Where was everyone?

[Demonland 72,217]

27,068. Pathetic really.

We are a team on the cusp of making the finals for the first time in a decade. I know it was cold. I know we were playing an interstate team but how are we to be taken seriously as a "blockbuster" team if we can't get our own bums on seats?

If Geelong are slated to play the Tigers in a final there will be no question that that game gets played on the G rather than in Geelong. If we line up against the Cats I guarantee you we are playing at Simmonds.

Get your arses, your mates arses, your mums and dads, grannies and grandpas, your cats and dogs to the footy.

Mini rant over.

[Guest]

Unfortunately I was unable to get there due to a couple of my own junior demonlanders playing.

I agree with Demonland.  2018 has the potential to be huge.  Get around them.

[Little Richard 6,264]

Not a good turnout at all, but it did feel like more than that number. I was estimating 35,000 going by the noise. We definitely create a better atmosphere than we used to, but we need more there.

[whatwhat say what 22,775]

I went to our game and to Richmond-GW$

Our game had more atmosphere 

Neither were great, but they had nearly 8k more fans there

Of course, Richmond have nearly DOUBLE our membership...so where were their fans?

[Wunders 397]

1 minute ago, DemonAndrew said:

I went to our game and to Richmond-GW$

Our game had more atmosphere 

Neither were great, but they had nearly 8k more fans there

Of course, Richmond have nearly DOUBLE our membership...so where were their fans?

Especially when you consider that we had 5k more than the pies 22,927  Pies vs WC

[whatwhat say what 22,775]

Pies fans don't like Docklands perhaps?

Meth Coke would have more fans in Melbourne than Port and GW$ combined too

[chook fowler 19,459]

In front of the fire

[jnrmac 20,097]

yawn. Don't need our own slagging off at us. There is plenty in the media to do that.

The Dees have possibly the most resilient supporter base in the country. We have cracked 40,000 members. Everyone is 'busy'. Numbers always drop off in winter. The Pies had 22k blah blah.

 

 

[mauriesy 7,299]

I play sport on Saturdays. Much rather play something than watch

I can attend on Friday nights, Saturday nights, Sundays and QB.

Oh, and I have to travel 150km each way to a game.

[Little Goffy 14,578]

Port's games in Melbourne;

Bombers - 34,000    Magpies - 36,000    Demons - 27,000

West Coast in Melbourne;

Kangaroos - 21,000    Tigers - 42,000     Hawks - 29,000     Bombers - 36,000    Bulldogs - 29,000   Magpies - 22,927 (The same weekend as our Port game, as jnrmac pointed out)

Fremantle in Melbourne;

Demons - 28,000     Tigers - 31,000     Kangaroos - 19,000

 

Our attendance numbers are doing just fine, thanks.

 

 

 

[JTR 2,846]

Agreed!!

And I had this rant already over on joeboys thread...

 

 

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Darwin and the Swans loss stopped our momentum and the gradual crowd build up that comes with success.

It's a pity that we are on the road for the next two weeks as it will be another momentum killer from a crowd perspective.

The positive is that these two road trips are relatively nearby so I hope there is some push for travelling to the game.

Does anyone have an idea of the prices for a trip to Hobart this weekend? Imagine a boat load of Dees supporters heading to Launceston and then bussing to Hobart.

[poita 3,902]

Let's be realistic here. Of our 40,000 members, how many have 11 game (or more) memberships? And how many are armchair / country / 3 game / pet members?

The latter categories are not going to attend, so maybe 27K is a decent attendance on a miserable day against a club with little Melbourne support.

This has long been a bugbear of mine. Report the member numbers in 11 game equivalents, then we can get a proper feel for whether our crowds are reasonable or not.

 

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

If we beat North and then GWS, we'll get 60k vs the Saints if they are still a chance for the 8.

[binman 43,020]

A topic for the podcast?

When the crowd came up on the big screen a couple of port fans next to me said what a pathetic crowd.

That may or may not have anythng to do with the i then started to give it to port for being pretenders, tellunf them they are playing a real team now and that's two in a row for us - away and home.

Nice acoustics at the top of an empty ponsford stand!

[Jibroni 5,004]

3 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

If we beat North and then GWS, we'll get 60k vs the Saints if they are still a chance for the 8.

