The Monday Soap Box - Round 16

[GVGjr]

Let's hear your thoughts on the round?

[bornadog]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

[GVGjr]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

Really poor turnout given at least at Marvel you don't have to subjected to the weather conditions.
It's becoming more evident that while the AFL and the clubs are supposed to be growing their membership numbers at impressive rates it's not resulting in good attendances for our games and I suggest a few other clubs.

[bornadog]

Really poor turnout given at least at Marvel you don't have to subjected to the weather conditions.
It's becoming more evident that while the AFL and the clubs are supposed to be growing their membership numbers at impressive rates it's not resulting in good attendances for our games and I suggest a few other clubs.

Our home match against Essendon, there were 50K there, but I bet lot of Essendon supporters (I missed the game due to holiday)

Not sure how you fix it.

[Grantysghost]

Really poor turnout given at least at Marvel you don't have to subjected to the weather conditions.
It's becoming more evident that while the AFL and the clubs are supposed to be growing their membership numbers at impressive rates it's not resulting in good attendances for our games and I suggest a few other clubs.

It feels like the emphasis on the "Blockbuster" has amplified those games at the cost of others. The overall numbers look good but nothing has changed for Dogs, North, Saints and I expect when Melbourne slide for them too.

[Grantysghost]

Our home match against Essendon, there were 50K there, but I bet lot of Essendon supporters (I missed the game due to holiday)

Not sure how you fix it.

Somehow have themed games as it appears that's what attracts people now?

I've always thought a game to celebrate our working class roots v the Pies would be something but I get it could be too political.

Setka.

[bornadog]

It feels like the emphasis on the "Blockbuster" has amplified those games at the cost of others. The overall numbers look good but nothing has changed for Dogs, North, Saints and I expect when Melbourne slide for them too.

We are up slightly year on year (averages), but yes I agree the blockbusters skew the overall figures.

[Grantysghost]

My soap box.

Essendon supporters whinging about umpires, then getting sucked in by the malevolent click bait to futher augment their mass hysteria.
Um, you lost by 8 goals and had 3 more free kicks.

Also, Clarkson whinging about Weightman. Awwwwww....does the fella who abuses women reporters, punches holes in walls, calls people c$%ksuckers, abuses opposition players, had a team ethos of unsociable football etc etc not like it when someone sucks in your dopey defenders.

On that topic Aidan Corr - what a flog. Talk about faux tough guy. He needs to desour and sweeten.

[GVGjr]

Our home match against Essendon, there were 50K there, but I bet lot of Essendon supporters (I missed the game due to holiday)

Not sure how you fix it.

The bigger clubs are growing their memberships and then filling out the stadiums they play at but it looks like the smaller clubs like us are really struggling to get their supporters too games. It might be the scheduling of games but hearing that we are going to probably crack 60K members this years is fast becoming a David Copperfield slight of hand party trick.

[ledge]

My soap box.

Essendon supporters whinging about umpires, then getting sucked in by the malevolent click bait to futher augment their mass hysteria.
Um, you lost by 8 goals and had 3 more free kicks.

Also, Clarkson whinging about Weightman. Awwwwww....does the fella who abuses women reporters, punches holes in walls, calls people c$%ksuckers, abuses opposition players, had a team ethos of unsociable football etc etc not like it when someone sucks in your dopey defenders.

On that topic Aidan Corr - what a flog. Talk about faux tough guy. He needs to desour and sweeten.

The bombers one is hilarious considering the Draper fish flop to win a game . Don’t come the raw prawn as well.
Maybe Clarkeson should teach his players to tackle properly and not scrag either .
The push in front of the umpire was the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a while . It deserved 50 just for being a dick.

[GVGjr]

We are up slightly year on year (averages), but yes I agree the blockbusters skew the overall figures.

I heard someone on the radio say that with our game against Fremantle they opened the gates at half time and counted the non paying fans that came in late in the crowd numbers. We might be slightly up but can we really trust the numbers?

