The Game 2023 Crowd Watch

[bazza]

Well you've gotta think that he hottest ticket in town is across the road. Once the AFL sells out casuals and fans of other AFL clubs will pivot to the Storm. Both games will sell out on Friday night, 130,000 people. There's nothing else to do in Melbourne than watch football. Really, the NRL could have even tried Marvel for 50k (view is not great though)

so some AFL supporters are going to go to end up going to an NRL final because they can't get tickets to the AFL game?

 

[moffla]

Categories 1 & 2 in Melbourne are selling poorly. Category 3 behind the posts is selling really well.

Price is clearly the factor here.

Yeah Category 3 at $30/$35 is fine but Category 2 at $90 for a semi is not it, IMO.

 

[Evil_Mush]

Auckland has sold out in a hour today

Yup and the instant resales on trademe (NZ version of ebay/gumtree) have popped up within an hour of the sellout, with various 'valid reasons' for selling.

Put my Karen hat on and reported the 8 or so I could see just now just to f@ck with them hah!

Oh well, I'm sorted, looking forward to being at the game on Saturday, hopefully my perfect record of 2 wins from 2 games attended (incl Knights round 1 in Wellington) stays true!

 

[Harry O]

so some AFL supporters are going to go to end up going to an NRL final because they can't get tickets to the AFL game?

Same cant be said the other way round

 

[moffla]

Storm are many people's 'second' team in Melbourne. It's great, but the issue is that when there is a clash, people will opt for their AFL side first and foremost. It's not exactly a "problem" - as we've show the two can coexist, but it does make head to head finals games a bit tricky.

 

[Pneuma]

Well you've gotta think that he hottest ticket in town is across the road. Once the AFL sells out casuals and fans of other AFL clubs will pivot to the Storm. Both games will sell out on Friday night, 130,000 people. There's nothing else to do in Melbourne than watch football. Really, the NRL could have even tried Marvel for 50k (view is not great though)

More like 120000. The MCG never gets 100000 and Aami is sold out at around 25-270000.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Storm are many people's 'second' team in Melbourne. It's great, but the issue is that when there is a clash, people will opt for their AFL side first and foremost. It's not exactly a "problem" - as we've show the two can coexist, but it does make head to head finals games a bit tricky.

Totally agree. The Carlton factor is a pretty big deal too, and we know how Melbourne gets in September. Almost all of my Melbourne based colleagues are losing their mind for their bbqs, night outs etc, with their friends that they have planned on Friday, and they don't even support Carlton. The ONE colleague of mine in Melbourne that actually wants to talk about Rugby League would probably go, but instead he will be lining up at the MCC stand come 2pm Friday. He doesn't support Carlton and he does support the Storm, the issue is that the event at the MCG will always win in September.

This is totally reversed in Brisbane the next week.

 

[moffla]

Totally agree. The Carlton factor is a pretty big deal too, and we know how Melbourne gets in September. Almost all of my Melbourne based colleagues are losing their mind for their bbqs, night outs etc, with their friends that they have planned on Friday, and they don't even support Carlton. The ONE colleague of mine in Melbourne that actually wants to talk about Rugby League would probably go, but instead he will be lining up at the MCC stand come 2pm Friday. He doesn't support Carlton and he does support the Storm, the issue is that the event at the MCG will always win in September.

This is totally reversed in Brisbane the next week.

Yeah, my usual group of 5 is down to 2 for Friday night because Carlton/Melb are playing. Nothing you can do about it, they have supported those sides their whole lives

 

[King-Gutho94]

A nice solution to the problem we have in Melbourne with crowds is simple

The Storm can just not make the finals for a change.

Come on Bellamy & co give us all a break and have Septembers off just ask the Tigers they love it.

 

[Iamback]

A nice solution to the problem we have in Melbourne with crowds is simple

The Storm can just not make the finals for a change.

Come on Bellamy & co give us all a break and have Septembers off just ask the Tigers they love it.

They can do a Parra and be on mad Monday before Spring... good thinking

 

[Harry O]

I don’t understand how if you're a NRL fan but prefer to go to the dropathon next door?

This will never happen in our group

You couldn't even pay us to go watch that shit.

 

[azza29]

Ends always seem to fill there, must be a Melbourne thing

It's a price thing more likely. Cat 1 is $100 vs $35 for the ends. NRL have got a bit greedy on the good seats there.

 

[Valheru]

I don’t understand how if you're a NRL fan but prefer to go to the dropathon next door?

This will never happen in our group

You couldn't even pay us to go watch that shit.