 

I hope your right as my wife and I are travelling from Adelaide for this one. In terms of the weekend I thought 28K was passable considering the weather and the fact Port have next to no following in Melbourne. If we played the Crows then the crowd would have been around 35K.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,396]

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

27,068. Pathetic really.

We are a team on the cusp of making the finals for the first time in a decade. I know it was cold. I know we were playing an interstate team but how are we to be taken seriously as a "blockbuster" team if we can't get our own bums on seats?

If Geelong are slated to play the Tigers in a final there will be no question that that game gets played on the G rather than in Geelong. If we line up against the Cats I guarantee you we are playing at Simmonds.

Get your arses, your mates arses, your mums and dads, grannies and grandpas, your cats and dogs to the footy.

Mini rant over.

I'm glad you excused the interstate members....

I've flown down twice this year for the Carlton and Collingwood games, my partner who went to her first game on QB wanted to book flights shortly after getting home so we could go again (she loved Melbourne and going to the footy), but due to finances we decided to wait until finals.  Should we play Swans/Giants in Sydney we can attend or fly down for a Melbourne final. 

After lunch I am booking 4 tickets for the Canberra game where I expect to see all 27,068 of you there. 

And when we make the GF thanks to my Redlegs membership I'm guaranteed a ticket so not sure who I'll see then.

Luckily we have Fox Footy and when working can watch it on the AFL app on my phone.

[Bells 155]

I'm in NZ only get over about once every 2 years.  I was surprised to hear that the crowd was small because it sounded pretty good.  To those that were there - you were a great crowd!!!

 

[—coach— 3,496]

I was on the opposite side of the world! Promise I will be at the next one ?

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

Was parenting.

If it makes you feel better though, I managed to get my 4 year old daughter to watch almost 10 minutes with me - which is a new record for her.

My 6 year old son is completely uninterested. It might have something to do with the 2m Max Gawn height measuring chart he was sent earlier this year as part of his membership package. I put it up in his room and it scared the [censored] out of him. Had to take it down. Ol Max now lives in his wardrobe, which I must now shut completely before bed each night.

Also, on the uninterested side, I tried to get him on track by taking him to Auskick when the season started. It was pathetic. 200 odd kids and 4 coaches. A few witches hats and a bunch of balls, and I ended up running the drills for my son's group. I know nothing about teaching footy or kids. They didn't even explain what the drills were supposed to be until half way through the session. Then in the match simulation they popped him in the goal square, ball didn't go near him the entire 15 minute game. He was running around making aeroplane sounds with his hands stretched out. It's been a battle to get him to go ever since. Footy is now 'boring'.

Thanks Auskick.

 

 

Sorry, this post ended up a long way away from where it started.

[danielE288 779]

I was there.

[radar 1,865]

Working in Vietnam 

30 C

watched on afl app on phone. Mentally draining. 

Go Dees

[Moonshadow 17,676]

To quote the late, great Johnny Cash,  "I was there when it happened"

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

No work = No Money

had to watch on TV

Sorry. 

[praha 11,240]

25k-30k was to be expected. The Port turnout was pretty average. We've had good crowd numbers all year and almost 30k against a traditionally low-drawing interstate club is imo not as bad as some are making it out to be. We got 47k vs Sydney and almost 30k vs Freo. We're going okay.

1 hour ago, JTR said:

Agreed!!

And I had this rant already over on joeboys thread...

 

 

RE member intake and comparison, membership figures are a bad gauge because you're not factoring in rise of interstate memberships, 2, 3, 5, 11-game memberships. There would be significant rises in those areas of membership since the Daniher era. We would get 16k to matches against interstate teams in 2000-2006, even when we were travelling okay. We've seen the likes of Richmond and Collingwood memberships go through the roof yet there attendance has barely if it all increased in matches like this: Richmond attracted 35k against GWS despite having almost double the membership we do, and playing for a spot in the top 4. 

We have a very good ratio of fan:attendance, which is a better gauge than member:attendance because some members sign up without the intent of going to matches. 

People are being way too harsh here. We've been rubbish for ten years and have cracked 25k against traditionally low drawing sides twice this year, and managed 47k against the Swans. I'm not sure what you expected. Realistic expectation was always in the 25k-30k range. If 3-4 years ago you said we'd get more than 20k to a Port game on a freezing cold day at the MCG this late in the season, you'd be laughed out. It seemed impossible.

We're doing okay. And we will continue to rise.