2024 Crowd Watch

[azza29]

Outstanding crowd. Any particular reason why this game got such a great crowd compared to their last few home games?

First Dolphins appearance at AAMI Park, Bromwich bros and Kaufusi back in Melbourne, and a few would have done a Richmond/Storm double header.

 

[Gobsmacked]

First Dolphins appearance at AAMI Park, Bromwich bros and Kaufusi back in Melbourne, and a few would have done a Richmond/Storm double header.

Also the last Storm home game and on top of the table and a cracking day in Melbourne in a good time slot..
But it's certainly great to see these numbers in Melbourne!

 

[It's Been Done]

Outstanding crowd. Any particular reason why this game got such a great crowd compared to their last few home games?

Last home game before the finals plus minimal competition from the AFL in Melbourne today, despite a reshuffle to the schedule caused by an electricity workers strike in Tasmania putting the MCG game in direct competition with the Storm's match

 

[Marshall_magic]

Great crowd in Melbourne. Looks to be a similar number at Accor. 261ish.

Drop the 1

 

[Saxon]

Outstanding crowd. Any particular reason why this game got such a great crowd compared to their last few home games?

Last home game before finals. Chance to lock up the minor premiership (especially now Panthers have gone down). NAS 200.

 

[yakstorm]

Storm finish the season with a 19,848 average at AAMI Park.

Previous highest average at the ground was last year with 17,072. (Storm average in Melbourne last year was 18,264)

 

[horrie hastings]

You do know we have things called airplanes in this country don't you?

 

[jim_57]

Storm finish the season with a 19,848 average at AAMI Park.

Previous highest average at the ground was last year with 17,072. (Storm average in Melbourne last year was 18,264)

6th game this year to draw over 20k at AAMI, 2nd to draw 25k+.

Getting the highest crowd of the year for this one seems totally unexpected. GA sold out last night and all GA members with games remaining on their pass were prompted to upgrade to reserved seating which definitely would have helped.

 

[The Marshall]

GROUNDS FOR A SWELL ACCOR CLASH
DAVID RICCIO, MICHAEL CARAYANNIS

Canterbury and Manly’s blockbuster on Friday night is set to break attendance records with a crowd of about 40,000 expected for the Accor Stadium clash.
The top eight sides will come head-to-head in what is expected to be one of the largest crowds of the season.

History could be set on two accounts, with the crowd set to:
● Eclipse the record for a 6pm Friday game (not including Magic Round). Melbourne and the Warriors hold that record with 28,716 people attending the Anzac Day clash at AAMI Park in 2014. The next best crowd was in 2019 between Parramatta and Manly with 25034 people attending CommBank Stadium; and
● Break the record for biggest regular season attendance between Manly and Canterbury. A figure of 25,771 people attended Accor Stadium in round five, 2004, to watch the teams play.

The all-time record crowd for any fixture involving the two teams is the 1995 grand final when 41,127 people watched the Bulldogs beat Manly at the SFS.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo knows his fans are keen to see their team again.
“We’re really excited about getting home next week,” he said.

“Our fans are going to be really excited to see us play the style of play we’re playing right now. We’re very excited to get home.

“(Viliame) Kikau had his 150th game last week and Burto (Matt Burton) had his 100th (against the Warriors), so we’ll go back and honour those two guys and we’re really excited to be playing in front of our home fans.’’

The Bulldogs will face Manly without Stephen Crichton and Kurt Mann. Their ability to run deep into the finals will determine if Mann plays again this season.
He suffered a broken collarbone against the Warriors on Friday night and will require surgery.