Well that's good for you and i'm sure many in NSW/QLD agree with you but this is Melbourne we are talking about. I doubt many of them actually prefer the NRL which is the issue. Probably just better to avoid the time slot clash for finals if possible wouldn't you say? It only hurts the NRL having them clash, no one else.

Brisbane a totally different story and they would be the ones who would be silly to not avoid the clash. The difference being they will have the balls to move their fixture and not worry about what channel 7 have to say about it.

 

[Iamback]

It's a price thing more likely. Cat 1 is $100 vs $35 for the ends. NRL have got a bit greedy on the good seats there.

Is it so big a difference for club games though?

Often the ends are packed and not so much in the middle

Though price and lack of any form of pre game entertainment is why no neutrals come to finals anymore

 

[azza29]

Is it so big a difference for club games though?

Often the ends are packed and not so much in the middle

Though price and lack of any form of pre game entertainment is why no neutrals come to finals anymore

I have a membership so not 100% sure on regular pricing but I believe the ends are usually $30 vs $70 for Cat 1. So more of a "finals premium" on the better seats it seems.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Brisbane Watch:

“We’ll be the biggest sport in that market in 5-10 years across most metrics. It is changing. Queensland is pumping and becoming an AFL state'' - Gillon McLachlan (AFL CEO)

Average Attendance By Club:

Broncos: 36,008 (Suncorp games only)
Broncos: 33,793
Dolphins: 32,250 (Suncorp games only)
Lions: 29,285
Dolphins: 25,589

Average Attendance by Code:

NRL: 33,857
AFL: 29,285

Top 10 Crowds in Brisbane in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 53,433 - State of Origin 2:
2. NRL: 51,047 - Dolphins v Broncos
3. NRL: 50,183 - Magic Round Day 3
4. NRL: 50,157 – Broncos v Storm QF
5. NRL: 50,077 - Magic Round Day 1
6. NRL: 46,835 - Magic Round Day 2
7. NRL: 43,271 – Broncos v Storm
8. NRL: 43,162 - Broncos v Cowboys
9. NRL: 42,249 - Broncos v Titans
10. NRL: 40,102 - Broncos v Souths

 

[Lidcombe Bull]

In the last 3 finals at AAMI the crowds have been:
20,838 (wk 1 2022 v Canberra)
21,015 (wk 2 2019 v Parra)
20,136 (wk 1 2019 v Canberra)

So 20 to 22,000 sounds about right for this Friday's game.

Of note, Melbourne have had record average home attendances this year with 18,263 for home games at AAMI and Marvel. Their previous biggest home crowd average was 16,302 in 2013.

Not too bad considering the following AFL club average crowds:
North Melbourne - 20,765
Gold Coast Suns - 13,733
GWS - 10,161

 

[Wb1234]

Stupid should’ve been at Eden park

 

[yakstorm]

There are only 4 out of the 20 Cat 1 Bays that went on sale that have anymore than single seats.

Those bays are the four Cat 1 bookend bays on the second tier and each of them are selling well.

I'd argue considering how many of them have moved on Day 1 of Public Pre-Sale, the NRL hasn't over charged for Cat 1s.

Cat 2, the NRL has priced too close to Cat 1 and too far away from Cat 3. For most people prepared to pay for Cat 2, they'd possibly not even question paying $10 more for a better seat.

Still with Category 1 selling well and Category 3 down to not much more than the corners, I expect Cat 2s to fill up during the week.

 

[bazza]

Brisbane Watch:

“We’ll be the biggest sport in that market in 5-10 years across most metrics. It is changing. Queensland is pumping and becoming an AFL state'' - Gillon McLachlan (AFL CEO)

Average Attendance By Club:

Broncos: 36,008 (Suncorp games only)
Broncos: 33,793
Dolphins: 32,250 (Suncorp games only)
Lions: 29,285
Dolphins: 25,589

Average Attendance by Code:

NRL: 33,857
AFL: 29,285

Top 10 Crowds in Brisbane in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 53,433 - State of Origin 2:
2. NRL: 51,047 - Dolphins v Broncos
3. NRL: 50,183 - Magic Round Day 3
4. NRL: 50,157 – Broncos v Storm QF
5. NRL: 50,077 - Magic Round Day 1
6. NRL: 46,835 - Magic Round Day 2
7. NRL: 43,271 – Broncos v Storm
8. NRL: 43,162 - Broncos v Cowboys
9. NRL: 42,249 - Broncos v Titans
10. NRL: 40,102 - Broncos v Souths

probably not possible for rugby league not to have the top 10 crowds in Brisbane this year with I assume 11 over 40k