[GVGjr]

My soap box.

Essendon supporters whinging about umpires, then getting sucked in by the malevolent click bait to futher augment their mass hysteria.
Um, you lost by 8 goals and had 3 more free kicks.

Also, Clarkson whinging about Weightman. Awwwwww....does the fella who abuses women reporters, punches holes in walls, calls people c$%ksuckers, abuses opposition players, had a team ethos of unsociable football etc etc not like it when someone sucks in your dopey defenders.

On that topic Aidan Corr - what a flog. Talk about faux tough guy. He needs to desour and sweeten.

You nailed all of them.

[Sedat]

This needs to be a weekly soapbox topic - Laura Kane is obviously not up to the job of running the game. I guess her incredible CV of high performance at North Melbourne in their last few halcyon years made her impossible to resist for City Hall.

It is actually demeaning to all clubs and supporters that deeply untalented people, who are only skilled at providing meaningless word salads to the media, are pivotal to the direction of the actual game.

[EasternWest]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

https://i.postimg.cc/vBxhtPtW/Screenshot-20240701-093504.png (https://postimg.cc/zb5TJFMB)

So we should show up or we "don't have to accept" the peripheral crap served up to us. Which one is it? Sorry for the screenshot I don't know how to cross reference threads.

[mjp]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

Look at the match day thread on here - 14x pages...usually 25+ pages.

I'm obviously not flying over for a North game, but I do kind of get it when people take the 'why would I go to that game' approach...interest is low when the result seem pre-ordained. I mean, North have been a LOT BETTER in the past month, but casual fans have no idea who half of North's players even are.

[bornadog]

https://i.postimg.cc/vBxhtPtW/Screenshot-20240701-093504.png (https://postimg.cc/zb5TJFMB)

So we should show up or we "don't have to accept" the peripheral crap served up to us. Which one is it? Sorry for the screenshot I don't know how to cross reference threads.

Thank you for the evidence - you have nailed it

[EasternWest]

Thank you for the evidence - you have nailed it

I'll narc when it's convenient and rail against it when it's not :). My hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Edit: also I don't know what you mean and you haven't answered my question.

[mighty_west]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

Was going to write the same thing, we can't be whinging by losing the Good Friday game yet not turn up for a game at the perfect time slot imo for ANY game over the weekend, especially frustrating for us that live interstate and simply cannot get to games.

My other is playing games at the same time as others, it just shouldn't happen in this day and age.

[azabob]

Supporters not showing up.

Yes it was a North home game, but come on, under the roof at our home ground - support the team.

Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?

[Sedat]

Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?
I don't get the angst towards supporters not going to games this year. We are in the middle of a massive cost of living crisis, and a huge portion of the general population is doing it incredibly tough at the moment - I don't blame anyone for currently prioritising the day-to-day welfare of themselves/family over what is essentially a pastime that is a discretionary purchase.

[bornadog]

I don't get the angst towards supporters not going to games this year. We are in the middle of a massive cost of living crisis, and a huge portion of the general population is doing it incredibly tough at the moment - I don't blame anyone for currently prioritising the day-to-day welfare of themselves/family over what is essentially a pastime that is a discretionary purchase.

It's not just this year, it's every year


Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?

Maybe more for our supporters than others

[Sedat]

It's not just this year, it's every year
Newsflash - we aren't Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Essendon. Our attendances are probably comparable to most other Vic based teams in the competition (and quite a few interstate clubs as well).

It's the reality of life in 2024 that there are large swathes of the population who have crippling mortgage repayments from 12 consecutive rate rises (or crippling rent increases because politicians don't understand the basic economics of supply/demand), straight off the back of COVID and being forced to close their business/lose their job for 2 years, all while negotiating a significant increase in inflation. It's a bloodbath out there for everyday Australians and I would never blame anybody for doing what they can to survive - there are a lot of people out there who don't have the benefit of wearing their jim-jams working from home half the week minimum because they are unfortunate enough not to be in the public sector.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?
Perhaps the vague name we support fails to make people turn up.
Footscray supporters turned up.
The sense of being part of the team identity.
Marvel is an experience of being removed from the team.

