Why are we buying into this media narrative. Melbourne are not a top 5 supported side. Yet our crowd figures are pretty high considering

We average 42k per game

We played a team that would've had 1k fans max at the ground

Dees fans turn up in a season very few players have.

Barrett, Morris McLure and co can suck a fat one but laughable Dees fans want to play this game as well.

My excuse, a 5 month old to watch at home and a mortgage with astronomical interest rates. Yet I still pay my membership, I'm under no obligation to go watch a football game in 2 degree temps a week out after having covid. If the AFL and it's media worms care so much about crowd attendance, maybe listen to the fans and stop with the floating fixture, the rising tickets costs and bring back Thursday night football.

 

I would've loved to have attended round 24 against Pies, but the fact we still don't know when it is 3 weeks out from the game means I can no longer commit to it. But I can't wait for the media snakes to ask where are the Dees fans. 

16 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

How old is your daughter?

I’m curious because if she’s a young child she likely gets bored. That’s where the ‘electronic babysitter’ comes into play. An iPad or phone with games keeps little ones occupied and you can watch the match ‘til the end. 

haha shes 10. my 5 and 6 year olds i definitely need to keep the ipad in the bag!

Will be watching on TV tonight as there is no possible way for me to make it to Marvel at 7:10pm on a Friday night. 

 

3 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Will be watching on TV tonight as there is no possible way for me to make it to Marvel at 7:10pm on a Friday night. 

 

Yeah I don't think the MFC turnout tonight will be particularly amazing. 

I find it funny that people (mostly the media so they can clock off earlier) have been campaigning for early Friday night starts such as 7:00pm, but fail to realise that not everybody works in the city, and may not make the game in time.

A 7:15pm start is too early IMO. 7:40 is about right. 

So ridiculous to start earlier to lessen the overlap with a rubbish match by 15 minutes

So what we can watch their half time ads after our game?

24 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Yeah I don't think the MFC turnout tonight will be particularly amazing. 

I find it funny that people (mostly the media so they can clock off earlier) have been campaigning for early Friday night starts such as 7:00pm, but fail to realise that not everybody works in the city, and may not make the game in time.

A 7:15pm start is too early IMO. 7:40 is about right. 

Yep it would take me one and a half hours via a public transport to get to Marvel. Driving would take probably the same, plus paying $40 for parking is not on my agenda. 

I only just finished work for the day. It’s a ridiculous time. 

The club needs do to some emergency marketing/advertising for this Port game on Saturday night:

- free entry for kids

- two for the price of one adults

- free hot dogs 

- half price beer

- discounted stock at the Demon shop.

The attendance is going to be a disaster given the product we dished this weekend.

On 02/08/2024 at 09:57, Young Blood said:

Don't know why people are getting so upset about this. The media are always going to take pot shots at clubs/supporters with this sort of thing. Move on to the next slow news week discussion point.

 

Because our supporters are the most sensitive bunch going around and easily triggered when journo's write stuff to generate likes..

7 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Because our supporters are the most sensitive bunch going around and easily triggered when journo's write stuff to generate likes..

It's the same for every single other supporter of every other club. The sense of persecution is ubiquitous across each team depending how invested the supporter is. I'd assume its a bit of a bell curve .. .15% don't care, 70% prefer it wouldn't happen and 15% are the vocal lot that put their care on the table.

And then there is the folk that complain about people complaining

And then there are those that complain about the negativity

And those that complain about the positivity

And everyone is correct and find it difficult to accept alternate viewpoints.

Edited August 3, 2024Aug 3 by Engorged Onion

7 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

The club needs do to some emergency marketing/advertising for this Port game on Saturday night:

- free entry for kids

- two for the price of one adults

- free hot dogs 

- half price beer

- discounted stock at the Demon shop.

The attendance is going to be a disaster given the product we dished this weekend.

They won't market a night game in the middle of winter to families. It's a waste of time. Best option is probably international students with free tickets.

7 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

The club needs do to some emergency marketing/advertising for this Port game on Saturday night:

- free entry for kids

- two for the price of one adults

- free hot dogs 

- half price beer

- discounted stock at the Demon shop.

The attendance is going to be a disaster given the product we dished this weekend.

Free entry for kids isn’t going to make parents take their kids to a night game. 

Again, a night game against an interstate side in the middle of winter at the G is a ridiculous timeslot. 

I saw my first Melbourne game in 1979, 22 years after I started supporting them, this year is the first year since then that I have been unable to see a single game due to a strange reason, a serious lack of sleep. I certainly hope it doesn't continue into next year as I really miss getting to the games.

On 02/08/2024 at 10:13, Deez21 said:

Why are we buying into this media narrative. Melbourne are not a top 5 supported side. Yet our crowd figures are pretty high considering

We average 42k per game

We played a team that would've had 1k fans max at the ground

Dees fans turn up in a season very few players have.

Barrett, Morris McLure and co can suck a fat one but laughable Dees fans want to play this game as well.

My excuse, a 5 month old to watch at home and a mortgage with astronomical interest rates. Yet I still pay my membership, I'm under no obligation to go watch a football game in 2 degree temps a week out after having covid. If the AFL and it's media worms care so much about crowd attendance, maybe listen to the fans and stop with the floating fixture, the rising tickets costs and bring back Thursday night football.

 

I would've loved to have attended round 24 against Pies, but the fact we still don't know when it is 3 weeks out from the game means I can no longer commit to it. But I can't wait for the media snakes to ask where are the Dees fans. 

You’re bang on re the floating fixture. IMO the way it has been run this year is a joke, and the fact we still don’t know the scheduling for Rd 24 is frankly farcical. Heaven forbid your team is on the cusp of Top 8/4 and you were trying to organise travel.

