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2024 Crowd Watch

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,120
Both AFL grand finalists are Victorian teams pretending to be NSWelshmen and Queenslanders, just like Victorian citizens that pour over the border in record numbers. Plague...

Hopefully Sharks and Panthers do 50k but we are talking two of the smaller fan bases unfortunately.
I can vouch for this! I'm in Melbourne atm and was at a packed bar in North Fitzroy for the Lions v Geelong. It's was a full voice Fitzroy Lions crowd! I've met Swans supporters too.. South Melbourne.. still Swans supporters.
It really proves how important the partnership between the Bears and WA is! Tapping into heartland support with a expansion is a massive win win, winning new supporters and old.
If the Western Bears had been playing the Sharks.. sold out! A sole WA team would have been even worse than the Cowboys!
Multiply that by 26 rounds and once again it's obvious how well that'll works.
PVL has done it again- genius.
 

Marlins

Juniors
Messages
1,398
I can vouch for this! I'm in Melbourne atm and was at a packed bar in North Fitzroy for the Lions v Geelong. It's was a full voice Fitzroy Lions crowd! I've met Swans supporters too.. South Melbourne.. still Swans supporters.
It really proves how important the partnership between the Bears and WA is! Tapping into heartland support with a expansion is a massive win win, winning new supporters and old.
If the Western Bears had been playing the Sharks.. sold out! A sole WA team would have been even worse than the Cowboys!
Multiply that by 26 rounds and once again it's obvious how well that'll works.
PVL has done it again- genius.
Bring on the Ipswich Newtown jets
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,616
Drop the Dragons, their ground capacity is to small during the regular season to be considered as they'll never average more than 17/18k.
It's a balance, they can bring a huge amount of fans to swell away crowds if they are at the top of the ladder and can pull huge finals crowds.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,616
Where were the articles calling the Giants crowd embarrassing last week?
The AFL reported that it was a crowd of 18000 but it looked like much less.
Yep, plus the Dogs have the highest finals crowd in Sydney and we haven't even played our prelim yet. Pisses me off what's going around the media at the moment. It's probable that the NRL ends up with two crowds bigger than that Swans crowd the other night but they have apparently 'taken Sydney from the NRL'.

Let's not even get into their TV ratings v any Sydney NRL club
 
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Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,120
Yep, plus the Dogs have the highest finals crowd in Sydney and we haven't even played out prelim yet. Pisses me off what's going around the media at the moment. It's probable that the NRL ends up with two crowds bigger than that Swans crowd the other night but they have 'taken Sydney from the NRL'.

Let's not even get into their TV ratings v any Sydney NRL club
It's the AFL's strategy to convince thier supporters that RL is dying, so not worth watching, that way they don't get curious about it. Most people here are convinced RL is dying and AFL is taking over. But still the Storm grows bigger every year...
 

DIOGENES

Juniors
Messages
1,683
It's the AFL's strategy to convince thier supporters that RL is dying, so not worth watching, that way they don't get curious about it. Most people here are convinced RL is dying and AFL is taking over. But still the Storm grows bigger every year...
indeed, I was on a political forum where a Victorian was convinced that NRL crowds had peaked in 1965
(actually, if you only look at average size of finals series, he is right)
 

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,120
indeed, I was on a political forum where a Victorian was convinced that NRL crowds had peaked in 1965
(actually, if you only look at average size of finals series, he is right)
They used to get big crowds for the big games but the scenario is completely different: cheap standing room tickets and poor television coverage.
 
Messages
311
It's the AFL's strategy to convince thier supporters that RL is dying, so not worth watching, that way they don't get curious about it. Most people here are convinced RL is dying and AFL is taking over. But still the Storm grows bigger every year...

I think it’s conflated by non-RL people who don’t understand the difference between Rugby Union and Rugby League. They often call league ‘Rugby’ and it’s a broad brush approach to the ‘other’ codes.

And it’s safe to say Rugby Union is dying in this country, definitely in comparison to the other codes.
 

DIOGENES

Juniors
Messages
1,683
They used to get big crowds for the big games but the scenario is completely different: cheap standing room tickets and poor television coverage.
Yes I mentioned a couple of days ago; 4 games- one each Saturday over 4 weeks at the SCG and no live TV cover but you could listen to Frank Hyde on the wireless (the original wireless).
From memory the first live TV GF was 1967 but it was only allowed after every seat had been sold on the Wednesday before the game.
the NSWRL Secretary, Big Bill Buckley sold the rights to all stations for the magnificent sum of $5000.

we have come a long way
 
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DIOGENES

Juniors
Messages
1,683
I think it’s conflated by non-RL people who don’t understand the difference between Rugby Union and Rugby League. They often call league ‘Rugby’ and it’s a broad brush approach to the ‘other’ codes.

And it’s safe to say Rugby Union is dying in this country, definitely in comparison to the other codes.
Yep, the point I made on the other forum. Lot of Victorians call League "Rugby"
 

Timmah

LeagueUnlimited News Editor
Staff member
Messages
100,985
It's the AFL's strategy to convince thier supporters that RL is dying, so not worth watching, that way they don't get curious about it. Most people here are convinced RL is dying and AFL is taking over. But still the Storm grows bigger every year...
Hate to burst the bubble here but I don't find this to be remotely the case. There are a very small selection of dickhead AFL journos who make very occasional or rare statements about RL (see Mark Robinson's ludicrous claim about "AFL taking over in NSW and QLD" last week) but for the most part I have not found this at all
 

The_Wookie

Bench
Messages
3,237
Hate to burst the bubble here but I don't find this to be remotely the case. There are a very small selection of dickhead AFL journos who make very occasional or rare statements about RL (see Mark Robinson's ludicrous claim about "AFL taking over in NSW and QLD" last week) but for the most part I have not found this at all

It would be like an AFL fan basing their judgements of rugby league on Buzz Rothfields commentary
 

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