Play Nice Which club has the biggest supporter base? Collingwood, Richmond or West Coast?

[The_Wookie]

Of course it's not everything, but crowds - at last against interstate opposition - are probably the strongest indicator of support.

Ive never subscribed to this theory at all. People wont go to matches to see matches that are pointless half the time or a times they dont like that conflict with work or weekend family sport, and these matches are far more likely to be at times when those matter.

But Optus has more seats available for tenant clubs to sell than any other ground in Australia. The capacity restraint argument applies more so to every other club.

Capacity hasnt affected the ability of clubs to sell memberships well over their seating allotments at the G or Docklands.

 

[Rob]

Ive never subscribed to this theory at all. People wont go to matches to see matches that are pointless half the time or a times they dont like that conflict with work or weekend family sport, and these matches are far more likely to be at times when those matter.

So what other individual measure would be more indicative of support then?

Not suggesting it's the be all and end all, but I don't know of another measure that would be close. Membership income maybe.

Capacity hasnt affected the ability of clubs to sell memberships well over their seating allotments at the G or Docklands.

Yeah, trinket memberships that cost 2/5ths of * all.

 

[The_Wookie]

So what other individual measure would be more indicative of support then?

I dont think any one measure indicates who is more strongly supported. Lots of casual support out there for many clubs. the amount people can pay is not one of my favorite indicators by a long way.

I think that all parts attendance, membership, television audience, merchandise sales, supercoach numbers, social media - I think they are all part of the overall picture, each with pros and cons.

All we can do is rank these individual indicators and debate which means more. I dont think anyone is particlarly wrong, and weighting them for importance is really going to be subjective to whoever is reading it.

Is membership revenue a big indicator, sure - and its going to be more importat to a club that makes more from it. Is it going to be less of a thing to clubs in victoria whose members are also AFL support members, and MCC support members? Probably.

Attendances are going to mean more to some clubs than others - playing at the MCG is a big advantage in some respects. Its going to mean less to other clubs that play at poor times, or in smaller stadiums.

TV ratings are going to mean more to clubs that get good tv time - but mean less to clubs with bugger all free to air coverage.

Some clubs lie dormant and then rise up out of nowhere went the casual support returns, some need a flag to wake people up, some benefit from 120 years of hegemony, some from being located in single or two club cities. Some clubs come from lower socio-economic areas, some clubs are very new and lacking in any history or success.

 

[Has No Rules]

without the pressure of a waiting list? im not a believer.

to be fair people said this when the 60k stadium was built..that myth was exploded in a week

 

[Kwality]

to be fair people said this when the 60k stadium was built..that myth was exploded in a week

See

Are AFL clubs getting a fair deal when it comes to off-field finances?

Very detailed analysis here. Recommended reading. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-14/are-afl-clubs-getting-a-fair-deal-off-field-finances-money-footy/100987862

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Deadly Assassin]

Collingwood outdrew Richmond the last time both finished top 4.

Just saying.

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Collingwood outdrew Richmond the last time both finished top 4.

Just saying.

Richmond haven't had a Melbourne final with a crowd less than 80,000 since the 1940s

Collingwood have had PLENTY

Just saying'

The fact you're measuring up against us, poaching our Intel and aiming for 100,000 members when we've hit it years in a row, shows who the measuring stick is.

 

[Saveloy Rockstar]

Richmond haven't had a Melbourne final with a crowd less than 80,000 since the 1940s

Collingwood have had PLENTY

Well Richmond finished 9th for 37 years in a row…

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Well Richmond finished 9th for 37 years in a row…

8-2 in premierships the last 60 years

So we make the years count

 

[Saveloy Rockstar]

Don’t you know the Hellenic brethren are supposed to support Collingwood? What would Athos Hirosylakis say

PS sorry for ruining your 4peat

 

[gopies1981]

Collingwood are 9.2 million in total home and away attendance’s since 1921 compared to Richmond. Hey Richmond are not even 2nd or 3rd! Just saying

 

[gopies1981]

Richmond haven't had a Melbourne final with a crowd less than 80,000 since the 1940s

Collingwood have had PLENTY

Just saying'

The fact you're measuring up against us, poaching our Intel and aiming for 100,000 members when we've hit it years in a row, shows who the measuring stick is.

