Which clubs are really the big four of the AFL?

Which clubs are really the big four of the AFL?

  • Essendon, Collingwood, Carlton & Richmond.

    Votes: 261 72.5%
  • Sydney, Essendon, Crows & Collingwood.

    Votes: 20 5.6%
  • Sydney, Essendon, Crows & West Coast.

    Votes: 79 21.9%

  • Total voters
    360
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AstuteTiger

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 22, 2009
6,904
15,741
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
I'm sceptical about that 80 mil figure, I've read the reports before, Richmond were not around that mark. Though I may be wrong. BTW, I'm Port Adelaide, not Collingwood.

No disrespect but if you want to come across like you don't know much about official club reports then i suggest you don't comment on such matters.
I know you're a port newbie on bigfooty but geez posts like this are cringeworthy.

2019 reports will come out in next month and word is Richmond into the 80's for total revenue which i guess is expected with year on year growth.

The Link below is the 2018 Richmond concise financial report. There are about 20 pages.

Heres a snippet from page 3.
Off-field, the Club will report a profit of $4.21 million for the financial year ended October 31. The Club’s operating profit was $5.54 million before amortisation and depreciation. The Club generated total revenue of $79.8 million, an increase of $14.6 million year-on-year.
We remain debt-free with cash reserves of $13.7 million.
 
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bunderson

Senior List
Jun 9, 2016
229
477
AFL Club
West Coast
two of the most sensible posts in this thread followed by the stupidest.

the Coll v. Richmond back and forth on here is pathetic.


West Coast
Collingwood
In form team
In form team
Aside from the historical nickname which will always remain tagged to Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon Richmond, if I had to weigh up the biggest 4 clubs right now combining relative success, crowds, membership, brand, media power, supporter base, I'd probably have in no order

Eagles
Magpies
Tigers
Hawks

In time you could add Essendon and Carlton if they sorted s**t out, and the Crows but they are an absolute rabble and they lack historical success and longevity goes against them unlike the Eagles who have been much stronger on field.
its obvious. why is adelaide there?

Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon, Sydney and Carlton are the top 5. Carlton or Essendon probably the 5th but Collingwood Richmond and Sydney easily the top 3 we dunno the order though
 

Muh Village

Debutant
Aug 18, 2019
54
34
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
No disrespect but if you want to come across like you don't know much about official club reports then i suggest you don't comment at all.
I know you're a port newbie on bigfooty but geez posts like this are cringeworthy.

2019 reports will come out in next month and word is Richmond into the 80's for total revenue which i guess is expected with year on year growth.

The Link below is the 2018 Richmond concise financial report. There are about 20 pages.

Heres a snippet from page 3.
Off-field, the Club will report a profit of $4.21 million for the financial year ended October 31. The Club’s operating profit was $5.54 million before amortisation and depreciation. The Club generated total revenue of $79.8 million, an increase of $14.6 million year-on-year.
We remain debt-free with cash reserves of $13.7 million.
Yep fair enough. I tend to do stupid s**t like this alot.

On SM-J530Y using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
It doesn't really matter, but unless someone played in 2010 and 1990, 1953 and 1958 would be the last time a Collingwood player had played in 2 flags for the club.

No one cares, but you might want to get your facts right before calling others wrong.

Nope not wrong at all. You are. You may want to go back to the original post and read it and read my answer.
 
Apr 15, 2013
14,335
43,704
AFL Club
Richmond
He's using semantics ie there have been multiple premiership players from other teams play at Collingwood.
Though the original post said 'for Collingwood', meaning did they do it for Collingwood, but it was ambiguous.
Darren Jolly for example.
 

The_Eagles

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 30, 2005
5,752
1,912
North Fremantle
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
australia
1. Collingwood - the blockbuster club that rakes in crowds across the nation, biggest Vic club

2. West Coast Eagles - financial juggernaut, onfield powerhouse, established VFL club

3. Richmond - members, history, finally successful has seen the sleeping tiger stalk the above 2 - yet to kill

4. Sydney - highest TV ratings club, 5 million city. Will probably be easily number 1 in 100 years
 

Craze

Premiership Player
Aug 7, 2013
3,513
7,925
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Steelers
Wouldn’t put Saints in bottom 4. When their on field results are going OK, they are capable of pulling large numbers.

