Low Attendance

[praha 11,224]

12 minutes ago, Tracca said:

The so called level 1 wing you talk about (non mcc) is constantly full. It’s the sk Warne stand that is literally empty every week 

That's AFL Members. Melbourne has among the lowest number of AFL members in the league. It's always a dead zone. I'm an AFL member but I walk around now and sit or stand near the cheersquad or in Olympic Stand.

[PartyTimeJohnny 533]

Na actually 32k isn't bad at all because when you take into account the fact is was the inconvenient time of a Saturday night, and factor in that it wasn't raining and also the fall in crypto prices it's actually to be expected. It's not like we're the reigning premiers getting out-cheered two weeks in a row by interstate teams. this is all to be expected and not embarrassing at all. 

[Kent 2,880]

22 hours ago, rpfc said:

Excellent factoid.

I am just letting a fellow traveller know that there is walk up available from this week.

already used the system for tickets v CW and Brisbane

 

[Kent 2,880]

10 hours ago, praha said:

That was a [censored] pathetic turnout. Was standing behind the goals and Swans supporters outnumbered and outcheered us badly. Everywhere. I'd say 60% of the crowd was Sydney tonight. 

yes even in members was the same 50/50 swans but made much more noise

 

[Wodjathefirst 2,631]

8 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

The outnumbered claim is complete rubbish

But they certainly ‘out- noised’ and ‘out- passioned’ us.

[titan_uranus 24,931]

I'm increasingly of the view that our supporter base just don't go to night games (finals aside).

The one thing I'll say is that the public transport situation is a debacle. Left the ground at the final siren, straight to Richmond station, where there was a 10 minute wait for a single train to any of Glen Waverley, Belgrave and Lilydale. Platforms 9 and 10 fully clogged up.

If you have kids and you're leaving a game at 10pm and you can't even get on a train until 10.30pm because there aren't any, I can (kinda, somewhat) understand why you might not want to go to more night games in the future.

[Kozzie4PM 765]

They definitely didn't outnumber us. 

When we dominated at the start our fans were barely cheering. I looked around after some of those goals and less than half our supporters were even clapping. It was amazing.

[fr_ap 2,435]

It's not really a valid excuse, but we're just not a desperate lowly supporter base. It's cliche, but there's a real class divide. Chelsea have the same thing in the EPL. 

If you go to a Pies, blues, bombers or tigers game, the types of people who attend are just so different to ours  Swathes of kids from struggling suburbs with faces painted. Grown men in worn down trackies and the 90s AFL bomber jackets, for whom you get the impression this is their single affordable outing for the week. Groups of 12 year olds with mullets or dusty cuts up to no good. To many of these people, their team winning is absolutely everything. Theyre raucous and raw in a way most Melbourne supporters would never understand. We get negative and groan, but our excitement just doesn't rival theirs when the whips are cracking. When kids attend our games, they're let down even if we win. The nervous energy in the crowd, the feeling of being in the place to be when there's 65k+....kids yearn for this. Crowds beget crowds. 

We don't have that working class, passionate supporter base. I'm not sure we ever will - certainly not without 10 years of sustained success bringing a new generation through. 

[DubDee 24,835]

People underestimate the influence a loud supportive crowd can have on the team and result. It can lift the team and influence the umpires. The loud Swans fans played a part in that win last night

[DeeZee 7,359]

We’ve always been a quiet crowd and even our Cheer squad doesn’t seem to have the same voice as a lot of other teams.

60,000 members plus MCC and only 15-30k turning up, what’s the problem?

Are they content now that we’ve won one?

[hemingway 7,615]

34 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

I'm increasingly of the view that our supporter base just don't go to night games (finals aside).

The one thing I'll say is that the public transport situation is a debacle. Left the ground at the final siren, straight to Richmond station, where there was a 10 minute wait for a single train to any of Glen Waverley, Belgrave and Lilydale. Platforms 9 and 10 fully clogged up.

If you have kids and you're leaving a game at 10pm and you can't even get on a train until 10.30pm because there aren't any, I can (kinda, somewhat) understand why you might not want to go to more night games in the future.

Agree. Even worse for country fans. Trains are unreliable and can leave you stranded unless you are staying overnight. The alternative is a long car trip in the dark to get home. 