He is facing six weeks out.
Tigers-bound Jeral Skelton is expected to come into the backline to replace Crichton.
Meanwhile, Manly is confident outside back Tommy Talau will return after a pectoral injury.
https://todayspaper.dailytelegraph....ph&pubid=320ddf3b-4f51-41ad-b9a8-6020bccc12fe

 

[Vlad59]

Next week

Cowboys Storm 17000
Bulldogs Sea eagles 40000
Panthers Rabbitohs 22000
Eels dragons 17000
Dolphins Broncos 46000
Sharks Warriors 12000
Knights Titans 18000
Roosters Raiders18000

Around 190000 - with a bump here and there 200000. Let the Sharks love begin

 

[Wb1234]

Imagine if it was the later game instead of 6 pm

Just bad luck the doggies in this form in good timeslots wouldve cracked 30k for recent games at accor

 

[The Marshall]

I think this just shows that you can try and do as much as you want for game day experiences, time slots and weather but the biggest factor in crowds will always be success on the field and everything else really has a minimal impact.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

if 40,000 are expected to a game against Manly at 6pm on a Friday, dare I say that 65k+ could be possible for an elimination final against the Dragons on a perfect Saturday twilight, or Sunday afternoon game.

Both sets of fans have been desperate for this.

Maybe my head is in the sky, but I think it's possible. The Bulldogs supporters are out in force, and we can't discredit the Dragons fanbase either.

 

[Warriors Fever]

I think this just shows that you can try and do as much as you want for game day experiences, time slots and weather but the biggest factor in crowds will always be success on the field and everything else really has a minimal impact.

I agree for the most part, but I recently went to mt smart for the first time since 09 and I can see why they sell out the games despite the team being meh. The way they dress up the game with lights/sounds and the party atmosphere was amazing. I didn’t even mind we got towelled up.

 

[Warriors Fever]

I might add that all these sellouts has created this wave of fomo for not just regulars but casuals too. People need to see the next game, and you always feel more hyped walking into a stadium that is sold out or likely to be at a big capacity

 

[cleary89]

Agreed. My dragons supporting mates who havent gone to games in years are all messaging around mid week trying to work out who wants tickets before it sells out. Knowing the dogs game and this would likely sell out meant they got tickets when they wouldn't have cared before.

 

[taste2taste]

FOMO is playing a big part in crowds. I usually have no interest in attending my team play away games but seeing Brookvale, Newcastle, Penrith..etc packed makes me want to get to these stadiums.

Bucket list is to attend a Tonga V Samoa game at Mt Smart, looks crazy fun over there. Hopefully they keep thier prices affordable and don't get greedy.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

It could be argued to actually officially make the games 6.30pm and 8.30pm this Friday ..

 

[Omott91]

Next week

Cowboys Storm 17000
Bulldogs Sea eagles 40000
Panthers Rabbitohs 22000
Eels dragons 17000
Dolphins Broncos 46000
Sharks Warriors 12000
Knights Titans 18000
Roosters Raiders18000

Around 190000 - with a bump here and there 200000. Let the Sharks love begin

Knights will get low to mid 20k I think.

 

[yakstorm]

I think this just shows that you can try and do as much as you want for game day experiences, time slots and weather but the biggest factor in crowds will always be success on the field and everything else really has a minimal impact.

If a club doesn't already have an attendance culture, I agree with you. Fans who would attend big games & when the team was doing well are unlikely to going to change their behaviour simply because of those other factors.

If a club can capitalise on the good times, then you get scenarios like the Warriors, where despite having an average year have comfortably sold out all their games & have had those attendees turn up in droves despite numerous games being played in terrible weather.

Warriors are highly likely to keep their sold out run going into the new year as they've had record inquiries for memberships for 2025 as people don't want to miss out.

Now Warriors are lucky in that they have a perfect sized ground (25K all seats) for driving this (relative to their supporter base size). Manly & Penrith have achieved similar with their seating options, but unfortunate reality is its hard to replicate that for hills.

Parramatta had a chance at CommBank after making the GF, but did silly things like increase membership prices, cut out free kids memberships with adult memberships, etc, increased game day prices and ultimately stopped any growth.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it's going to be hard for them to build an attendance culture off the back of this year's success, simply because Accor is so big & a really hard ground to make an 'enjoyable experience'. The best they can do is limit how frequently they play there to create scenarios like this Friday where it has been impossible for their bandwagon supporters to attend for the past 7 weeks (Bye, Townsville, Brisbane, Belmore - Sold Out, Kogarah - Sold Out, Bundaberg, Auckland), so when they do have a chance, they turn up in bigger numbers.