Jump to content

Attendance excuses/reasons? 163 members have voted

  1. 1. What have you/friends/family given as PRIMARY reasons they are not going to the footy?

    • Covid - Prefer not to get sick, see you in 2025
      35
    • Kayo - I like sitting on my [censored] at home
      27
    • Arrogant - I only rock up to finals, H&A is for chumps.
      5
    • Low Functioning - I don’t want to bother going to Ticketek website
      23
    • I’m special - so different to the above it’s not even funny.
      27

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Featured Replies

Just out of curiosity what were the attendance figures for all games?

 
14 minutes ago, DeeZone said:

Just out of curiosity what were the attendance figures for all games?

You gave me something to do DZ.

Gabba - Lions v Pies 32,212

Optus - West Coast v Swans 42,888

Adelaide Oval - Crows v Tigers 33,031

MCG - Blues v Port 33,433

MCG- Hawks v Cats 48,030

20,791 for our game.

All three Marvel games aren’t showing a crowd figure on the AFL site.

1 minute ago, Dee Zephyr said:

You gave me something to do DZ.

Gabba - Lions v Pies 32,212

Optus - West Coast v Swans 42,888

Adelaide Oval - Crows v Tigers 33,031

MCG - Blues v Port 33,433

MCG- Hawks v Cats 48,030

20,791 for our game.

All three Marvel games aren’t showing a crowd figure on the AFL site.

Saints gold Coast was 18k on the traditional Saturday afternoon slot. So 3 k less than us on the same day in the same city also against a low drawing interstate side

 

@rpfc, will we eventually be told who voted for what?

I’m just curious as to who that one arrogant [censored] is who only rocks up to finals coz H&A matches are for chumps. 😆

Let’s call a spade a spade. The crowd of 20,000 was quite frankly pathetic from our supporter base. We can’t blame GWS because they don’t have any supporters.

1) It was on one of the best April Melbourne  nights you will ever get from a weather perspective - 24 degrees at 7:25pm.

2) We’ve started the season magnificently to the extent that the media have us so far ahead of the second seed.

3) We’ve finally won a flag so I would’ve thought Melbourne people would be desperate to attend every single game imaginable after being denied a once in a life time opportunity to see a flag live, as well as two other finals.

4) I can’t accept or believe that 35,000 odd Melbourne members were out of town. So I’m not using the Easter holidays as an alibi for our supporter base.

Pert and Co would be disappointed by such a small crowd on a marquee time slot that is Saturday night. Still a long way to go if we want to be consider a Melbourne based power house club.


3 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

You gave me something to do DZ.

Gabba - Lions v Pies 32,212

Optus - West Coast v Swans 42,888

Adelaide Oval - Crows v Tigers 33,031

MCG - Blues v Port 33,433

MCG- Hawks v Cats 48,030

20,791 for our game.

All three Marvel games aren’t showing a crowd figure on the AFL site.

Dons got 23K to their Marvel game which is way below what they historically get at Marvel.

After 2 games I didn't see any threads about how we had the best supporters because we were 2nd in the comp for home attendance but after the third, against an interstate team on Easter weekend, we are crying foul.

I really think that sums it up.

9 minutes ago, deanox said:

After 2 games I didn't see any threads about how we had the best supporters because we were 2nd in the comp for home attendance but after the third, against an interstate team on Easter weekend, we are crying foul.

I really think that sums it up.

The crowds in rounds 1 and 3 were also disappointing.

 
7 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Dons got 23K to their Marvel game which is way below what they historically get at Marvel.

And imagine what we would have got if we were travelling as poorly as Essendon?

20k was seriously poor and we should have done better. 

  • Author
7 hours ago, deanox said:

After 2 games I didn't see any threads about how we had the best supporters because we were 2nd in the comp for home attendance but after the third, against an interstate team on Easter weekend, we are crying foul.

I really think that sums it up.

I’m not really following that equation.

We had 58k for the Dogs & flag unveiling and low 40s for the Bombers. Those are not good. They’re not pathetic so no thread.

Generational team + pathetic crowd - meek excuses = ‘Crying Foul thread’

I really think that sums it up.


It’s a poor turnout. No getting away from it. Easter a factor so I don’t think this game is the best indicator

Covid has impacted attendances across the board and is the main reason for lower attendances. There are those who are afraid of catching covid but there are also iso rules still in place meaning isolating fans can’t get to the games and isolating workers can’t man the food and alcohol stalls and all the other supporting services. Once rules and restrictions are finally lifted (and its well past time they were imo), I hope the 10%-20% covid holdouts will return

Watching on TV will never replace attending the game live. It’s a social occasion centred around the game for me. Catching up with mates, enjoying the banter and beers and getting the chance to belt out Grand old flag with the rest of the faithful. You can’t replicate that watching on the TV

There are 2 types of Melbourne based Dees supporters (I’ll leave out country and inter-state given the logistics involved). Those who find reasons to attend and those who find reasons not to attend. Which are you?

