Anzac Eve .. the Crowd

[Diamond_Jim 11,818]

Apparently the crowd last night was the biggest home and away crowd the MFC has played before since 19663(4).

Next year it will be our home game. Let's hope we monetise the game appropriately without alienating the fan base.

It will be a Tuesday night so the long weekend affect we had this year may detract from the numbers.

An extra $10 per entrant would do wonders for our finances.

[danielE288 596]

Doubt we will get that sort of crowd 60 - 65 max, mostly Richmond supporters where I was. 

[Sir Why You Little 34,564]

10 minutes ago, danielE288 said:

Doubt we will get that sort of crowd 60 - 65 max, mostly Richmond supporters where I was. 

They will be back. The Event is growing

[Binmans PA 26,217]

9 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

They will be back. The Event is growing

Be interesting to see the crowd they get today. Would be a terrific effort to have got a larger crowd to the ANZAC Eve game.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Easily 80 percent Richmond supporters.

Couldn't believe how many there were, was insane. 

[Diamond_Jim 11,818]

Hate to say it but we need to attract the "theatre crowd"

ANZAC day is almost a pre -season sell out because as well as the usual club supporters it attracts people who like the sense of the big event.

The horse and the cauldron has been a great success and the night time gives us the opportunity to build the theme.... (think projections onto stands of wartime memories).

Nice to talk about something positive for once.

[ickey_11 145]

44 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Apparently the crowd last night was the biggest home and away crowd the MFC has played before since 19663(4).

Next year it will be our home game. Let's hope we monetise the game appropriately without alienating the fan base.

It will be a Tuesday night so the long weekend affect we had this year may detract from the numbers.

An extra $10 per entrant would do wonders for our finances.

Must be home and away, there was 96000 at the 2000 GF

[DemonLad5 1,640]

Yes biggest H&A crowd since 64'

Will probably beat today's crowd given the weather 

[Robot Devil 1,895]

6 minutes ago, DemonLad5 said:

Yes biggest H&A crowd since 64'

Will probably beat today's crowd given the weather 

Car park at the MCG is closed today as well so that may lower the crowd a bit. 

Would be nice for us to have the highest attendance for the round.  

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Eddie. 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Robot Devil

[Diamond_Jim 11,818]

The danger to our game is not from the Collingwood v Essendon fixture (they are powerful enough to protect their turf) but rather from other clubs when Anzac Eve starts to fall on Thursday, Friday Saturday or Sunday.

Here's a hard one.... if you could only keep one blockbuster would you choose Anzac Eve or QB.

Personally I think Anzac Eve has more upside. Collingwood supporters do not appear to be exactly enamoured with the QB game... just another game to them

Richmond also has its "Dreamtime" game but the reality is that without Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond as the other team it hard to create a blockbuster.

 

[Lucifers Hero 37,114]

4 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

The danger to our game is not from the Collingwood v Essendon fixture (they are powerful enough to protect their turf) but rather from other clubs when Anzac Eve starts to fall on Thursday, Friday Saturday or Sunday.

Here's a hard one.... if you could only keep one blockbuster would you choose Anzac Eve or QB.

Personally I think Anzac Eve has more upside. Collingwood supporters do not appear to be exactly enamoured with the QB game... just another game to them

Richmond also has its "Dreamtime" game but the reality is that without Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond as the other team it hard to create a blockbuster.

Interesting question.  My thoughts on other teams are that the status quo holds ie Thursday and Friday night games are stand alone so no competition for time slot.  There aren't any Sunday night games so again no competition.  The AFL would be crazy to bring another game into those time slots given the 'at game' and tv audience success last night.  (Last night the audience was 630,00 nationally even tho it was on 7mate without much pre game promotion.  That is up there with the recent Friday night game Syd vs Pies).  On the Saturday night it would be a joint fixture (hopefully with the other game interstate) as currently happens.  (Same thing for Ess vs Pies afternoon game ANZAC day falls on a Sat/Sun). 

If you are alluding to the AFL taking the ANZAC Eve game from Melb vs Rich - all hell would break lose.  Hopefully, even the AFL aren't that silly especially when staring at a 'golden goose'.

For mine ANZAC Eve is by far the most attractive - made special by the pregame ANZAC tribute.  QB has a slight $ benefit as it is always our Home game whereas ANZAC Eve alternates.  Even so, I would still take the night game vs Rich.  Both clubs are making it a tradition and like you say Coll supporters are apathetic to QB. 

[Mazer Rackham 14,969]

4 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

If you are alluding to the AFL taking the ANZAC Eve game from Melb vs Rich - all hell would break lose.  Hopefully, even the AFL aren't that silly especially when staring at a 'golden goose'.

This. The AFL might care to push us around and get another club in there but they will find it increasingly hard to do that to Richmond. And if Richmond are bed with us on this then they should support our cause.

Nonetheless it would be just like the AFL to say on one hand "don't complain about ANZAC day, make your own marquee games" and then take it off clubs doing exactly that.

[Lucifers Hero 37,114]

1 minute ago, Ted Fidge said:

This. The AFL might care to push us around and get another club in there but they will find it increasingly hard to do that to Richmond. And if Richmond are bed with us on this then they should support our cause.