Wrong Richmond played a qualifying final vs north Melbourne in 1995 at the mcg in front of 66,000 people!! Just saying

Collingwood is the biggest Victorian club according to Roy Morgan and has been since 2008 baring 1 year in 2017! Just saying!

Collingwood is the only club to draw over 1.2 million people during the home and away season including a record breaking 1,306,604 in 2010! Richmond’s biggest was in 2018 with 1,194,000. Just saying

 

[gopies1981]

On a National profile the biggest clubs in terms of supporterbase numbers in Australia are;

1. West Coast
2. Collingwood
3. Essendon
4. Richmond
5. Adelaide
6. Carlton
7. Sydney
8. Hawthorn
9. Geelong

In Victoria a dominant Collingwood is the biggest club. Attendance‘s, tv ratings and fan surveys state this. I’m 2010 Collingwood averaged 68,000 to all 14 mcg games. No club has ever come close to this including Richmond and Essendon’s golden run in the 90’s.

Collingwood the only club to draw over 1.2 million during the home and away season which they have done on 6 occasions.

No other club has achieved this. We are not talking about members but actual supporters around the country.

Collingwood are 1st then next in line is Essendon, Richmond and then Carlton.

This year more then likely Carlton will probably finish first in attendance’s but does that mean they are the biggest club in Australia?

There a big club no doubt but in terms of attendance’s Collingwood is the biggest club when they are winning. Look at there attendance’s from 2010 and 2011 and you’ll see why!!

Richmond just had a big bandwagon effect which has now ended. Carlton’s in the next 3-5 years will then appear to be the biggest club but in reality Collingwood has always been the biggest since the late 1920’s.

Essendon when they get there act together will be huge but in the last 20 years there supporter base has not grown unlike Collingwood, Richmond and probably hawthorn.

 

[Saveloy Rockstar]

Where are the Tuggers??

Richmond:


Collingwood:



Same teams, same venues, MCG home games, Marvel away... Pies 11,655 more bums on seats

 

[MrSwannee84]

Don’t you know the Hellenic brethren are supposed to support Collingwood? What would Athos Hirosylakis say

PS sorry for ruining your 4peat

Isn't the Greek community traditionally among Carlton's supporter base.

I remember the Blues' European migrant fanbase was massive in the 80's & 90's especially when Anthony Koutoufides and Ang Christou played in the navy blue.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Isn't the Greek community traditionally among Carlton's supporter base.

I remember the Blues' European migrant fanbase was massive in the 80's & 90's especially when Anthony Koutoufides and Ang Christou played in the navy blue.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

Carlton has the biggest following among the Italian community.

In my experience, more Greeks support Collingwood followed by Carlton.

 

[smasha]

#itsgoodtobetheking

 

[Masotiger]

Carlton has the biggest following among the Italian community.

In my experience, more Greeks support Collingwood followed by Carlton.

With the mass migration of Southern Europeans to Melbourne, over the 1950's, more so 1960's, and to a lesser extent in the 1970's; there were 2 factors which influenced who the youngsters of the day supported as there was no family history to steer them in a particular direction: 1) geographical location, and 2) whoever was good at the time.

Inner city working class suburbs of Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton and Richmond had their fair share of Southern Europeans settle there and consequently began following those clubs.

But a bigger factor was teams that were successful at the time because youngsters like to associate with winners. Richmond, Collingwood and Carlton were the beneficiaries of this support. I would suggest it would have been equally divided amongst those three clubs. It certainly was when I was in primary school in Thornbury during the late 1960s.