The AFL needs to read the room on this - the vast majority of supports live in the real world of travelling some distances to games, planning work shifts, child minding and other commitments.

1 hour ago, praha said:

They won't market a night game in the middle of winter to families. It's a waste of time. Best option is probably international students with free tickets.

Hopefully a good amount of Port supporters show up

On 30/07/2024 at 17:53, speed demon said:

Moralising about football attendance is absurd. There are endless reasons why supporters may or may not attend games and who are we to judge others we don't know. 

Media potshots regarding MFC game day attendance is an annual event that plays to a stereotype that is unsupported by the statistics. Ignore.  

Any ire from the low attendance should be directed at the AFL's scheduling. 

I don’t think for one minute these figures are correct for 2024. 

Where are they from? 

55 minutes ago, 58er said:

I don’t think for one minute these figures are correct for 2024. 

Where are they from? 

@58er you are quite correct. These figures are not for 2024. Exact membership numbers for 2024 will not be reported until September. These figures are from the 2022 season. I should have been more explicit about that. 

I've ran the numbers for 2024 sourcing average game day attendance data (up to and including round 19) from https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/attendances and estimated club membership (as of 30th July 2024) from https://www.aflonline.com.au/afl-news/current-afl-membership-numbers-for-2024/.

 Interestingly, we again come in third, despite a poorer season this year than 2022. 

My overall point is that the popular narrative that MFC supporters are fickle and don't turn up is false and should be contested. Of course, there are individual supporters who are fickle and our attendance numbers are lower at night games in the depths of winter etc but this is true of all clubs. On a comparative basis, these numbers not only disprove the stereotype but actually show the opposite; proportionally Demons members are more likely to show up to a game than members of 15 other clubs!  

* A limitation I've just realised is that the numbers I've used are for average attendance are for all games not just home games as in the 2022 data.

Edited August 4, 2024Aug 4 by speed demon
Acknowledgement of limitation - see *

On 30/07/2024 at 16:20, Demonstone said:

And what positive outcomes would you say that your sanctimonious, holier-than-thou grandstanding has achieved?

I couldn’t care less. 

I was at the GWS match.

I wasn't at the Bulldogs match cos I play pickleball on Friday nights. (Confession: I probably wouldn't have gone even if I wasn't; I hardly ever go to Doglands. Hate it.)

I will probably go to the Port match.

Need to stick together.

Can I get in early with my excuse for Saturday - I hate this season.

 

9 hours ago, layzie said:

Need to stick together.

Need to show up to games. 

Or be attractive for people to show up.

My hot take - for however many members a club has there is a core of nuffs who will attend just about every week.  They don't change much.  It's the other 70% of members who fluctuate.  We've never had a big supporter base so our core of nuffs is smaller than the Richmonds etc.

What I'm always amazed by - why supporters of other clubs care how many attend our games.  Do they have a financial interest in the AFL?  Or is it just the old tribal 'we're more dedicated than you'? .

The media obsession with attendance also grinds because the AFL have done everything possible to make the game about the TV audience and NOT the people at the ground.  The broadcast rights make it very easy for the non-nuffs to catch the game/highlights on TV and not bother going.  As usual, the AFL wants it both ways.

Lowest Melbourne V Port game at the MCG was 12,000 on Mother's day 2003 after the club had a crisis meeting due to poor form.

We're beating that crowd on Saturday night right?

Right?

(if nothing else the weather's looking half ok on Saturday) 

23 hours ago, rolling fog said:

You’re bang on re the floating fixture. IMO the way it has been run this year is a joke, and the fact we still don’t know the scheduling for Rd 24 is frankly farcical. Heaven forbid your team is on the cusp of Top 8/4 and you were trying to organise travel.

The AFL needs to read the room on this - the vast majority of supports live in the real world of travelling some distances to games, planning work shifts, child minding and other commitments.

The AFL needs to read the room, yet they get that Worm Barrett to put in his sliding doors article how well the floating fixture is working in the same breath he questions where the fans are 

48 minutes ago, deegirl said:

My hot take - for however many members a club has there is a core of nuffs who will attend just about every week.  They don't change much.  It's the other 70% of members who fluctuate.  We've never had a big supporter base so our core of nuffs is smaller than the Richmonds etc.

What I'm always amazed by - why supporters of other clubs care how many attend our games.  Do they have a financial interest in the AFL?  Or is it just the old tribal 'we're more dedicated than you'? .

The media obsession with attendance also grinds because the AFL have done everything possible to make the game about the TV audience and NOT the people at the ground.  The broadcast rights make it very easy for the non-nuffs to catch the game/highlights on TV and not bother going.  As usual, the AFL wants it both ways.

This is the crux of it. The AFL doesn’t do anything to entice people to games. In fact, they couldn’t make attending a match less attractive if they tried.

I’m one of the core of nuffs and I don’t get upset if others don’t attend, as long as I can attend. I certainly wouldn’t try to shame anyone into attending, I especially wouldn’t start a thread in which to do so.

BUT…

I sincerely wish we could pull bigger crowds for one reason, that being that the players love hearing supporters, the louder the better. This is the thing we hear most often.

Darcy Moore calls the Magpie Army their 19th man and I totally get that. Standing out in the middle of the ‘G when their players run out is mind blowing. It’s not the same as hearing it from the stands. It’s an otherworldly sound. It’s no wonder their players lap it up.

 Our players realistically can’t expect to hear that overwhelming level of noise from our fans. But they hear it in support of the opposition and it’s understandable that they’d love to hear it for them.