I was watching the replay of Sunday’s game between the Dees and the Saints and the commentator said “Not much of a crowd here today”. I just about chucked a shoe through the TV.

I am so sick of these supposedly expert commentators, and others including AFL HQ, spreading misconceptions about the Dees.

So for the record, and please everybody spread the truth....

The crowd on Sunday was 36,748 which is 536 MORE than the average crowd for the year for all home and away games (36,212). So why was the comment made "not much of a crowd...

Melbourne did have a bad year with home game attendances but we were not the worst, Port were. And we had that game in Canberra with virtually no one there.

For home and away games for 2009 we were 12th for attendances.

Since 2000 we have never had the worst home attendance and in three years (2000, 2001 and 2005) we were 5th on the list.

Over the last 10 years Melbourne ranks 9th out of the 16 teams for home game attendances. But based on the stats there is nothing between 7th, 8th and 9th with average home game attendances for the Dees, Saints and Hawks all around the 32.5K mark

Average home game attendances since 2000 for Victorian Clubs

Collingwood 50K

Essendon 47K

Richmond 40K

Carlton 36.5K

St Kilda, Hawthorn, Melbourne 32.5K

Bulldogs 29K

Geelong 27K

North Melbourne 26K

Of the interstate Clubs only the Eagles have a better record

Eagles 37.5K

Fremantle 31.5

Sydney 31K

Brisbane 30.5K

Port Adelaide 28.5K

Bottom line is Melbourne supporters do support their team. Like all supporters they prefer to go and see them when they are winning, but we are a LONG LONG way from the worst supported team. Please spread the word and stop the radio and TV commentators from using generalisations.

Note all stats taken from www.footywire.com

IMO the problem is the majority of Melbourne supporters sit in the Northern stand and many of those middle level.

From the commentary boxes looking across at the southern stand it looks empty.

Edited September 2, 200916 yr by Carn Melbourne

Watch those numbers rise as Jurrah drags an extra 3-5,000 thru the gates every week. And not just Dees!

Letter to the Editor?

And the fact that our home games are at the 'G where a crowd of 35k looks empty, compared to sticking 35k in at Docklands, AAMI or Subi...