Low Attendance

[Pates 9,625]

This is away match related, but the QB just proved why I don’t bother with away games. You always get one numpty away fan that think they’re a hero for baiting the opposing fans. An absolute [censored] that made the whole experience so much worse than it needed to be. 

As for my primary reasons for non attendance, firstly I work in the broadcast of the sport so very often I’m working during our matches. Secondly main reason, I’ve got a wife who’s new to the country, I want to spend time with her. 

I do feel like the have tried too hard to create a match day “experience”. Stick to the KISS model. 

[layzie 32,789]

17 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I can’t understand why anyone would buy food at the ground. Not just the queuing up, but the cost. Just bring stuff from home. But maybe I’m just bitter coz the one time I did buy food recently (the jam doughnuts queue was the shortest) I paid $15 for six of them. $15!!! And not big doughnuts, either.
Didn’t help that I dropped the bag and four of them bounced out and instantly became pigeon food. So in effect I paid $15 for two (microscopic) doughnuts. 🫤 End of whinge. Thx. 

I rarely buy food at the ground. In a pinch I might but it's usually BYO, eat before, eat after or nothing.

[Demonstone 21,751]

If you're considering eating at the footy, please be aware that it's just taking up valuable beer space in your tummy.

[WalkingCivilWar 39,256]

2 hours ago, Pates said:

I’ve got a wife who’s new to the country, I want to spend time with her. 

Bring her to the footy!!! 😊

[monoccular 17,314]

On 6/14/2022 at 1:45 PM, deefender said:

Outside of actual game time the MCG is intolerably  NOISY on game day.

I can remember watching Under 19s followed by the Reserves and Seniors. There was quietness around the ground between quarters and games. It was a relaxing day.

You could even hold a conversation with the person beside you.

Now it’s insanity where noise dominates.

 

On 6/17/2022 at 8:50 AM, The heart beats true said:

Is it really that hard? I hate the process of trying to get tickets due to the allocation of areas, but the issue for me is not paper.

Can anyone tell me why this is so hard for people. Not being facetious, just curious.

My issue with ticketed games is the inability to choose where one sits … for me, I hate level 1 and deep in the pockets.  In the good old days I could walk up and sit roughly where I enjoy the game most. Now I can’t. 

On 6/17/2022 at 2:55 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

Hey Gill, turn off the Fu.. music at the End of Each Quarter so i can talk to my mates about the game. Then i may consider going to another live game

THE AFL HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT GAME DAY EXPERIENCE. 

WE GO TO WATCH FOOTY

Bring back the 2’s

Gil - my “game day experience” is becoming less and less enjoyable due to the incessant non game related NOISE.  I guess in your corporate box you can enjoy a chat with others while we peasants endure the inane din.  

[monoccular 17,314]

Just turned on the AFL Franchise v Footscray game - maybe 5,000 there?  What a resounding investment that has been.  

[monoccular 17,314]

PS Is Thursday game v Brisbane a fully ticketed game?  Can MCC members walk up and pick any spare seat?

[whatwhat say what 22,091]

16 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Just turned on the AFL Franchise v Footscray game - maybe 5,000 there?  What a resounding investment that has been.  

cracking game at half time

would reckon there'd be as many people on the field and there as support staff with the franchise and footscray as there would be supporters in the stands

[rufus 1,050]

15 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Just turned on the AFL Franchise v Footscray game - maybe 5,000 there?  What a resounding investment that has been.  

Biggest take out from that match is that if teams aren't petrified of kicking the ball into the corridor  then the game can actually be entertaining again...just like it was 25 years ago...

[Pates 9,625]

13 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Bring her to the footy!!! 😊

Haha did that once, it was a good day out and we’ll do it again, but it’s not her thing. Definitely not a fan of night matches either. 

[george_on_the_outer 7,427]

15 hours ago, monoccular said:

Just turned on the AFL Franchise v Footscray game - maybe 5,000 there?  What a resounding investment that has been.  

6, 208.

GC v Freo 6136.  GC v North 5523 . Giants v WCE 5057.