In Vic, the smallest 2 would be Dogs and North. Fitzroy would have been in this group, as would South.

Middle 3 would be Geelong, Saints and Melbourne.

Big 4 will always be Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon. Hawthorn close to this group and probably have groundswell of young support, so future growth may exceed the others.

Including interstate clubs smallest 4 I’m guessing would be North, Dogs, GWS, GCS.
 
He's using semantics ie there have been multiple premiership players from other teams play at Collingwood.
Though the original post said 'for Collingwood', meaning did they do it for Collingwood, but it was ambiguous.
Darren Jolly for example.

Nope wrong again
 

Muh Village

Debutant
Aug 18, 2019
54
34
AFL Club
Port Adelaide

Tigers led home crowds this year. Even after Collingwood played in a GF the previous year.

In terms of crowds, Richmond appear to be king atm. I'd still say pies are bigger overall, but you'd have to look at every facet of what defines club "size".

I think more impressive is the Blues. Considering their form, if they pick up, they could pull monster crowds in the future.

On SM-J530Y using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
its obvious. why is adelaide there?

Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon, Sydney and Carlton are the top 5. Carlton or Essendon probably the 5th but Collingwood Richmond and Sydney easily the top 3 we dunno the order though
If you’re going to make such definite calls it would help to have WC in it since arguably they top Collingwood and Richmond
 
Nah I'm content with seeing my club win multiple flags, have you ever seen a multiple premiership player for Collingwood?

Going back to the original post so there is no dispute. I was asked if I have ever seen a multiple premiership player for Collingwood, well yes I have. Several in fact. Albert Collier winner of an incredible 6 Premierships (3 against the Tigers) used to sit in front of me at training in the 70s. A wonderful man, yes I saw him weekly. Harry Collier and Jack Regan used to take me down the rooms, Collier won 6 Premierships and Regan won 2. Knew them both personally and yes I saw them all the time. Harold Rumney and old Mrs Rumney, wonderful people, 5 flags, yes another Collingwood Premiership player who I saw. Would you like me to continue? There are many more.
 
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Captain_Bender

Premiership Player
May 21, 2015
4,495
6,759
AFL Club
Richmond
Going back to the original post so their no dispute. I was asked if I have ever seen a multiple premiership player for Collingwood, well yes I have. Several in fact. Albert Collier winner of an incredible 6 Premierships (3 against the Tigers) used to sit in front of me at training in the 70s. A wonderful man, yes I saw him weekly. Harry Collier and Jack Regan used to take me down the rooms, Collier won 6 Premierships and Regan won 2. Knew them both personally and yes I saw them all the time. Harold Rumney and old Mrs Rumney, wonderful people, 5 flags, yes another Collingwood Premiership player who I saw. Would you like me to continue? There are many more.
See them play any games though?
 
See them play any games though?

That’s not what you asked but in fact I have. There is your next point to keep you occupied for a day. By the way the more you raise Collingwoods current lack of Premiership players the more you prove the point just how big we are. You are saying we outdraw you with limited success whilst even at your strongest you can’t compete with us crowd wise.
 
Jul 16, 2009
4,346
4,023
Under a Big Sky
AFL Club
St Kilda
Wouldn’t put Saints in bottom 4. When their on field results are going OK, they are capable of pulling large numbers.

In Vic, the smallest 2 would be Dogs and North. Fitzroy would have been in this group, as would South.

Middle 3 would be Geelong, Saints and Melbourne.

Big 4 will always be Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon. Hawthorn close to this group and probably have groundswell of young support, so future growth may exceed the others.

Including interstate clubs smallest 4 I’m guessing would be North, Dogs, GWS, GCS.
agree with all of this.
quite right about the saints.
largest home crowd ever at etihad, and the largest crowd there against an interstate team - over 52k against the lions.
the last team (vs geelong) to draw over 50k to a preseason cup and the 3rd largest ever crowd at the mcg.
on the latest morgan gallop poll (which i think is a fair guage of the melbourne clubs) they comfortably outrank the dogs, dees and north, despite their last seven years outside finals.
and despite the lack of flags they have comfortably more finals, grand finals appearances and minor premierships than the dogs and dees since the advent of the afl.
 
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