MFC - lowest home game crowds since 1978

[Grapeviney 9,101]

The official data from the AFL won't surprise anyone here - 2013 has seen the club record its lowest home game crowds since 1978.

We averaged just 21,816 at home games this year, lower than the Bulldogs (22,128) and only slightly better than the Lions (21,178).

We had 8 games which drew fewer than 20,000, and 10 games under 23,000.

Taking into account away games - where clubs with more supporters bump up the numbers - we averaged just 24,580, which validates the argument that we are hurting not just ourselves, but the competition more broadly.

Across the entire competition, crowds are up two per cent against last year's figures.

* Found this in the 'Hun today, but it's not online.

[CHAMP 347]

Hardly surprising

[rhaz 342]

As said above, no surprise. People have better things to do than see us play.

[Sir Why You Little 35,392]

When the MFC decide to play football the crowds will return.

"Life is too short to drink bad Red Wine""

[drdrake 3,066]

What the herald sun doesn't comment on is who we play as home games, Port, GWS, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Fremantle, West Coast, Sydney, North, Bulldogs plus Collingwood and Hawthorn, so 7 home games against interstate clubs and the Bulldogs and North two of the lower drawing Vic teams. The AFL is torn revenue V equalisation, revenue will always win.

[Jaded No More 60,497]

This is the lowest I've ever felt being a Melbourne supporter, and I doubt I'm alone.

So it's really no wonder people don't turn up to games.

Even though I have gone to all games this year, it's been a massive struggle to find the motivation to rock up each week and stay for the whole match.

In the end our low attendances only hurt us more, but this is honestly the first season where I can't blame people who choose to stay away. It's just one painful experience after another.

The G was empty on Sunday. Was so sad.

[mjt 640]

This is the lowest I've ever felt being a Melbourne supporter, and I doubt I'm alone.

So it's really no wonder people don't turn up to games.

Even though I have gone to all games this year, it's been a massive struggle to find the motivation to rock up each week and stay for the whole match.

In the end our low attendances only hurt us more, but this is honestly the first season where I can't blame people who choose to stay away. It's just one painful experience after another.

The G was empty on Sunday. Was so sad.

And it will people like yourself that will have the most satisfaction when the tide turns, your a true supporter.

[Guest]

I hope this is the lowest trough I will reach as a supporter. I thought the last time I would have to be embarassed to be a Melbourne supporter was back in 1997. At least that period of stinkitude lasted 2 years. This has been ongoing for 7.

Alas, as I am a home member, that Freo game for me was farewell to what I call the era of spin. From round 23, I will no longer get into pissing matches on the 'Land about the shenanigans of Hollywood Boulevard et. al. It's onwards and upwards! :D

[rufus 956]

This is the lowest I've ever felt being a Melbourne supporter, and I doubt I'm alone.

So it's really no wonder people don't turn up to games.

Even though I have gone to all games this year, it's been a massive struggle to find the motivation to rock up each week and stay for the whole match.

In the end our low attendances only hurt us more, but this is honestly the first season where I can't blame people who choose to stay away. It's just one painful experience after another.

The G was empty on Sunday. Was so sad.

I'm with you mate.

At the moment I would genuinely be happy to be told I have to go to work on a Sunday arvo when we are playing so I don't feel obliged to have to turn up and don't have to watch if it's an interstate game. I'm not exaggerating when I say work is much more enjoyable than watching us play...and I don't like my job.

Everyone knows it can't continue for much longer...another year like this and we are toast.

[beelzebub 22,789]

Ive spoken to the dog and he will come back to games next year, but only if we decide to come to play. The dog is wise.

[Pates 9,567]

Terrible attendance this year but hardly surprising. When everyone looked at the fixture most people said a good draw football wise (made stuff all difference) but terrible commercially. This has been proven way too true, and couple with our worst season performance wise I've ever seen this has really hurt us.

Please god let us win some effing games next year, it's the only way to draw a crowd.

[titan_uranus 23,308]

7 of our home games were against interstate clubs.

One of our home games was in Darwin.

One of our home games was at Etihad.

Only three of our MCG home games were against Victorian sides. One of those was the Bulldogs, the smallest of the Victorian sides.

Of the big 5 Victorian clubs (Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Richmond), we had home games against two of them, and a total number of games against them of 5.

Of our 11 home games, 4 were on a Sunday at 1.10 (arguably the worst and least-enjoyed timeslot).

It's all chicken-egg, though. These are part of the reason why our crowds are so low. They're also the result of sustained poor performance on the field.

Get better on the field --> get more promising for AFL/Channel 7 --> get home games against bigger sides, in better timeslots --> get bigger crowds and TV audiences.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

What did they expect?!
We supported and cheered through 7 years of this crappola expecting it to get better, but it didnt.

Heck we even came along for the first 5 games this year hoping it'd get better, but it didn't. Just the same old crappola.

But i'll still keep turning up next year, and every year like the chump i am, just hoping it'll get better.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

The MFC has the worst team ever.

Which plays boring Football.

Its should be thankful someone showed up.

But really the Club should have paid its supporters to turn up to the games as it is criminal they would expect us to pay to watch their games.

Should reported them to the Fair Trading commission for false and misleading advertising as the MFC charge us to watch an AFL game but only delivered at best a VFL reserve standard game.

[deanbarber 37]

as a minor, i swore to go to as many games as i could, through thick and thin. born in 94, i went to about 11 games a season, even through '07-'11 and living 100km away.

but now? i understand why people dont go to matches. its sad really, i turned up on sunday. But it wasnt out of joy. it was out of commitment - this is only the 4th time this year i have gone to. Im only 18, and when you cant be assed going at an age where youre generally most energetic and 'up and about', i only wonder how this stage of the club dissuades young kids going for this club and affect our future.

I found myself rather going out of my way to watch a neutral game on the friday night (hawks v pies) more than the alot of melbourne games this year. By no means do i go for either of those clubs, but i was emotionally, physically and verbally barracking for the hawks on the friday, more than i was for my dees on the sunday, even though mfc is where my heart truly is. Stupid i know, but its a harsh reality of where this club is at at the moment.

If this club doesnt change soon, who's to say that people (of all ages, not just young ones) will find a different club.