'Solid' Crowd today. Hawks V Geelong

[dave10]

To start with, todays crowd was a very good crowd. 68,000 to a Hawthorn V Geelong game is a very strong figure.

However, there have been discussions in other threads that suggest many other teams could draw 85,000 to a public holiday fixture.. eg ANZAC Day. Now, todays game was the match of the round. It was the 2008 Grand Final contestants. It was 2 of the 4 fancied teams in the comp in 2010. It was public holiday Monday. It was a perfect day. If they were going to draw 85,000 today was the day. It drew 68,000.

Now, before you all say I am trolling. I am not. All I am saying is that there are really very few team in Vic that can draw 85,000 to a match under any circumstance during the home and away season. Hawthorn V Geelong would not draw 85,000 on ANZAC Day. To achieve these crowds, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon need to be involved singularly or together in any combination.

BTW.. I believe if Essenndon played Hawthorn at the MCG today (in round 2), 80,000 would have attended.

In summary, whilst today was a very good crowd, to me it answered a few questions about clubs capacity to draw sell out crowds at the MCG.

 

[bungholes_premiers]

Thank God for this thread

 

[Animosity1989]

That's why you should give it to Hawthorn and Carlton

 

[hawker11]

To start with, todays crowd was a very good crowd. 68,000 to a Hawthorn V Geelong game is a very strong figure.

However, there have been discussions in other threads that suggest many other teams could draw 85,000 to a public holiday fixture.. eg ANZAC Day. Now, todays game was the match of the round. It was the 2008 Grand Final contestants. It was 2 of the 4 fancied teams in the comp in 2010. It was public holiday Monday. It was a perfect day. If they were going to draw 85,000 today was the day. It drew 68,000.

Now, before you all say I am trolling. I am not. All I am saying is that there are really very few team in Vic that can draw 85,000 to a match under any circumstance during the home and away season. Hawthorn V Geelong would not draw 85,000 on ANZAC Day. To achieve these crowds, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon need to be involved singularly or together in any combination.

BTW.. I believe if Essenndon played Hawthorn at the MCG today (in round 2), 80,000 would have attended.

In summary, whilst today was a very good crowd, to me it answered a few questions about clubs capacity to draw sell out crowds at the MCG.

It was probably 5k less than I expected - but you can't compare easter monday to other public holidays. It is day 4 of a long weekend where many go on holidays.

I agree that the game v Essendon would have drawn a bigger crowd, as there would have been more neutral interest (with lloyd last year). It will get 80k regardless in round 6.

I think the Hawks and Cats will average 65k over the next few years, but the AFL have to be smart about scheduling their MCG games to suit their travel to and from Geelong.

If the AFL persist with Haw v Gee every easter monday, I cant see any reason why the clubs cant work together to promote the game (there wasnt a lot of effort from the Hawks to promote the game) and increase it to the 80k bracket...

Drawing nearly 70k is still a pretty good effort, expect more on the next encounter.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Almost 69k in middle of school hol's and on last day of Easter break is a pretty good crowd for mine.

 

[walhawk]

BAH. Bombers are long gone as a superpower.
Less than 30K for Lloyd's tribute shows how far the Bombers have fallen.
What have Essendon's biggest non-Anzac crowds in the past year or 2?
Less than Hawthorn's biggest I would suggest.
And we don't have artificial blockbusters like Anzac or Dreamtime.
Our crowds are 'solid' because of what happens on the field, not hype.

Ess, Blues & Pies are the biggest because they have won the most premierships.
We won't be far behind before Buddy,Rough, Hodge & Rioli retire.
On field is everything. As Lloydy said today, the Bombers aren't going to win a flag the way they are going.
In 10 years Essendon will be the new Melbourne.

 

[hawker11]

Almost 69k in middle of school hol's and on last day of Easter break is a pretty good crowd for mine.

Put it this way, do you think there would be any takers from other clubs to swap their public holiday fixture?

Oh and one other thing - to say Hawks v Geelong wouldn't draw 85k on ANZAC day is rubbish, pretty much any combination of vic clubs would achieve that figure for ANZAC day.