Great investment all around.  And AFL want to "create" another franchise in Tasmania. At least a majority of Presidents know where the money would be coming from, in addition to the never ending  lifelines being thrown at GC and Giants

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,344]

What’s an acceptable crowd for this week’s game against the Lions to get the likes of Caro off our backs?

We average 24,000 against Brisbane Lions at the G, and they only got 21,000 to Richmond V Port the other Thursday?

Our record high is 36,000 on a Saturday night in early 2010 when Brisbane (4-0) were flying at the time as we were 2-2 and starting to make progress under Bailey.

I would say the club will be looking at the high 20’s for a reasonable result. This year has emphasised the lack of crowds for Thursday nights during Melbourne’s winter.

[old dee 23,486]

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

What’s an acceptable crowd for this week’s game against the Lions to get the likes of Caro off our backs?

We average 24,000 against Brisbane Lions at the G, and they only got 21,000 to Richmond V Port the other Thursday?

Our record high is 36,000 on a Saturday night in early 2010 when Brisbane (4-0) were flying at the time as we were 2-2 and starting to make progress under Bailey.

I would say the club will be looking at the high 20’s for a reasonable result. This year has emphasised the lack of crowds for Thursday nights during Melbourne’s winter.

We have lost 3 on end and all games were over early in 4th quarter. On a cold Thursday night we will struggle to break 20k and that will be helped by a few old Fitzroy supporters who sense victory.

[whatwhat say what 22,091]

anything north of 20,000 vs the bears this thursday will be a decent crowd

already i've had two friends who were planning on going rule themselves out - one due to the rona, the other as they've got a presentation first thing friday morning

[WalkingCivilWar 39,256]

18 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

anything north of 20,000 vs the bears this thursday will be a decent crowd

already i've had two friends who were planning on going rule themselves out - one due to the rona, the other as they've got a presentation first thing friday morning

I’d love to see an unexpectedly big crowd at any of our matches, but in particular this Thursday since it’s the Pink Lady match (like I needed another reason to love the MFC 💕). 

Hopefully folks who are still tossing up whether or not to attend, do indeed attend. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,344]

Looks as though the weather’s coming to the party on Thursday night.

17 degrees during the day and a mild 11 overnight. No rain at this stage.

[Gorgoroth 12,701]

3 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I’d love to see an unexpectedly big crowd at any of our matches, but in particular this Thursday since it’s the Pink Lady match (like I needed another reason to love the MFC 💕). 

Hopefully folks who are still tossing up whether or not to attend, do indeed attend. 

This is even worse, Pink Lady should always be a Saturday night. You get people who want to be a part of the night even if they don’t care for either team. It’s a more worthy cause than most in the AFL and the AFL are shafting it.
Being a Thursday 95% of those who would think to go on a Saturday night will not go to the Thursday game. The AFL are so cooked that meth heads look down on them.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Gorgoroth

[WalkingCivilWar 39,256]

9 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

This is even worse, Pink Lady should always be a Saturday night. You get people who want to be a part of the night even if they don’t care for either team. It’s a more worthy cause than most in the AFL and the AFL are shafting it.
Being a Thursday 95% of those who would think to go on a Saturday night will not go to the Thursday game. The AFL are so cooked that meth heads look down on them.

I never thought about it that way. And you’re right. A Thursday night match will definitely result in a smaller crowd. A Saturday night would’ve made more sense. Or a Sunday arvo, as was the case in 2018. That turnout was great. 