[chef]

I'm finding it harder to give up a whole day and a couple of hundred bucks for the experience going to the AFL now is.

North game was always either a lacklustre win or embarrassing loss in my mind so the warm couch won out out.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?

I applaud North Melbourne on changing their name from the marketing name of Kangaroos which removed their soul and centre.
Thanks to Simon Garlic for replacing the kids robo dog with our trad dog.
I say we need to reclaim our trad name and centre, our great suburb Footscray.

[bornadog]

Newsflash - we aren't Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Essendon. Our attendances are probably comparable to most other Vic based teams in the competition (and quite a few interstate clubs as well)..

Newsflash, I can still complain about it with almost 60,000 members

Also, what is it that make Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Essendon supporters go to matches, but our supporters don't want to?

[Ozza]

I was one of those that didn't turn up.

I was initially supposed to be playing baseball, then once it was washed out I retreated to the couch, a blanket and a glass of red.
I have to admit, that unless I have scored some medallion club tickets, I don't go to the away games at Marvel.

With membership numbers growing and it not necessarily relating significantly to crowd sizes, I think it is mostly related to the convenience of watching from home. The gameday experience is generally nothing to write home about, and while I do enjoy our home games or MCG games, where I can watch from a great spot on level 2 - I will freely admit to dodging away Marvel or home games at Mars.

[Ozza]

Perhaps the vague name we support fails to make people turn up.
Footscray supporters turned up.
The sense of being part of the team identity.
Marvel is an experience of being removed from the team.

Yeah I don't think anyone is buying that the name change 27 years ago is to blame for crowds.
We had 10,500 members back in 96, and our last home game as Footscray had 7600 people attend.

[Axe Man]

At the game the crowd split seemed fairly even. Considering it was a North home game I think it was more a case of them not turning up than us.

[Sedat]

Newsflash, I can still complain about it with almost 60,000 members
Of course you can - long may it continue. The world is a hell of a lot duller when it is an echo chamber of identical opinions.


Also, what is it that make Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Essendon supporters go to matches, but our supporters don't want to?
Collingwood, Carlton, and Essendon are foundation clubs who have had much historical success (16 flags each) - their fan armies are simply much bigger than ours. And Richmond came into the competition a decade later but have also had enormous historical success (8 flags in the last 60 years, even with a 37 year gap in between), so they have an army 100k strong. We were later to the party (1925) and just haven't had the success - in addition, we were terribly mis-managed in the 1970's when we were stockpiling enormous talent from our Gippsland zone.

[GVGjr]

Do you think the dollar cost could come into it?

No doubt but with a bit of planning with food and some cheap membership options available it's curious that other clubs are packing out games and we aren't. Scheduling plays a part in it

[EasternWest]

Newsflash, I can still complain about it with almost 60,000 members

Also, what is it that make Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Essendon supporters go to matches, but our supporters don't want to?

You've also said we don't have to take the tripe that we're being served up as entertainment either.

So are you standing in solidarity with those that have taken that stance or are you complaining that they won't compromise their principles to fill up the stadium?

[Axe Man]

Not sure where to put this but how about the coaches votes in the St Kilda v Port game? Kenny & Ross only agreed on 1 player in the votes - JHF who got a 5 and a 1!

St Kilda v Port Adelaide
6 Jason Horne-Francis (PORT)
5 Zak Butters (PORT)
4 Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (PORT)
4 Callum Wilkie (STK)
3 Rowan Marshall (STK)
3 Connor Rozee (PORT)
2 Aliir Aliir (PORT)
2 Josh Battle (STK)
1 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)

[bulldogsthru&thru]

No doubt but with a bit of planning with food and some cheap membership options available it's curious that other clubs are packing out games and we aren't. Scheduling plays a part in it

Unfortunately I also believe social media is playing and will play a huge role in younger fan bases. It'll gravitate towards clicks which will obviously skew to the larger, more popular clubs. It's happening in sports all around the globe.