One thing I think we can all agree on is that if it wasn't for ...

Rail replacement buses.

Public transport in general.

Uber prices. 

Parking. 

Too long a walk after we've parked. 

Traffic. 

$10 beers.

Mid strength beer. 

Food outlets closed. 

Loud music.

Weather too nice to go.

Weather too bad to go. 

Games on public holidays.

Games at night. 

Games at 3.20pm on a Sunday.

Games at 1.10pm on a Saturday. 

Games on a Wednesday.

Games on a Thursday. 

Games on a Friday. 

Games at Easter.

Games on Mother's Day. 

Bringing the family to a night game. 

Leaving the family to go to a night game. 

Games against interstate teams. 

Games against teams with no rivalry. 

Games at Marvel. 

School holidays. 

Going away for the weekend. 

Can't sit exactly where we want. 

Sitting on level 4. 

Can't stand at the game. 

Spending all our money on the Grand Prix the week before. 

Can't pay in cash at the gate. 

Not being able to access our digital ticket until 72 hours before a game. 

Stupid ticketing system. 

Ticketek

Ticketmaster

Free to air on TV

Kayo

Club not promoting games enough. 

2 years of lockdown.

Covid. 

...we would all crawl over broken glass to watch this Melbourne team right now. 

 

 

 

23 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Not speaking for others but I don't have an issue with people who are getting away for the weekend. I don't expect people's lives to revolve around the footy, we all have other stuff going on. It's more those who could've gone but opted not to because it was easier to watch on TV.

Definitely and at a time slot like this as well. Would have loved to be there myself especially with that second half and can't wait to get back to the G, it is a worthwhile question from OP. 

Whilst people are getting giddy over our membership numbers, they have to accept that a large portion of these are 3 game memberships so these people are unlikely to be seen at anything other than blockbuster matches. I doubt that most of these people even particularly care about the club, they just want to be along for the ride.

Other than that, night games are a major hassle and I don't blame people for not attending when you are almost guaranteed to have public transport problems every second week.

 

1 hour ago, BDA said:

There are 2 types of Melbourne based Dees supporters. Those who find reasons to attend and those who find reasons not to attend. Which are you?

Personally, I’m a third type of Melbourne supporter: I don’t need to find reasons either way. I have one never-ending, omnipresent, unwavering reason, that being simply, the MFC. And in particular, the fact that the Dees are my one constant in life. People come and go, relationships begin and end, good things happen, bad things happen, awesome things happen. But through the peaks and troughs and everything in between there’s always been the Dees. I love this club with every atom of every fibre of my being. I love every single player as if he were my (much) younger brother 😉 Therefore, there’d have to be the MacDaddy of reasons to keep me from attending. End of passionate outburst. 😁


3 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Personally, I’m a third type of Melbourne supporter: I don’t need to find reasons either way. I have one never-ending, omnipresent, unwavering reason, that being simply, the MFC. And in particular, the fact that the Dees are my one constant in life. People come and go, relationships begin and end, good things happen, bad things happen, awesome things happen. But through the peaks and troughs and everything in between there’s always been the Dees. I love this club with every atom of every fibre of my being. I love every single player as if he were my (much) younger brother 😉 Therefore, there’d have to be the MacDaddy of reasons to keep me from attending. End of passionate outburst. 😁

Wow. The club is over 160 years old. I dare not make any further comment. It might be seen as impolite. 

1 minute ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Wow. The club is over 160 years old. I dare not make any further comment. It might be seen as impolite. 

I have no idea what this means 🤷‍♀️ 
Edit: I just saw the bolded bit. 😂

 

Edited by WalkingCivilWar

1 minute ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I have no idea what this means 🤷‍♀️ 

Is it safe to point out that if your younger brother is over 160 years old, that makes his older sister, well, older than that. 

1 minute ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Is it safe to point out that if your younger brother is over 160 years old, that makes his older sister, well, older than that. 

Of course it’s safe to say that!

*begins making voodoo doll of LDVC*

Another strange contrived fixture next week.

Only two matches in Melbourne. Ours on Sunday night and the game at the MCG on Monday

 


58 minutes ago, poita said:

Whilst people are getting giddy over our membership numbers, they have to accept that a large portion of these are 3 game memberships so these people are unlikely to be seen at anything other than blockbuster matches. I doubt that most of these people even particularly care about the club, they just want to be along for the ride.