[Macca 16,603]

The AFL are beholden to the broadcast rights cash ... and that amounts to 1000's of millions of dollars

But at least they (the AFL) have recognised that they have a crowd numbers issue

And Thursday night footy is a major factor in amongst the other discussion points

So if the fixture (Thursday night footy) is going to be a made-for-TV event to be played on a regular basis, the game would probably work better under the roof at Docklands or played around Australia chasing the warmer weather

The game on TV needs a crowd at the game to create a good atmosphere so playing the game at the MCG in wintry conditions is almost certainly not the way to do it

A number of the Interstate teams are more than competitive (Freo, Lions, Port, Syd) so matching those teams up against the bigger Melbourne teams on a Thursday evening shouldn't be too difficult to organise ... played at venues outside of Victoria

By contrast, Friday night games or games played on the weekend don't offer up the same issues

As an example, this Thursday's upcoming game would work better if the game was played in Brisbane.  Do that and there would be no real chatter about the expected crowd numbers, the talk would be about the actual game

 

[Travis Boots 157]

Gotta love the AFL putting us on a Thursday night against the Cats at Kardinia in a couple of weeks. 

Nice one 👌🏻

[layzie 32,789]

3 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

This is even worse, Pink Lady should always be a Saturday night. You get people who want to be a part of the night even if they don’t care for either team. It’s a more worthy cause than most in the AFL and the AFL are shafting it.
Being a Thursday 95% of those who would think to go on a Saturday night will not go to the Thursday game. The AFL are so cooked that meth heads look down on them.

Agree, total bal*s up. Again.

Edited June 19, 2022 by layzie

[WalkingCivilWar 39,256]

14 minutes ago, Macca said:

 

The game on TV needs a crowd at the game to create a good atmosphere

 

This is what was lacking at last night’s game. That should’ve been more exciting to watch, especially when the scores were close. But there was zero atmosphere. You could hear individual voices coming from the stands. Chuck in a couple of car horns and a dog barking and you’d think you were watching the twos. 

[Macca 16,603]

1 minute ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

This is what was lacking at last night’s game. That should’ve been more exciting to watch, especially when the scores were close. But there was zero atmosphere. You could hear individual voices coming from the stands. Chuck in a couple of car horns and a dog barking and you’d think you were watching the twos. 

You're right about that, Civ

It's a matter of getting the match-ups right on the right days (and at the right venues) for the FTA games

But if they go back to a locked in,  23 round fixture, the mismatches are bound to happen.  6 weeks out and there are no real excuses

It's like the AFL are happy to take the large dollars on offer but at the same time not being overly concerned with the match-ups

 

[old dee 23,486]

2 hours ago, Macca said:

The AFL are beholden to the broadcast rights cash ... and that amounts to 1000's of millions of dollars

But at least they (the AFL) have recognised that they have a crowd numbers issue

And Thursday night footy is a major factor in amongst the other discussion points

So if the fixture (Thursday night footy) is going to be a made-for-TV event to be played on a regular basis, the game would probably work better under the roof at Docklands or played around Australia chasing the warmer weather

The game on TV needs a crowd at the game to create a good atmosphere so playing the game at the MCG in wintry conditions is almost certainly not the way to do it

A number of the Interstate teams are more than competitive (Freo, Lions, Port, Syd) so matching those teams up against the bigger Melbourne teams on a Thursday evening shouldn't be too difficult to organise ... played at venues outside of Victoria

By contrast, Friday night games or games played on the weekend don't offer up the same issues

As an example, this Thursday's upcoming game would work better if the game was played in Brisbane.  Do that and there would be no real chatter about the expected crowd numbers, the talk would be about the actual game

 

I have said elsewhere Macca it is now all about media ratings any statements by the AFL about low attendance levels are motherhood statements. Attendance levels are running a bad last to media requirements. With the AFL chasing more money for the next lot of rights it is only going to get worse.

Edited June 19, 2022 by old dee

[Macca 16,603]

3 minutes ago, old dee said:

I have said elsewhere Macca it is now all about media ratings any statements by the AFL about low attendance levels are motherhood statements. Attendance levels are running a bad last to media requirements. With the AFL chasing more money for the next lot of rights it is only going to get worse.

Yeah, you are probably right, old dee

Rugby League do it better with their FTA scheduling.  They still get blow-outs but the games seem to nearly always be the right sort of fit.  They often play at smaller venues (with full houses) which transfers well to TV

And the AFL not having the 3pm game today at all (again) gives a free pass to the NRL.  Not everyone has cable or Kayo