The larger clubs will get greater exposure. It's always been the case but it's been put into turbodrive by social media.

[GVGjr]

Unfortunately I also believe social media is playing and will play a huge role in younger fan bases. It'll gravitate towards clicks which will obviously skew to the larger, more popular clubs. It's happening in sports all around the globe.

The larger clubs will get greater exposure. It's always been the case but it's been put into turbodrive by social media.

It's a complex issue for us.
The club is spruiking that our membership base is growing when that's more than a bit doubtful.
Our supporters want us to get some blockbuster games like Good Friday but our attendance numbers don't really compel the AFL to do that.
Cost of living pressures and scheduling plays a big part but we won't have any problems packing out Marvel and our supporters will be in full voice when we play the Blues in a couple of weeks.

The real issue is probably our ladder position.
It's likely that a lot of these problems wouldn't be as evident if we were currently well entrenched in the top 5.

It's logical that people are a bit choosy which games they will attend and it's really up to the club to get us more competitive on the field. The David Copperfield slight of hand membership numbers calculation contributes to the confusion of where our members are on game day.

[bornadog]

It's a complex issue for us.
The club is spruiking that our membership base is growing when that's more than a bit doubtful.
Our supporters want us to get some blockbuster games like Good Friday but our attendance numbers don't really compel the AFL to do that.
Cost of living pressures and scheduling plays a big part but we won't have any problems packing out Marvel and our supporters will be in full voice when we play the Blues in a couple of weeks.

The real issue is probably our ladder position.
It's likely that a lot of these problems wouldn't be as evident if we were currently well entrenched in the top 5.

It's logical that people are a bit choosy which games they will attend and it's really up to the club to get us more competitive on the field. The David Copperfield slight of hand membership numbers calculation contributes to the confusion of where our members are on game day.

Summary of attendances over past 10 years



Year
Games
Ave.


2024
15
31445


2023
23
30412


2022
22
27219


2021*
16
23277


2020*
13
3894


2019
22
30988


2018
22
29225


2017
22
33156


2016
22
31945


2015
22
27013





Note 2020 and 21 Covid effected.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

It's a complex issue for us.
The club is spruiking that our membership base is growing when that's more than a bit doubtful.
Our supporters want us to get some blockbuster games like Good Friday but our attendance numbers don't really compel the AFL to do that.
Cost of living pressures and scheduling plays a big part but we won't have any problems packing out Marvel and our supporters will be in full voice when we play the Blues in a couple of weeks.

The real issue is probably our ladder position.
It's likely that a lot of these problems wouldn't be as evident if we were currently well entrenched in the top 5.

It's logical that people are a bit choosy which games they will attend and it's really up to the club to get us more competitive on the field. The David Copperfield slight of hand membership numbers calculation contributes to the confusion of where our members are on game day.

Yeah I take no real meaning from any clubs membership numbers. The figure is used simply as a marketing tool and is inflated by any means necessary.

I agree our attendances would be better if we were well in the top 8. Our supporters are a bit more fickle than other clubs but similar to clubs like the saints.

It certainly is a challenge for clubs like ours.

[EasternWest]

Summary of attendances over past 10 years



Year
Games
Ave.


2024
15
31445


2023
23
30412


2022
22
27219


2021*
16
23277


2020*
13
3894


2019
22
30988


2018
22
29225


2017
22
33156


2016
22
31945


2015
22
27013





Note 2020 and 21 Covid effected.

Your honour the witness is obfuscating to avoid answering the question.

[GVGjr]

Yeah I take no real meaning from any clubs membership numbers. The figure is used simply as a marketing tool and is inflated by any means necessary.

I agree our attendances would be better if we were well in the top 8. Our supporters are a bit more fickle than other clubs but similar to clubs like the saints.

It certainly is a challenge for clubs like ours.