 

[Hawkforce]

Round 17, 2008. Sell out.

Actually this was a very good crowd for these two teams - and just above a very solid average over the last three years. What you need for 80+nis AFL and MCC members to come for the game.

Can't understand why they don't. You don't get much better value than Hawks V Cats these days.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

the neutrals go where there is hype.

we hear every year how Anzac day has the best atmosphere outside a grand final etc... you say something often enough, and people will listen

 

[OzBomber]

BAH. Bombers are long gone as a superpower.
Less than 30K for Lloyd's tribute shows how far the Bombers have fallen.
What have Essendon's biggest non-Anzac crowds in the past year or 2?
Less than Hawthorn's biggest I would suggest.

2009 crowds not including Anzac Day or Dream Time

Round 13 Essendon vs Carlton - 83,407
Round 14 Esendon vs Collingwood - 77,699
Round 22 Essendon vs Hawthorn - 77,278
Round 3 Essendon vs Carlton - 70,411

Round 22 Hawthorn vs Essendon - 77,278
Round 1 Hawthorn vs Geelong - 69,593
Round 6 Hawthorn vs Carlton - 69,014
Round 16 Hawthorn vs Collingwood - 66,149

Try again mate.

 

[dave10]

BAH. Bombers are long gone as a superpower.
Less than 30K for Lloyd's tribute shows how far the Bombers have fallen.
What have Essendon's biggest non-Anzac crowds in the past year or 2?
Less than Hawthorn's biggest I would suggest.
And we don't have artificial blockbusters like Anzac or Dreamtime.
Our crowds are 'solid' because of what happens on the field, not hype.

Ess, Blues & Pies are the biggest because they have won the most premierships.
We won't be far behind before Buddy,Rough, Hodge & Rioli retire.
On field is everything. As Lloydy said today, the Bombers aren't going to win a flag the way they are going.
In 10 years Essendon will be the new Melbourne.

mate, you are fair to have a crack at Essendons drawing capacity but I dont see how you can win that one..

Firstly, I think its fair to say that 30-40% of people were away yesterday. We drew 29,651 with about 50% of members turning up. The public sections were quite crowdered indicating the crowd at the game any other weekend would have been 33,000+. There were only about 500 Freo people there. All in all, it was a solid Essendon home crowd against the lowest drawing team in Vic in the comp. I would say only Collingwood would have drawn over 30,000 on the day.

2. Essendon drew 1,092,000 to 22 home and away games last season and finished 8th. It drew 570,000 to its 11 home games. It sold out the Dome 3 seperate occasions which made the home figure even stronger. It averaged 70,000 in 8 matches at the MCG in 2009. Apart from ANZAC Day, in 2009Essendon drew 84,000 V Carlton, 74,000 V Richmond and 78,000 on a wet night V Collingwood. Dont forget we drew 78,000 to your home game in round 22 last year and out numbered you in the stands. Hardly numbers of small club. Its match Vs Geelong would have drawn over 70,000 (Ess home game) had it been at the MCG in 2009.

I am not saying the crowd today was not good. It was.

 

[walhawk]

Yes, but you only get big crowds against the big 3. (Hawks, Pies, Blues) who Essendon always play twice.
A few more years of on field failure and the Bombers will back to where they were pre-Sheedy.

 

[dave10]

Yes, but you only get big crowds against the big 3. (Hawks, Pies, Blues) who Essendon always play twice.
A few more years of on field failure and the Bombers will back to where they were pre-Sheedy.

So now you are back tracking.. we only get big crowds V the big 3 nowdays because all other games are at the Dome. If Essendon are firing (like Hawthorn now) Essendon would draw 70,000+ Vs St Kilda, Geelong and go close against the bulldogs. Essendons drawing capacity is not in question. If you question Essendon, you question everyone except Collingwood.

 

[Messenger]

Now, before you all say I am trolling. I am not.

Yes you are. It's another in the interminable series of "Big 4" clubhouse threads.

My club has great facilities, a large number of members, an excellent balance sheet and recent success. Just have a dash around the clubhouse and see who else ticks those boxes.