[Billy 2,510]

2 hours ago, PartyTimeJohnny said:

Na actually 32k isn't bad at all because when you take into account the fact is was the inconvenient time of a Saturday night, and factor in that it wasn't raining and also the fall in crypto prices it's actually to be expected. It's not like we're the reigning premiers getting out-cheered two weeks in a row by interstate teams. this is all to be expected and not embarrassing at all. 

We’ll said Johnny 

Wait until the depths of winter for more excuses 

[Dee Dee 1,103]

21 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Agree. Even worse for country fans. Trains are unreliable and can leave you stranded unless you are staying overnight. The alternative is a long car trip in the dark to get home. 

I didn’t go to the game! Raw, freezing conditions here in the Macedon Ranges and an up to 2 hour car trip to the ground then the trip home in the dark: getting home after midnight - no way!
I’ve been a passionate Melbourne supporter for more years than I’d like to confess, but Saturday night football in this kind of weather is best viewed (for me) at home.

I’ll see you all at the G next week👍.

[Sir Why You Little 36,765]

1 hour ago, fr_ap said:

It's not really a valid excuse, but we're just not a desperate lowly supporter base. It's cliche, but there's a real class divide. Chelsea have the same thing in the EPL. 

If you go to a Pies, blues, bombers or tigers game, the types of people who attend are just so different to ours  Swathes of kids from struggling suburbs with faces painted. Grown men in worn down trackies and the 90s AFL bomber jackets, for whom you get the impression this is their single affordable outing for the week. Groups of 12 year olds with mullets or dusty cuts up to no good. To many of these people, their team winning is absolutely everything. Theyre raucous and raw in a way most Melbourne supporters would never understand. We get negative and groan, but our excitement just doesn't rival theirs when the whips are cracking. When kids attend our games, they're let down even if we win. The nervous energy in the crowd, the feeling of being in the place to be when there's 65k+....kids yearn for this. Crowds beget crowds. 

We don't have that working class, passionate supporter base. I'm not sure we ever will - certainly not without 10 years of sustained success bringing a new generation through. 

Uggh Being compared to Chelsea FC

I feel illnes and revolt!!!

[WalkingCivilWar 39,271]

1 hour ago, fr_ap said:

It's not really a valid excuse, but we're just not a desperate lowly supporter base. It's cliche, but there's a real class divide. Chelsea have the same thing in the EPL. 

If you go to a Pies, blues, bombers or tigers game, the types of people who attend are just so different to ours  Swathes of kids from struggling suburbs with faces painted. Grown men in worn down trackies and the 90s AFL bomber jackets, for whom you get the impression this is their single affordable outing for the week. Groups of 12 year olds with mullets or dusty cuts up to no good. To many of these people, their team winning is absolutely everything. Theyre raucous and raw in a way most Melbourne supporters would never understand. We get negative and groan, but our excitement just doesn't rival theirs when the whips are cracking. When kids attend our games, they're let down even if we win. The nervous energy in the crowd, the feeling of being in the place to be when there's 65k+....kids yearn for this. Crowds beget crowds. 

We don't have that working class, passionate supporter base. I'm not sure we ever will - certainly not without 10 years of sustained success bringing a new generation through. 

You’ve echoed my sentiments  EXACTLY. (And impressively.) You’ll no doubt have someone reply with a story to the contrary, but that’d be the exception to the rule. 

The only point with which I don’t fully agree is the last sentence; I don’t think even 20 years of sustained success would change this ingrained ‘class difference’ thing. 

[titan_uranus 24,931]

1 hour ago, fr_ap said:

It's not really a valid excuse, but we're just not a desperate lowly supporter base. It's cliche, but there's a real class divide. Chelsea have the same thing in the EPL. 

If you go to a Pies, blues, bombers or tigers game, the types of people who attend are just so different to ours  Swathes of kids from struggling suburbs with faces painted. Grown men in worn down trackies and the 90s AFL bomber jackets, for whom you get the impression this is their single affordable outing for the week. Groups of 12 year olds with mullets or dusty cuts up to no good. To many of these people, their team winning is absolutely everything. Theyre raucous and raw in a way most Melbourne supporters would never understand. We get negative and groan, but our excitement just doesn't rival theirs when the whips are cracking. When kids attend our games, they're let down even if we win. The nervous energy in the crowd, the feeling of being in the place to be when there's 65k+....kids yearn for this. Crowds beget crowds. 