Yes and no, we also haven't been getting results that inspire the supporters.
Playing games at Mars and Engie probably don't help our overall numbers either.

[jeemak]

We all bemoan how shit the product is and how it's getting worse, but wonder why our attendances haven't grown relative to our membership.

Bad food
Too much noise
Flashing lights
Expensive
Poor umpiring
Silly rules
Inconsistent team
Dickhead opposition supporters
Less player loyalty

Have other club attendances risen at a higher rate than our relative to their membership increases?

Not sure why we blame people for not wanting a piece of all of the above.

[The bulldog tragician]

We all bemoan how shit the product is and how it's getting worse, but wonder why our attendances haven't grown relative to our membership.

Bad food
Too much noise
Flashing lights
Expensive
Poor umpiring
Silly rules
Inconsistent team
Dickhead opposition supporters
Less player loyalty

Have other club attendances risen at a higher rate than our relative to their membership increases?

Not sure why we blame people for not wanting a piece of all of the above.

Add in the club is already in touch asking us to onsell our tickets when we play Carlton. Just what I want, to be sitting among the arrogant Bluebaggers.

[Grantysghost]

We all bemoan how shit the product is and how it's getting worse, but wonder why our attendances haven't grown relative to our membership.

Bad food
Too much noise
Flashing lights
Expensive
Poor umpiring
Silly rules
Inconsistent team
Dickhead opposition supporters
Less player loyalty

Have other club attendances risen at a higher rate than our relative to their membership increases?

Not sure why we blame people for not wanting a piece of all of the above.

The noise at Marvel overwhelms me. I really hate it.

I used to love just sitting there watching the teams in relative quiet with my record and my pen ready to go, but now I need those new born ear muffs.

My niece who's 17 loves it. So, I guess footy isn't aimed at my generation any more.

[Grantysghost]

Add in the club is already in touch asking us to onsell our tickets when we play Carlton. Just what I want, to be sitting among the arrogant Bluebaggers.
Oh really that's crap. Home ground is really not a thing anymore.

[ledge]

We all bemoan how shit the product is and how it's getting worse, but wonder why our attendances haven't grown relative to our membership.

Bad food
Too much noise
Flashing lights
Expensive
Poor umpiring
Silly rules
Inconsistent team
Dickhead opposition supporters
Less player loyalty

Have other club attendances risen at a higher rate than our relative to their membership increases?

Not sure why we blame people for not wanting a piece of all of the above.

Don’t forget live on Fox footy. Why leave the lounge in this weather ?

[Happy Days]

Add in the club is already in touch asking us to onsell our tickets when we play Carlton. Just what I want, to be sitting among the arrogant Bluebaggers.

This is going to cause a horrific fight really soon/if we ever have another home game against Collingwood.

[ledge]

This is going to cause a horrific fight really soon/if we ever have another home game against Collingwood.

Oh I don’t know I think we have a better relationship with Collingwood more than ever . From my experience we are most of Collingwood supporters second team .

[Sedat]

Oh I don’t know I think we have a better relationship with Collingwood more than ever . From my experience we are most of Collingwood supporters second team .
Lol - the only 2nd team the filth have is their VFL team.

[D Mitchell]

Lol - the only 2nd team the filth have is their VFL team.
!989. The Fightback. Essendon and Carlton sniffing 'round after Hawkins, Grant, Cameron, Kennedy etc. Collingwood public support, Collingwood old players v Footscray old players fund raiser at Skinner Reserve, Collingwood supporters rattling tins with us. C'wood has been my second team since 1990.

[azabob]

!989. The Fightback. Essendon and Carlton sniffing 'round after Hawkins, Grant, Cameron, Kennedy etc. Collingwood public support, Collingwood old players v Footscray old players fund raiser at Skinner Reserve, Collingwood supporters rattling tins with us. C'wood has been my second team since 1990.

McGuire also gave us a good run on the footy show publicity wise for a few year’s running back in the day.

[D Mitchell]

1989. That was the year I realised what a footy club in a culture, like ours, really means.