I just don't give a shit if some other combination of teams would drag an extra 10k through the gates or if you won a flag in 1913.

 

[walhawk]

What I'm saying is that crowds were down on the weekend as it is both Easter and school holidays and many people are away.
In that context today's was an excellent crowd.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

I've always been a bit dismissive of Hawthorns bleating about their attendance figures but FWIW I though that was an excellent crowd for today.

Was one of those games where I think they would have got quite a few neutrals attending as well.

 

[Messenger]

I've always been a bit dismissive of Hawthorns bleating about their attendance figures but FWIW I though that was an excellent crowd for today.

Was one of those games where I think they would have got quite a few neutrals attending as well.

The MCC members was about 2/3 full FWIW, but overall the crowd was slightly unders.

 

[Matt Slade]

I was at the game today and IMHO 70% of the 68K+ crowd were Hawthorn supporters.

Essendon only drew 57K against Geelong.

Essendon only draws massive crowds when playing against the other big 3, particularly Collingwood.

i am not saying that Essendon are riding the coat tails of Collingwood's crowd pulling power, the Bombers do draw decent crowds.

 

[ManWithNoName]

I was at the game today and IMHO 70% of the 68K+ crowd were Hawthorn supporters.

Essendon only drew 57K against Geelong.

Essendon only draws massive crowds when playing against the other big 3, particularly Collingwood.

i am not saying that Essendon are riding the coat tails of Collingwood's crowd pulling power, the Bombers do draw decent crowds.

You realise the game in Round 1 was Geelongs home game, right?

 

[dave10]

I was at the game today and IMHO 70% of the 68K+ crowd were Hawthorn supporters.

Essendon only drew 57K against Geelong.

Essendon only draws massive crowds when playing against the other big 3, particularly Collingwood.

i am not saying that Essendon are riding the coat tails of Collingwood's crowd pulling power, the Bombers do draw decent crowds.

Ess V Geelong was only 57,700 because it was a Geelong home game. It was raining in Geelong during the afternoon and it is a big ask to get their supporters up to Melbourne on an ordinary night for the footy - round 1 or not. If it were Essendons game, another 10,000 would have been there.

Again, Essendon is not able to draw against other non big 3 clubs because these games are at the Dome. This has been the case since 2000.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

On a long w/e where many people are away, 68 000 is good. You watch, there'll be at least 80 000 for round 15.

My main gripe is to run to a saturday timetable, and not put on way more extra trains, was stupid. I don't care if it's a public holiday. Still stupid stupid stupid.

 

[Redb#]

BAH. Bombers are long gone as a superpower.
Less than 30K for Lloyd's tribute shows how far the Bombers have fallen.
What have Essendon's biggest non-Anzac crowds in the past year or 2?
Less than Hawthorn's biggest I would suggest.
And we don't have artificial blockbusters like Anzac or Dreamtime.
Our crowds are 'solid' because of what happens on the field, not hype.

Ess, Blues & Pies are the biggest because they have won the most premierships.
We won't be far behind before Buddy,Rough, Hodge & Rioli retire.
On field is everything. As Lloydy said today, the Bombers aren't going to win a flag the way they are going.
In 10 years Essendon will be the new Melbourne.

Dream on.

Hawthorn will be devastated by trades to GC and GWS.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

On a long w/e where many people are away, 68 000 is good. You watch, there'll be at least 80 000 for round 15.

My main gripe is to run to a saturday timetable, and not put on way more extra trains, was stupid. I don't care if it's a public holiday. Still stupid stupid stupid.

each train line had 4 extra trains following the footy yesterday, there were 2 geelong VLINE trains at either side of richmond station, one departing at 10 past 5, the other later.



There were plenty of trains, more then a normal game.

 

[BONG RIPS MKII]

you can have the bigger crowds, fans of both teams would prefer our recent success

 

[magic_johnson!]

The MCC members was about 2/3 full FWIW, but overall the crowd was slightly unders.

The MCC was barely full so they opened up the light green level 4 seats for the general public when the general admission areas were full. Suprising but very good move...