 

[sverik25]

If we're talking anecdotal evidence, my school year circa 2010 on the Mornington Peninsula had more Essendon fans than any other club. Hawthorn, Richmond and St Kilda were about level after that. Interesting that Essendon would have the most support in an area outside of their heartland.

But that's anecdotal evidence and carries very little value. Based on a combination of a range of metrics, I would say the following among Victorian clubs:
1. Collingwood
2. Essendon
3. Richmond
4. Carlton
5. Hawthorn
6. Geelong
7. St Kilda
8. Melbourne
9. Western Bulldogs
10. North Melbourne

I think Richmond comes out on top at the moment in terms of membership etc. because they have an incredible rate of engagement with their fans.

I don't have a good handle on how West Coast compares to Collingwood/Essendon/Richmond, but I would say it's very close.

 

[WestCoast05]

100k members in a Wooden Spoon year
Game.set.match

...and don't get me started on the fortune you've got to pay for a west coast membership.

 

[uranium_death]

100k members in a Wooden Spoon year
Game.set.match

...and don't get me started on the fortune you've got to pay for a west coast membership.

Can get any club membership, or a bucket of chips at the footy for the same price

 

[AstuteTiger]

100k members in a Wooden Spoon year
Game.set.match

...and don't get me started on the fortune you've got to pay for a west coast membership.

Well done but I think this has more to do with if you give up your seat you lose it to waiting in the wings members. So no doubt even though your fans aren't attending games they will hold on to their membership. In 2020 no one in Victoria could even go to one game, the tigers still hit 100K and most other clubs stuck fat.

Yes, your 15K waiting in the wing membership is included in that 100K. $55 dollars and thereafter $5 for every family member.
The AFL as of a couple of years ago has dropped the $50 minimum spend and needing to send out a membership pack.

 

[dave10]

Well done but I think this has more to do with if you give up your seat you lose it to waiting in the wings members. So no doubt even though your fans aren't attending games they will hold on to their membership. In 2020 no one in Victoria could even go to one game, the tigers still hit 100K and most other clubs stuck fat.

Yes, your 15K waiting in the wing membership is included in that 100K. $55 dollars and thereafter $5 for every family member.
The AFL as of a couple of years ago has dropped the $50 minimum spend and needing to send out a membership pack.

Let’s just applaud them.. Credit where it’s due. That club has no right to tick over 100,000 members after their lowly finish in 2021 and season to date. If their stadium had 100,000 seats their membership would probably be on another level again. That club is huge.. I don’t think we Victorians really understand that.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Let’s just applaud them.. Credit where it’s due. That club has no right to tick over 100,000 members after their lowly finish in 2021 and season to date. If their stadium had 100,000 seats their membership would probably be on another level again. That club is huge.. I don’t think we Victorians really understand that.

I did say well done but you must admit why would they give up their membership over one bad year. What I'm hearing is if you give it up you could be waiting years and years.

No doubt if they had 80K stadium (when winning) they could go close to filling it. 2 teams with the eagles being the biggest in the state. I don't underestimate their drawing capacity in their own state.

 

[WestCoast05]

Well done but I think this has more to do with if you give up your seat you lose it to waiting in the wings members. So no doubt even though your fans aren't attending games they will hold on to their membership. In 2020 no one in Victoria could even go to one game, the tigers still hit 100K and most other clubs stuck fat.

Yes, your 15K waiting in the wing membership is included in that 100K. $55 dollars and thereafter $5 for every family member.
The AFL as of a couple of years ago has dropped the $50 minimum spend and needing to send out a membership pack.

100%
West Coast non-waiting list memberships are valuable. Thousands of ppl paying more $$$ to wait for years than some clubs actually charge for proper attending memberships.

This doesnt make 100k members in a wooden spoon year less impressive - makes it more impressive.

Btw not trying to be an in your face West Coaster with our support level.
I celebrate Richmond breaking 100k too - and every milestone every club breaks.
I love my footy so I want the league to go from strength to strength.