Other than that, night games are a major hassle and I don't blame people for not attending when you are almost guaranteed to have public transport problems every second week.

 

Agree on night games. They are a significant deterrent for country fans. There are a lot of Demon fans in the country. Until I moved to the country I had not realised how many committed Dees fans live in central Vic. For most, home is a minimum of 2 to 3 hours from the MCG. Meaning that if you go by car, it’s a 1am return to home. So that’s a problem. The second problem is that public transport/trains is dodgy/unreliable. Most don’t have any faith in the train service. I understood why when at the end of the Doggies game I walked back to Southern Cross only to find that the last train had been cancelled and there was no replacement bus service. No service, no warning, no apology just an empty train station. Fortunately, I was able to find a billet at a friends flat for the night but incredibly frustrating and inconvenient given my plans early the next day. 

Most country fans have given up. They love the club and are probably more passionate than city dwellers but it is all to hard. The TV and the armchair have to suffice. 

11 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

The crowds in rounds 1 and 3 were also disappointing.

Compared to what?

Compared to 2019 AFL crowds, it's a poor showing.

But if it's compared to 2022 crowds to date, they were pretty good. After 5 rounds (45 games) our first two home games rank no. 3 and 7 for highest crowd of the season. Yeah they could have had bigger crowds, but they fit within the current climate. 

Do people expect that suddenly, with a flick of a switch, we'd be drawing Collingwood level crowds every week?

 

4 hours ago, BDA said:

It’s a poor turnout. No getting away from it. Easter a factor so I don’t think this game is the best indicator

Covid has impacted attendances across the board and is the main reason for lower attendances. There are those who are afraid of catching covid but there are also iso rules still in place meaning isolating fans can’t get to the games and isolating workers can’t man the food and alcohol stalls and all the other supporting services. Once rules and restrictions are finally lifted (and its well past time they were imo), I hope the 10%-20% covid holdouts will return

Watching on TV will never replace attending the game live. It’s a social occasion centred around the game for me. Catching up with mates, enjoying the banter and beers and getting the chance to belt out Grand old flag with the rest of the faithful. You can’t replicate that watching on the TV

There are 2 types of Melbourne based Dees supporters (I’ll leave out country and inter-state given the logistics involved). Those who find reasons to attend and those who find reasons not to attend. Which are you?

Well put BDA 

To be honest it's like marriage and divorce

Some find reasons to leave 

Others find reasons to stay 

Couples don't work hard enough to keep their marriages going these days.

 

 
1 hour ago, deanox said:

Compared to what?

Compared to 2019 AFL crowds, it's a poor showing.

But if it's compared to 2022 crowds to date, they were pretty good. After 5 rounds (45 games) our first two home games rank no. 3 and 7 for highest crowd of the season. Yeah they could have had bigger crowds, but they fit within the current climate. 

Do people expect that suddenly, with a flick of a switch, we'd be drawing Collingwood level crowds every week?

 

No but nor should we get only North Saints and Freo numbers after winning  a flag and hAving record numbers in Members and Coteries etc. 

Since Round 9 2020 we have 

WON 31 matches LOST only 7 DRAWN  1 in 39  games That's 80% if we win next week. That's  nearly twice our AFL/VFL 125 year history of 45%! Winning rate . 

So success is sweet but I think the AFL and/ or Club  should send a survey out to Members and Supporters asking what are the 3 main reasons why you are not going and provide alternatives on the survey. 

They should also contact members who are not going ( or Unregularly) to games and find out why ?

Membership Corporate or Social support seems the highest ever so why not at games say 60% of members going?  
 

it's disappointing to say the least
Have  to say the 20,000 odd there were fantastic very loud passionate and appreciative and supportive but are they the only rusted on fans?

Time will tell ! 

Really who wouldn't  be with a GF like quarter 3rd quarter of 10 goals! Amazing 10 different players 10 different ways and some sensational footy to last with memories of last year ! 

Reckon Kossie Tommy Sparrow and Bowser's 3 goals are all in for GOTRound and  2 are GOTYear contenders  for the efforts and skills. 

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, deanox said:

Compared to what?

Compared to 2019 AFL crowds, it's a poor showing.

But if it's compared to 2022 crowds to date, they were pretty good. After 5 rounds (45 games) our first two home games rank no. 3 and 7 for highest crowd of the season. Yeah they could have had bigger crowds, but they fit within the current climate. 

Do people expect that suddenly, with a flick of a switch, we'd be drawing Collingwood level crowds every week?

 

Essendon, Collingwood and Richmond are all having poor/relatively poor seasons. WA still has restrictions in place for attendances (or did, not sure if that's changed now but I don't believe so). If those clubs were not impacted so much by performance/restrictions we would not have the 3rd and 7th highest crowds for the season. 