We don't have that working class, passionate supporter base. I'm not sure we ever will - certainly not without 10 years of sustained success bringing a new generation through. 

Good discussion points in this post, @fr_ap.

On the bolded bit, how can anyone blame them - just look on here. When we win it's "well that was expected", when we lose it's "we're stuffed". Either way, there's far less excitement than there should be.

Now that we've won it, I think there are parts of our core supporter base who have lost the desperation and passion that the 57 year drought brought to all of us. A bit of "oh well, so what if we lose it this year, we won it last year!".

[Dr. Gonzo 23,931]

If we can't get more than 20k to a game regularly (which we have demonstrated multiple times this year that we cannot) after winning a flag and being on top of the ladder halfway through the season we may as well pack up shop 

[PartyTimeJohnny 533]

I genuinely believe that after a long time of being let down Melbourne fans only make noise to Jeer. The loudest points last night was a Melbourne player doing something bad. We've all sat near some nut case who is still saying negative stuff after a flag. Roos was right on the veil of negativity. My only hope is a run of good years brings in new optimistic fans and we leave this generation and this way of supporting Melbourne at home where they prefer to watch. 

[Sir Why You Little 36,765]

It takes years to build a Serious and loud Supporter base. Not one season, we have got some new supporters but we have to keep winning big games

That will come. 
The Boys are now learning that defending greatness is harder than getting there. 
Goodwin defended in 98

Yze did it as a coach 2013-15

Let’s see how strong the MFC is right now

[Wodjathefirst 2,631]

We as supporters have one job to do, go to the G, that is the only tangible way to help our boys. They need us right now, more than ever. But don’t rock up there and sit there like a stunned mullet, make some bloody noise, in fact go wild!

If your partner doesn’t like you doing that sort of thing, leave them at home.  If you have kids, bring them along and let them see the ‘other you’.  Monkey see, monkey do.  We truly need a new breed of supporters. GO DEES and kick Collingwood’s (self censored). 

[DeeZone 9,198]

Although retired We have only missed two games through Covid and illness (surgery) we will be at all remaining games hopefully. But we are fortunate that we travel in with our daughter and don’t have to put up with Public Transnsport. Still I am surprised at our low turnouts we have s super talented list and won 10 on the trot, what are people waiting for, the losses make the wins all the sweeter. We aren’t going to see finals footy played in May, June and July just hard fought wins and losses. I think that Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang has skewed our perceptions and perhaps spoilt our appreciation for hard rough and tough encounters, maybe even the players to a degree.!!!

ps( my wife and I are a bit noisy and I love bagging poor decisions and some of the crap that the opposition get up to).

Edited June 5, 2022 by DeeZone

[rpfc 28,084]

5 hours ago, Kent said:

already used the system for tickets v CW and Brisbane

 

Congratulations. For those that have THE EXCUSE that there are no ‘walk ups’ and they can’t sit together and it’s all ‘too hard’ - there are now an allocation of walk ups for all games left in the season.

Great if you understand, but couldn’t care less if you didn’t.

[layzie 33,353]

Agree, silent fans at home get off your ar** and help.

Edited June 5, 2022 by layzie

[praha 11,224]

The noise isn't the issue for me. It's the numbers. They're just not big enough.

Melbourne supporters clap and watch. Like Whaetley once said, watching Melbourne is like viewing art at the museum. We're very much like Chelsea or the Chicago Bulls. During the season it's boring home games. Once the pressure rises and it's a big game or the playoffs though we're as loud as anyone.

[Roy Boy 373]

Seems a common response that we are a 'quiet' supporter base.

I went to the Hawthorn game with my family, Punt Road end forward pocket, my wife and I thought the crowd was super quiet, hardly anyone screaming out.

Then I went to Freo game alone sitting in same area, quiet again. I screamed out something like "Call for it Ben Brown, you're the biggest bloke out there" and it was like I shot Bambi, quite a few people turned around to look.

There were a lot of families with young children, so maybe our demographic is slightly different. Just happy to give a golf clap.

As others have stated, other teams supporters seem more rabid, almost like its life and death.

Don't know what the answer is though?? Just accept that we are quiet? Richmond have the 'grog squad', not saying we need that but a genuine group of Demon supporters that may rev the crowd up with general banter and wit?