Nonetheless it would be just like the AFL to say on one hand "don't complain about ANZAC day, make your own marquee games" and then take it off clubs doing exactly that.

Yes the AFL do have form as recent as this year:  The Dees and WB built up women's footy but the AFL handed the inaugural game to Pies vs Coll and it will be the opening fixture for ever more.  They will create the history and our contribution (with WB)  will get lost. 

They did it to North with the Friday night games.

But they allow a team with an illegal drug culture to play on this hallowed day. 

So if the AFL bow to political maneuverings and replace MFC on ANZAC Eve with Rich that is it for me.  No more AFL and I would become a casual observer of the Dees from afar.  There is only so much being pushed around and AFL hypocrisy one can take. 

[Sir Why You Little 34,564]

Next year ANZAC Eve will be huge

we have grabbed a big win with this one

[Chris 2,892]

2 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Easily 80 percent Richmond supporters.

Couldn't believe how many there were, was insane. 

Depends where you were. Up around me was 50/50 in the Ponsford stand. I could see down the bottom was heavily tiges in areas though. 

[Young Blood 2,021]

I know MFC doesn't have the amount of supporters as Richmond but it was as if we were playing an interstate match last night.

Felt like 90% richmond crowd who were deafening at times. Felt for our players when the game was close.

[deebug 1,754]

 That is why we have to show we are improving no matter what it takes. If we don't and stay near the bottom of the ladder or people don't show up to as many home and away games, then the AFL will just say we will share the Anzac eve game around; it was going to happen with the QB game a few years ago because there not enough bums an seats.

[jane02 3,354]

I'm at the MCG now with my husband. Looks like much less people here compared to last night. Loads of Essendon supporters.

[Macca 16,173]

• Next year (2018) ANZAC eve falls on a Tuesday so we'd then only have a 5 day break for a Sunday fixture played in the next round ... that's tricky because the Pies & Dons may not be available to play (when the Pies & Dons play on a Wednesday ANZAC fixture, both teams usually play on the prior Saturday)
• In 2019 our game would fall on a Wednesday so both the Demons & Tigers would almost certainly play other opponents on the prior Saturday (as the Pies & Dons do)
• In 2020 we have a leap year so our game against the Tigers would be played on a Friday (again, stand alone)

 

Maybe a solution for 2018 would be for us to play on the following Monday night ... we could do another deal with another club (with the AFL's blessing) and end up with possible back-to back blockbusters.  The Blues, Hawks or Cats might be accommodating. 

As it stands, we're possibly going to be playing against Essendon the round after or perhaps in the round prior to our ANZAC fixture so we should be endeavouring to make that game into a permanent fixture (with alternate H & A status)  A default blockbuster per se.

We need as many of these big money spinners as possible ... that's a big cheque for the Tigers last night (and it's our turn next season)

[xarronn 380]

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Here's a hard one.... if you could only keep one blockbuster would you choose Anzac Eve or QB.

Personally I think Anzac Eve has more upside. Collingwood supporters do not appear to be exactly enamoured with the QB game... just another game to them

Richmond also has its "Dreamtime" game but the reality is that without Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond as the other team it hard to create a blockbuster.

 

I reckon the big crowds will come back for the Queens Birthday game. It was built on the rivalry which grew out of the fifties and early 60's between Melb and Collingwood. We have been pretty irrelevant for a decade and Collingwood beat us continuously for 8 or 9 years. We have now won the last three games and pies supporters that I know are itching to get us back. What would hold back a big attendance from them is whether they believe their team has a reasonable prospect of winning. 

If it is a big contest it attracts the neutral MCC and AFL members as well. 

On the negative side the next day is a workday.

[Deevout 449]

Anzac Eve game now surely has to be a lock. Both clubs pushing hard for it.

AFL & TV must now see the huge $$$ and publicity last night bought to the code. 

Sitting in the MCC on level 4 and I was shocked that it was PACKED, in my 50+ years of going to MFC home and away games I thought the night was immense, well done to both clubs.

Light up the G Is special as well. Something that's cannot be done on the Anzac Day game.

Also I don't see why there isn't an Anzac Day game played in Perth. Because of the time difference it wouldn't clash for TV coverage with the game at the G. Alternate WC & Freo playing a team from NSW, QLand or SA. Poor souls miss out on this kinda hype. (Derbies excluded)

[pineapple dee 2,892]

39 minutes ago, mongrel said:

I know MFC doesn't have the amount of supporters as Richmond but it was as if we were playing an interstate match last night.

Felt like 90% richmond crowd who were deafening at times. Felt for our players when the game was close.

On the flip side to this, the silence of the Richmond fans when we got out to close to a 4 goal lead was deafening too. There was plenty of noise for the dees. 

[praha 10,283]

Melbourne had a lot of fans there last night but trust me, sitting in AFL Members, 90% of the stadium was up and about when they hit the front. The only section that wasn't was the MCC and parts of the Ponsford.

At least 60k Richmond last night. They are a sleeping giant.

[Drunkn167 5,093]

3 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Easily 80 percent Richmond supporters.

Couldn't believe how many there were, was insane. 

Was pretty imtimidating sitting there as a Dee supporter

[Tony Tea 2,787]

Good night for programmed maintenance on the Hursty line.