AFL Crowds at 27 Year Lows

Trying2SaveABuck on 27/06/2022 - 23:46

Fans are staying away from AFL games in droves due to a wide range of issues including controversial new rules and the high cost of taking a family to the footy, a wide-ranging survey has revealed.

The average AFL attendance has slumped to about 31,000 this year, the smallest non-pandemic figure since 1995's low mark of 29,100.

The issue reached its nadir in round 14 when just 6208 people turned out to watch the highest-scoring contest of the season between Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs…..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/afl/article-10951363/Why-A…

So the question is why aren't you attending AFL post covid or why do you think crowds are so low

Poll Options

  • 4
    too many changes to rules have ruined the game
  • 17
    scared of Covid
  • 7
    it is too expensive
  • 1
    game times are to inconvenient
  • 1
    games way to soft compare to the 80s, 90s
  • 2
    i prefer to watch it on TV
  • 13
    All of the above
  • 50
    i never attend match pre-covid and have no interest in the sport
Sports & Outdoors Australian Football

Comments

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 27/06/2022 - 23:49
    +10

    i know this will be unpopular but i personally prefer to watch games on TV i don't have to line up to go toilet, or spend a fortune on crap food and drink, generally see the game better with commentary on tv and unlike some other sports i don't actually find the AFL atmosphere all that compelling esp outside of finals in which there is a little bit more buzz in the air.

    • Euphemistic on 28/06/2022 - 06:13
      +1

      I prefer to watch live. Generally don’t bother watching on TV except ‘big’ matches like finals. I’m not a massive fan of any particular sport, but the crowd atmosphere makes it more interesting, along with being able to watch stuff other than where the camera is pointed.

  • sharkyoz on 28/06/2022 - 00:08
    +1

    transitioning all afl members to a virtual card, just a frigging barcode, and having to book via app is simply frustrating as hell,
    we werent warned about it, no ease in period, just bang

  • Drakesy on 28/06/2022 - 00:17
    +3

    I think it's
    A) Covid is keeping a lot of people at home, numbers will probably take a couple of years to come back.
    B) Our economy is racing off a cliff towards a recession with the driver having jumped out last month - spending has taken a significant hit and the first thing will be cut back on is disposable spending/luxuries.
    C) I could understand $20-$30 a ticket, but with tickets easily $70+ it's starting to take the piss
    D) Umpires are starting to dictate the game too much with pointless 50's etc.
    E) The Eagles are doing shite (which is the biggest club for membership in the competition) - low numbers.
    F) I feel they may have done a Cricket Australia and sold out their rights/fans to pay tv.

    • mbck on 28/06/2022 - 10:41

      https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.afl.com.au/news/659249/afl-…

      Wow 106k for the West Coast.

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 28/06/2022 - 13:21

        Wow 106k for the West Coast.

        there avg attendance is 33k!? i know West Coast are rubbish but surely if you buy a membership you would go to at least most of the home games….? wouldn't you?

        Just checking the website season long memberships range from $410-1675 - considering they play roughly half there games at home you would say thats ~12 match (not including finals and away games) that is ~$34-140 per match!

        • Danstar on 28/06/2022 - 14:31

          Majority of their games early in the season had crowd limits which has resulted in lower numbers on average in the AFL. That coupled with more games held a boutique/rural venues (Ballarat, Cairns, Tas) has increased this year also resulting in lower crowds.

          That along with many other factors you mentioned is the reason why.

  • droodle on 28/06/2022 - 00:27
    +2

    Booking a ticket is a nightmare .. you cant choose the seat you want. You get allocated some crap.

  • Barry frm EastEnders on 28/06/2022 - 00:56
    -1

    Agree with @Trying2SaveABuck in many respects.

    I do like the odd day out at the footy, for which I normally pay approx. $50 per ticket and sit on about three beers at $9 each. Its not a deal breaker if I see my team play two away games a year. If however you're a fan that wants to see your team each second week, then its not worth it for the average punter.

    If I watch the reigning premiers, Melbourne play a home game I get embarrassed at the abyssal turnout.

    The SA and WA teams still get a good turnout. Check out a Port Adelaide or Freo game and you will see a packed out stadium.

    Come to think of it, is it a Victorian thing? I imagine that Melbournians were simply knocked too far back by the lockdowns that the state will be in recovery for a while.

  • spackbace on 28/06/2022 - 01:08
    +1

    Never really been interested in seeing it live. Spend stupid money on a ticket to watch the action on the screens half the time

    Personally prefer to go see the basketball - quicker action, closer to it. Plus the Wildcats kick ass 😉

    • Baa on 28/06/2022 - 11:08
      +1

      The crowd is always pumping at Wildcats games, my girls don't like basketball normally but they get pumped to see them!

  • boomramada on 28/06/2022 - 07:33
    +1

    "i never attend match pre-covid and have no interest in the sport"
    Not applicable for this survey, this is for people who stop visiting and why. All others can just move alone to next treasure hunt 😉

    Main issues would be ticket pricing and pushing everything to pay service, less exposure and losing touch. I know everyone need money, more like double dip and failed.

  • jakka on 28/06/2022 - 07:51

    For me it is due to covid, however my concern around covid is on public transport getting to the game not catching covid in a large outdoor stadium. I have been avoiding all public transport since the pandemic, the main reason would be due to masks being mandatory, although I don’t really want to sit for an extended period next to sick people either.

  • shaybisc on 28/06/2022 - 07:55
    +4

    Bring back the biff.

  • wallet72 on 28/06/2022 - 09:04
    +2

    For me it's been a mx of a few things:

    I'm a fan but if I want to watch more than the 'game of the round as selected by the old boys' I have to pay for a streaming service
    if I want to go to a game I have to pay what seems to be a high price AND then a stupid booking fee even if it's an e-ticket
    $6 for a warm coke? $7 for hot chips? No thanks
    If I want to enter the stadium I can't bring my own food and I better not have any of the myriad of banned items in my bag? folding umbrella for going home? banned.
    Sitting next to Karens and Chads that ruin the experience? no thanks

    Each one is not a big deal, but add them up I'd rather sit at home in comfort, with whatever food I chose to get, and watch in on my big screen TV

  • loch95 on 28/06/2022 - 09:09
    -1

    COVID changed the viewing habits of many, including myself

    Kayo has made the ability to watch every game much more easier for the average person. I used to attend every Western Bulldogs home game and the big away ones but now only find myself compelled to attend the big games or when they play in Ballarat (where I live)

    I personally think the attendance 'crisis' is overblown, COVID and flu are still in the community and look at the big games, the crowds have come for those games and always will

    • Trying2SaveABuck on 28/06/2022 - 13:35
      -1

      I personally think the attendance 'crisis' is overblown, COVID and flu are still in the community and look at the big games, the crowds have come for those games and always will

      i dont know about that the AFL is negotiating a new TV deal and its always had the 'we have massive crowds' argument - costs of running the competition have gone though the roof Covid hurt the game massively! - AFL doesnt have much support outside of Australia matter of fact outside of Victoria it really is a small code that has always punched well above its weight in terms of attendance.

      Gold Coast have become a HUGE money pit, North Melbourne is also starting to look like a sinking ship, GWS are better then Gold Coast but also a bit of a flop…whilst at the same time wanting to add a TAS based team into the competition but the TAS government refusing to support a relocated side (ie North Melbourne)

      News Corp/Foxsports will not likely pay well over the odds for the cast off games again as it looks like they are scaling back there expenditure considering they are currently running at a 2bn dollar loss i dont see how they can keep paying way to much for not much imo

      it is possible Amazon/Netflix/Optus/Paramount etc could pay a large sum for the AFL rights but i doubt they would 'share it' with FTA they would want exclusivity which i dont know if the AFL could do? and if they did do it i dont know if it would be good for the sport long term….

      For context the crowds are the same as 1997 in which the population of Australia was almost 10m less then it is now….i think the lack of crowds is actually being understated in the current environment. Ill add that it isn't just AFL struggling but out of all codes AFL and NRL got hit the hardest by COVID as the lockdowns come in at the start of the season

  • donbot on 28/06/2022 - 09:42
    +3

    Man, I'd love to be going back to the footy…

    • shit camera angles and repetative highlights covering up gameplay makes tv viewing awful.
    • 90% of tv commentators need a bullet, or in the very least a heavy dose of tranquilizer to chill out. no need to lay an egg every time its your turn to call the passage of play.
    • atmosphere, people, outing, wooo!

    I'm quite happy on level 3 with a bottle of water and enjoy the few hours of footy.

    That said - wifes fear of covid, public transport, moving regionally, young family - its all reasons that keep me away from the footy, even though I maintain a home and away GA membership.

    • iNeed2Pee on 28/06/2022 - 14:39

      Who do you barrack for?

      • donbot on 30/06/2022 - 13:17

        Bulldogs. Curious as to why your interested - does it change anything?

        • iNeed2Pee on 30/06/2022 - 14:23

          Just an avid footy fan myself and resonated with your comments.
          Knew you were not a Pies or Bomber fan with that educated response 😂.

          I was actually a Bulldogs member the year they won the flag due to the relationship with VU. I ended up buying a membership 😂.

          Go Dees!

  • brad1-8tsi on 29/06/2022 - 13:44

    We've missed heaps of games this year purely because they clashed with other social obligations.

    We are still unhappy that Swans continued to charge full membership fee (which included 2 tickets to the home games), even though there were no spectators allowed at games. A lot of the people we know that had memberships cancelled them in 2020 and not bothered to rejoin.

    For us, a home game at the SCG costs us $160 for 2 adult membership tickets, a couple of beers are $22, a couple of the Indian take-aways $26 and 2 coffees $10. That's at a minimum. Sometimes it's closer to $300. I'm glad we don't have to take/feed kids there.

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