Essendon have been rubbish for 20 years and have had a disappointing start to the season yet still got a higher attendance than us against an interstate team with minimal support. This was also on Easter Sunday when many people actually have family functions on as opposed to the Saturday fixture. St Kilda only drew 2k fewer than us on Saturday despite our performance. 

You can find excuses all you want, the facts are the crowds have been disappointing this year especially considering our performance.


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • FEATURE: 1925

    A hundred years ago today, on 2 May 1925, Melbourne kicked off the new season with a 47 point victory over St Kilda to take top place on the VFL ladder after the opening round of the new season.  Top place was a relatively unknown position for the team then known as the “Fuchsias.” They had finished last in 1923 and rose by only one place in the following year although the final home and away round heralded a promise of things to come when they surprised the eventual premiers Essendon. That victory set the stage for more improvement and it came rapidly. In this series, I will tell the story of how the 1925 season unfolded for the Melbourne Football Club and how it made the VFL finals for the first time in a decade on the way to the ultimate triumph a year later.

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: West Coast

    Saturday’s election night game in Perth between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne represents 18th vs 15th which makes it a tough decision as to which party to favour. The Eagles have yet to break the ice under their new coach in Andrew McQualter who is the second understudy in a row to confront Demon Coach Simon Goodwin who was also winless until a fortnight ago. On that basis, many punters might be considering to go with the donkey vote but I’ve been assigned with the task of helping readers to come to a considered opinion on this matter of vital importance across the nation. It was almost a year ago that I wrote a preview here of the Demons’ away game against the Eagles (under the name William from Waalitj because it was Indigenous Round).  I issued a warning that it was a danger game, based on my local knowledge that the home team were no longer easybeats and that they possessed a wunderkind generational player in Harley Reid who was capable of producing stellar performances playing among men a decade and more older than he.  At the time, the Eagles already had two wins off the back of a couple of the young man’s masterclasses and they had recently given the Bombers a scare straight after their Anzac Day blockbuster draw against the then reigning premiers.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 08

    Round 08 of the 2025 AFL Season kicks off on Thursday with a must-win game for the Bombers to stay in touch with the top eight, while the struggling Roos seek a morale-boosting upset. Friday sees the Saints desperate for a win as well if they are to stay in finals contention and their opponents the Dockers will be eager to crack in to the Top 8 with a win on the road. Saturday kicks off with a pivotal clash for both sides asthe Bulldogs look to solidify their top-eight spot, while Port seeks to shake their pretender tag. Then the Crows will be looking to steady their topsy turvy season against a resurgent Blues looking to make it 4 wins on the trot. On Election Night a Blockbuster will see the ladder-leading Pies take on the Cats, who are keen to bounce back after a narrow loss. On Sunday the Sydney Derby promises fireworks as the Giants aim to cement their top-eight status, while the Swans fight to keep their season alive. The Hawks, celebrating their centenary, will be looking to easily account for the Tigers who are desperate to halt their slide. The Round concludes on Sunday Night with a top end of the table QClash with significant ladder implications; both Queensland teams are in scintillating form. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

    • 110 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: West Coast

    The Demons hit the road in Round 8, heading to Perth to face the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium. With momentum building, the Dees will be aiming for a third straight victory to keep their season revival on course. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Thanks
    • 562 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Richmond

    The fans who turned up to the MCG for Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash against Richmond would have been disappointed if they turned up to see a great spectacle. As much as this was a night for the 71,635 in attendance to commemorate heroes of the nation’s past wars, it was also a time for the Melbourne Football Club to consolidate upon its first win after a horrific start to the 2025 season. On this basis, despite the fact that it was an uninspiring and dour struggle for most of its 100 minutes, the night will be one for the fans to remember. They certainly got value out of the pre match activity honouring those who fought for their country. The MCG and the lights of the city as backdrop was made for nights such as these and, in my view, we received a more inspirational ceremony of Anzac culture than others both here and elsewhere around the country. 

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • CASEY: Richmond

    The match up of teams competing in our great Aussie game at its second highest level is a rarity for a work day Thursday morning but the blustery conditions that met the players at a windswept Casey Fields was something far more commonplace.They turned the opening stanza between the Casey Demons and a somewhat depleted Richmond VFL into a mess of fumbling unforced errors, spilt marks and wasted opportunities for both sides but they did set up a significant win for the home team which is exactly what transpired on this Anzac Day round opener. Casey opened up strong against the breeze with the first goal to Aidan Johnson, the Tigers quickly responded and the game degenerated into a defensive slog and the teams were level when the first siren sounded.

      • Clap
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland