2018 Crowd Watch

[Canard]

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

21 posts in, and it's pro AFL.

This will only end well.

 

[carcharias]

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

There is one rugby league team in Victoria.
Therefore Melbourne have zero rugby league competition for fans.
It would be pretty embarrassing should they not have good crowds.
Especially having been at the top for so long.
Melbourne is better set out road / tram and rail wise.
Not sure now but I was told AFL tickets are much cheaper than NRL
Sydney itself was designed 100 years before the electric light was invented.
The roads are utter crap, they make no sense we still need a bloody beeper to cross the bridge ...if you’re lucky they work.
We have buses and trucks using city streets

Solution?

Don’t play games at idiotic time slots
Eg Friday 6pm -too hard to physically get there.
Thursday night at 8.10 - too late for families
Sunday night 6pm - again too late for families.
Cheaper tix
Don’t play games nowhere near where the teams actually come from.

 

[greenBV4]

21 posts in, and it's pro AFL.

Not pro-AFL, just stating a fact

Ive lived in Melbourne 3 years and since moving have been to over a dozen storm games + the rlwc, and only 2 AFL games (both of which had over 70k crowds)

I grew up in NSW and would choose an NRL game over the AFL any day, but I dont have to be pro-AFL to admit that a large crowd at the G is awesome to witness, despite not even fully understanding the rules

I asked the question and made the comparison only because I wish the NRL could bring in crowds as large and as frequently as the AFL

 

[Diesel]

People up here just don't give a shit about the titans - they are not a draw. The Titans are not really accepted as a QLD team like the Cowboys are yet. They will have to do some work to change that perception.

100%

Living in Brisbane there are lots of GC’ers working here and I only know of two who are Titans fans. You see the odd kid around with a Titans jersey but nothing compared to the other 2 QLD based teams

 

[greenBV4]

Therefore Melbourne have zero rugby league competition for fans

A large percentage of storm fans (not myself) follow an AFL team first, then the storm second, so depsite being no league competition, the AFL will always be competition for good crowds

Not sure now but I was told AFL tickets are much cheaper than NRL

From my experience tickets to a regular season storm game is a fair bit cheaper than AFL games, not sure how this compares to prices for Sydney games

We have buses and trucks using city streets

This also happens in Melbourne + trams are a major pain for traffic if you are driving

Don’t play games nowhere near where the teams actually come from.

Sorry to use AFL again but all Melbourne teams are forced to play out of 2 CBD stadiums, even Geelong was forced to play their home game at the MCG this Monday because the AFL knew it would get better crowds for Easter


So the major factor against Sydney is its outdated roads and rail network, which will most likely never be fixed..
Its a shame because there are cities all around the world much older than Sydney that still seem to be able to function a lot better and pull large crowds to sporting events

 

[greenBV4]

The Titans are not really accepted as a QLD team like the Cowboys are yet

Funny you mention that because growing up on the north coast of NSW, the Titans were adopted by most kids and anyone who didn't fully support a team already, everyone kind of tried to ignore the fact that they were technically a QLD team come SOO time

Most of the local clubs were feeder/develpment clubs for the Titans as well

Ive always thought the Titans should market themselves as a north coast/tweed team as well as a GC team to try get even more fans from that area, It used to only be about a 2 hour drive to games but if they had taken some of their games to closer towns such as Tweed and Coffs Harbour a lot more would of been interested

 

[carcharias]

A large percentage of storm fans (not myself) follow an AFL team first, then the storm second, so depsite being no league competition, the AFL will always be competition for good crowds


From my experience tickets to a regular season storm game is a fair bit cheaper than AFL games, not sure how this compares to prices for Sydney games


This also happens in Melbourne + trams are a major pain for traffic if you are driving


Sorry to use AFL again but all Melbourne teams are forced to play out of 2 CBD stadiums, even Geelong was forced to play their home game at the MCG this Monday because the AFL knew it would get better crowds for Easter


So the major factor against Sydney is its outdated roads and rail network, which will most likely never be fixed..
Its a shame because there are cities all around the world much older than Sydney that still seem to be able to function a lot better and pull large crowds to sporting events

Ok
There is one rugby league team in Victoria.
One only.
That is a massive advantage over other teams who have other clubs in close proximity.
That’s just the way it is.
AFL is a different sport.

Other cities around the world have more people and less to do.

 

[Canard]

A large percentage of storm fans (not myself) follow an AFL team first, then the storm second, so depsite being no league competition, the AFL will always be competition for good crowds


From my experience tickets to a regular season storm game is a fair bit cheaper than AFL games, not sure how this compares to prices for Sydney games


This also happens in Melbourne + trams are a major pain for traffic if you are driving


Sorry to use AFL again but all Melbourne teams are forced to play out of 2 CBD stadiums, even Geelong was forced to play their home game at the MCG this Monday because the AFL knew it would get better crowds for Easter


So the major factor against Sydney is its outdated roads and rail network, which will most likely never be fixed..
Its a shame because there are cities all around the world much older than Sydney that still seem to be able to function a lot better and pull large crowds to sporting events

No way Storm tickets are "a fair bit cheaper then the AFL". Especially when you consider things like kids fees on Sundays.

Also Trams substantially alleviate Melbourne traffic, not hinder it.

A centrally located sports precinct with an excellent access to public transport are reasons Melbourne gets better crowds for most sports.

 

[taipan]

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

The geography for start,the area of Sydney is far bigger than Melbourne.The Harbour dividing the city, the congestion on the bridge.the road infrastructure pales into comparison to Melbourne.
There is no freeway or tollway from the city ALL the way to the shire or Wollongong.

The G has a rail service nearby ,ANZ has an offshoot rail with SFA entertainment area before and after games .The SFS is not serviced direct by rail.The Swans have most of their fans concentrated in the east,Inner Sydney,amnd Lower Nth Shore.

If I want to watch a game from Cronulla to Penrith,I'd need to allow 2 hours.If it was 6pm.I'd need a drone.

A classic example of the distance.I remember about 15 years back, getting up at sparrows on a Sunday morning from Caringbah to drive to Queensland for holidays with family.Left about 5am,got just about every green light imaginable ,sea traffic,and it still took me 50 minutes to get to Hornsby.Thought I was Fangio.

Drove from Caringbah to the city on a week morning .It took me 45 minutes to drive about 4 kms from Dolls Point.No car crash, just congestion and cars pulling into the traffic from side roads.

You cannot compare Sydney with Melbourne/Perth/Adelaide.
1) geography.city spread.Harbour divide, bridge barely able to cope.
2) AFL with centralised well serviced transport wise to stadiums all oval BTW.
3) Road infrastructure still relying on Sydney roads ,some built for traffic 50 years agnly now new tollways being built, the horse has bolted.
4)In those three cities it has been for yonks AFL first daylight second.Sydney has 2 rugby codes and has been more cosmopolitan toward rectangular codes than the southern cities..
5) The real test will be when Parramatta stadium is finished ditto ANZ and the SFS.
6)Don't know how many 6pm games on a Friday there are in the AFL,that craps on crowds from a great height.
7) Families want direct access and generally all seater comfort in a rectangular format.
8) Decent numbers of people are moving out of Sydney due to cost of living/traffic.Going North,VCoats ,some Qld some WA,some Vic.That says something.

No rl fan worth his salt likes seeing half empty stadiums.It's going to be a long term effort to solve the problem.

 

[Perth Red]

Oh wow poor baby, two hours in gridlocked traffic? I work in Butler and live in Peel. That's 90km up and another 90km down the freeway each day. The closest train station is 30 minutes away, the absence of regular league games doesn't equate to an absence of events and traffic.

As to the inclusion of Sans Souci and Seddon (which you obviously missed, lending creedence to PRs suggestion you've never been outside Sydney), the point that went over your head is that proximity to the venue plays little to no factor in my ease of travel. The fact is that only one city in the entire country uses excuses like "I had to take the most difficult route because I was bringing an eski". Face facts, a large number of Sydney residents are just too lazy when every other city's chief sports teams are pulling bumper crowds.

Blaming traffic and weather is a joke, don't like the traffic uber to the nearest train station and go that way, then uber from the station to the stadium. It isn't hard, unless you're using your mobility scooter.

Mate you need a new job! I wouldn’t sit on the freeway both ways every day!

 

[El Diablo]

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

Victorian alert

 

[SBD82]

To give Melbourne people an idea of Sydney's roads, imagine the west gate bridge, at peak hour.

Now imagine that is every road in the city. 6am to 10am, and 3pm to 7pm.

 

[greenBV4]

No way Storm tickets are "a fair bit cheaper then the AFL". Especially when you consider things like kids fees on Sundays.

My bad,
your right about kids fees on weekends, however when just taking into account a single adult ticket, GA is actually $3 cheaper for AFL ($25 opposed to $27), but for reserved seats the cheapest seat at AAMI is up to $10 cheaper than one at the MCG, you also have to be extremely early to get good cheap seats for any big AFL game and the cheapest seat at AAMI has a much better view than the cheapest seat right up the top of the MCG

 

[SBD82]

Ive seen continuous excuses from Sydneysiders but I dont think any of them has suggested any solutions? What is it that stops the crowds in Sydney and why is it that you refuse to travel?

Everyone seems to be bagging the crap put of the city and how hard it is to get around but I can't see traffic being that much worse than what Melbourne gets, there is only around 500k more people in Syd and they have comparable areas..

I know this forum hates the AFL being used as an example, but most Mel vs Mel AFL games get at least over 50k attendance, and theres usually always 1 or 2 games with over 70k per round, and the Storm also had I think the second highest average for 2017, despite competing with these huge AFL crowds in an AFL city.

Not personally attacking anyone just genuinely curious what someone from Sydney has to say and whether the game should be complacent with sub-30k crowds or try do something to increase them

The start of the solution is to stop imagining that Sydney is anything like Melbourne.

The distance between Collingwood and the CBD or Footscray or north Melbourne or Carlton is nothing compared to the distance from Parramatta or Sutherland to the CBD.

The next part of the solution is to realise that the two stadium model will not work in league because of these distances.

Give the games back to the suburbs. Fill the local stadiums and get local people back into the habit of going to the football every weekend. f**k off ANZ. It's a shit venue that is not built for our game.

 

[Canard]

My bad,
your right about kids fees on weekends, however when just taking into account a single adult ticket, GA is actually $3 cheaper for AFL ($25 opposed to $27), but for reserved seats the cheapest seat at AAMI is up to $10 cheaper than one at the MCG, you also have to be extremely early to get good cheap seats for any big AFL game and the cheapest seat at AAMI has a much better view than the cheapest seat right up the top of the MCG

NRL tickets are not and have never been "substantially cheaper" then the AFL.

That's AFL propaganda.

Any comment on your codes low crowd on Good Friday by the way?

 

[greenBV4]

To give Melbourne people an idea of Sydney's roads, imagine the west gate bridge, at peak hour.

Now imagine that is every road in the city. 6am to 10am, and 3pm to 7pm.

sounds awful

Is there any way it could be fixed in the future given actual time and $$$ from the government?
I guess not much can be done about the roads but maybe better rail connections?

Will the new parramatta stadium be better serviced by trains?

 

[SBD82]

sounds awful

Is there any way it could be fixed in the future given actual time and $$$ from the government?
I guess not much can be done about the roads but maybe better rail connections?

Will the new parramatta stadium be better serviced by trains?

All of Sydney is shifting west. If the current rate continues, we will be left with an old Sydney town, and parramatta will be the cbd.

There is very little forward planning happening to account for this. The M7 and M4 are hideously inadequate. There are increased rail links coming but they will do very little to alleviate the issue of volume.

Until you've battled Sydney traffic you can't understand. The drive from Melbourne to Geelong is a dream in comparison. When you drive in that shit every day, the last thing you want to do in the evening or on the weekend is to get in your car.

 

[Perth Red]

Not to mention the leagues club attached to the ground making a killing.

Cronulla lost $2.5million in 2017,just saying.

 

[Perth Red]

All of Sydney is shifting west. If the current rate continues, we will be left with an old Sydney town, and parramatta will be the cbd.

There is very little forward planning happening to account for this. The M7 and M4 are hideously inadequate. There are increased rail links coming but they will do very little to alleviate the issue of volume.

Until you've battled Sydney traffic you can't understand. The drive from Melbourne to Geelong is a dream in comparison. When you drive in that shit every day, the last thing you want to do in the evening or on the weekend is to get in your car.

So the end result of al! that debate is sydney is sht? Lol
Clearly the nrl needs more clubs not in Sydney given the cities unsolvebale transport problems, poor geography, cosmopolitan sporting population and seemingly inability to ever draw consistently decent crowds by sound of it.

 

[SBD82]

So the end result of al! that debate is sydney is sht? Lol
Clearly the nrl needs more clubs not in Sydney given the cities unsolvebale transport problems, poor geography, cosmopolitan sporting population and seemingly inability to ever draw consistently decent crowds by sound of it.

No. The end result is that they should recognise that the 2 central stadium policy works in Melbourne because of it's geography and infrastructure, and will not work in Sydney because of its geography and infrastructure.

So stop centralising the game, return it to the suburban grounds, And let people get back into the habit of going to watch rugby league at their local stadiums.

Recognise that the atmosphere in front of a full kogarah or leichhardt (even the swamp) is more than enough to make the $$$ they need from TV, and let go of this idea that filling Homebush needs to be a goal.