 10,431 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval
2006: 8,258 - Melbourne v Adelaide at Carrara Oval
2007: 11,133 - Nth Melbourne (Kangaroos) v Brisbane Lions at Carrara Oval
2008: 15,124 - Hawthorn v Adelaide at Aurora Stadium (* to date)

 

[mianfei]

Some fascinating games in that list:

1971: 6,522 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street

Melbourne’s last draw for a record-breaking 462 games until the seventh round of 1992. It’s remarkable how North Melbourne had so easily the lowest attendances for so long, then stopped having low attendance when Barassi joined them as coach, and returned to this list after he departed although a combination of good administration, excellent recruiting zones and Dennis Pagan’s coaching at senior and Under 19 level kept them at least far from the bottom of the ladder.

1975: 8,417 - Hawthorn v Geelong at Princes Park

Hawthorn’s first of four 100-point wins over Geelong and the only glimpse of the early-season form after a shock loss to Fitzroy the previous week. No other team has beaten Geelong by over 100 points on three occasions, let alone four. Hawthorn’s lack of crowd-drawing power was seen eleven years later when only 9,848 turned up in perfect weather to see them inflict Geelong’s biggest loss ever, kicking at one stage 25.7 (157) to 1.7 (13)!

1979: 9,815 - Sth Melbourne v Footscray at Lake Oval

An amazing sight for those who did come this game was! The Swans kicked their first-ever 30-goal score and produced what was to that point the most accurate score in history, kicking an amazing 31.9 (195) although no player kicked more than four goals.

1984: 6,920 - Fitzroy v Hawthorn at Junction Oval

Being between two finalists that year makes this mentionable. The weather that round was among the worst ever known in football history: steady rain and a top temperature of 11.7˚C, but the scores were with one exception the highest of a round that produced as many “soccer” (4 or less) goal tallies as had been seen in the previous five years!

In a 1987 issue of Inside Football, it said that the success of a team with such low crowd-drawing power as the figures for this game and the 1986 game with Geelong mentioned earlier show Hawthorn had was a contributing factor to the heavy financial losses the VFL was having. Inside Football said that if the clubs with the largest followings - Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong and Richmond - were all at the top, crowds would have been much higher than they were with Hawthorn and North Melbourne as major powers via the country zoning gerrymander and exceedingly poor administration at Tigerland.

1985: 7,341 - Nth Melbourne v Richmond at Arden Street

The Kangaroos’ last game at Arden Street and their only one there for 1985 was played owing to a very wet August in conditions that probably helped advocates of “ground rationalisation”. They still managed to have 36 scoring shots and beat the Tigers by fifty points.

1986: 6,979 - Hawthorn v St Kilda at Princes Park

Another mudheap that showed the lack of support Hawthorn had had ever since they joined the VFL in 1925 - and perhaps that the general public knew their dominance was exactly like Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s of Queensland politics in the same period even if the football they played cannot be flawed at all.

1988: 7,157 - Richmond v West Coast Eagles at MCG
1993: 6,025 - Richmond v West Coast Eagles at Princes Park

These are simply surprising. Given that Richmond possessed a support base that allowed it to survive in place of Fitzroy despite a poorer on-field record and a record of mismanagement few clubs can ever have equalled, it is odd that so few would turn up. Perhaps the gulf in defensive ability of the two teams - as great as any in V/AFL history perhaps? - made people think only one outcome was possible. Yet, Richmond pressed the Eagles a fair bit in the 1993 game and never looked like losing the 1988 game, in the end winning by seven goals and beginning an end to 1988 that gave the club hopes not fulfilled in the following half-decade.

1995: 7,426 - Fitzroy v Sydney Swans at Western Oval

How many would have come to see Tony Lockett? He kicked eleven goals in the first half alone and a record sixteen goals straight for the match. Even if he cannot have had much opposition, one would think he would be a drawcard to general observers of the game?

 

[Pessimistic]

I was one of the 20,000 Hawks fans who claimethey were there for the port game

Hawthorns official history shows the local council has more ambition for the club, getting them into the VFA and later the VFL. it fitted in with the VFLs ambitions to cover newer areas outside the inner city areas

Apparently the 'supporters' were outraged at the increased admission prices and stayed away for a while.

Hawthorns history not too impressive till they got to the 50s and cazaly lit a fire under them.

Incidentally their colours were Blue and Gold but had to drop them because they clashed with VFA powerhouse Williamstown

 

[Pessimistic]

Melbourne - 11500
Neutral - 2000
Freo - 750


Will be 14000 - 15000 there, 12000 if it's wet.

In 1997 the club surveyed all the under 13k crowd and the numbers were similar to this. The game was hawks v freo at waverely and the first RU test was played at the MCG at the same time (they had more rain at the G than we did at waverely)

 

[Meow]

From memory, Fitzroy regularly drew 5,000 - 6,000 when they were on their deathbed as a club.

 

[gimmegimme]

This reminds me of the joke about the Bears at Carrara. Somebody rings the club on Thursday to ask what time Sunday's game begins. Only to be asked, "What time can you get there?"

haha i like it.

 

[Brad Roo]

1981: 7,749 - Nth Melbourne v Melbourne at Arden Street

I remember that game.

Kerry Good kicked 10.



Smallest crowd recorded is 2000: Hawthorn v Melbourne 1941 & Collingwood v Hawthorn 1942.

Smallest non wartime crowd recorded is 2500: Geelong v Hawthorn 1938.

 

[RogersResults]

The lowest officially recorded attendance at a VFL/AFL match is:

957

Melbourne v Essendon round 18, 1919. MCG

The influenza pandemic arrived in Australia in 1919 and greatly reduced attendances at sporting events. More people died from flu (world wide estimated at 50 million) in 1918 and 1919 that died in the whole of the First World War.

The only extant attendance records before 1921 are from matches at the MCG. Also until around the 1960's many attendance's at most venues with the exception of the MCG were estimates.

 

[Tas]

Interesting thread, would read again in 2 years when it get re-bumped out of the cobwebs.