Talking Footy

AFL says goodbye to Sydney's ANZ Stadium
Adrian Warren, AAP Updated
September 9, 2016, 6:39 pm

It may have had a chequered history where Australian rules is concerned, but ANZ Stadium has the chance to farewell the code in style.

The ground is set to attract the biggest AFL attendance in Sydney for at least nine years, with 60,000 fans expected for the qualifying final derby between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.

A crowd of that magnitude will justify the AFL's decision to take the game away from the Swans SCG base, which has a highest AFL attendance of 46,168.

"The historic first all-Sydney AFL Final is clearly the biggest game in the history of the code in NSW," ANZ Stadium chief executive Darryl Kerry said.

"It will also be a fitting farewell for AFL footy at ANZ Stadium, which will soon be redeveloped as a world-class rectangular stadium."

Although it was a ground some Swans supporters found hard to love, they certainly celebrated plenty of famous wins at the venue.

The club won eight out of ten finals there and has a 32-22 record overall, having played in all 54 AFL games held in the main stadium for the 2000 Olympics.

The poor state of the ground was a frequent talking point in the aftermath of several games, especially when matches were played within a day or two of rugby league fixtures.

It also drew negative headlines in 2015 when Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead's guernsey was ripped and his back marked after he slid over exposed bolts behind the goals.

For all the controversy, the ground has also provided its share of drama and excitement and big crowds.

On 11 occasions it hosted crowds of more than 50,000, two of them over 70,000 for finals matches in 2003 against Collingwood and Brisbane,

The Magpies were the most frequent visitors to the venue playing 13 games, while four teams never played there, the two South Australian clubs, Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs.

NUMBERS FOR AFL AT ANZ STADIUM

•Biggest crowd: 72,393. Sydney v Collingwood 2003 (Record AFL attendance outside Victoria)

•Lowest crowd: 19,127 Sydney v North Melbourne 2008

•Average crowd for home and away rounds: 40,403

•Average crowd for finals: 44,372

•Total attendance: 2,221,475

•Highest score: 146 (22.14) Sydney v Carlton 2003, (23.8) Hawthorn v Sydney 2015

•Lowest score: West Coast 34 (4.10) v Sydney 2004

•Biggest margin 94 Sydney 19.18 (132) GWS 5.8 (38) 2012

•Most games played: 49 (Adam Goodes, Syd)

•Most goals kicked: 87 (Barry Hall, Syd)

•Most goals kicked in a game 6 (three times by Barry Hall Syd) once each by Kurt Tippett (Syd), Travis Cloke (Collingwood), Michael O'Loughlin (Syd) David Neitz (Melb) and Steve Johnson (Geelong)

•Most disposals in a game: Gary Ablett 44 Geelong v Sydney 2009

Beaussie wrote: ↑Sat Sep 10, 2016 10:22 am

Kinda sad to think I'll be seeing the last ever game of footy at ANZ Stadium. Despite what the majority of AFL fans will tell ya, I actually didn't mind the place.

AFL says goodbye to Sydney's ANZ Stadium
Adrian Warren, AAP Updated
September 9, 2016, 6:39 pm

It may have had a chequered history where Australian rules is concerned, but ANZ Stadium has the chance to farewell the code in style.

The ground is set to attract the biggest AFL attendance in Sydney for at least nine years, with 60,000 fans expected for the qualifying final derby between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.

A crowd of that magnitude will justify the AFL's decision to take the game away from the Swans SCG base, which has a highest AFL attendance of 46,168.

"The historic first all-Sydney AFL Final is clearly the biggest game in the history of the code in NSW," ANZ Stadium chief executive Darryl Kerry said.

"It will also be a fitting farewell for AFL footy at ANZ Stadium, which will soon be redeveloped as a world-class rectangular stadium."

Although it was a ground some Swans supporters found hard to love, they certainly celebrated plenty of famous wins at the venue.

The club won eight out of ten finals there and has a 32-22 record overall, having played in all 54 AFL games held in the main stadium for the 2000 Olympics.

The poor state of the ground was a frequent talking point in the aftermath of several games, especially when matches were played within a day or two of rugby league fixtures.

It also drew negative headlines in 2015 when Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead's guernsey was ripped and his back marked after he slid over exposed bolts behind the goals.

For all the controversy, the ground has also provided its share of drama and excitement and big crowds.

On 11 occasions it hosted crowds of more than 50,000, two of them over 70,000 for finals matches in 2003 against Collingwood and Brisbane,

The Magpies were the most frequent visitors to the venue playing 13 games, while four teams never played there, the two South Australian clubs, Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs.

NUMBERS FOR AFL AT ANZ STADIUM

•Biggest crowd: 72,393. Sydney v Collingwood 2003 (Record AFL attendance outside Victoria)

•Lowest crowd: 19,127 Sydney v North Melbourne 2008

•Average crowd for home and away rounds: 40,403

•Average crowd for finals: 44,372

•Total attendance: 2,221,475

•Highest score: 146 (22.14) Sydney v Carlton 2003, (23.8) Hawthorn v Sydney 2015

•Lowest score: West Coast 34 (4.10) v Sydney 2004

•Biggest margin 94 Sydney 19.18 (132) GWS 5.8 (38) 2012

•Most games played: 49 (Adam Goodes, Syd)

•Most goals kicked: 87 (Barry Hall, Syd)

•Most goals kicked in a game 6 (three times by Barry Hall Syd) once each by Kurt Tippett (Syd), Travis Cloke (Collingwood), Michael O'Loughlin (Syd) David Neitz (Melb) and Steve Johnson (Geelong)

•Most disposals in a game: Gary Ablett 44 Geelong v Sydney 2009

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:37 pm

To answer your question
RL has had plenty more larger crowds .

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2017 12:26 pm

Wrong again .
The H& away record is 104,000 .
Set by The NRl at the start of the 99 season . Beats the swans by 30 k
Better luck next time

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:30 pm

NRL holds the record there .
You were wrong ...again .deal with it

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:38 pm

Move on son . Don't clog up another thread where you've been proven wrong.

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:09 am

& this isn't the fight club .
All I did was clear up some post of yours that was wrong .
If you can't handle that without being abusive then don't post in here .
Face facts son .
RL holds the record .

It's official
Then there's this from a BF poster who was there .
& why would an AFL fan lie about a rival sport .







Les forgets the opening round of 1999 NRL season was the opening of Stadium Australia, 18 months before the Olympics and 104,583 turned up. Yes it was for a double header but there was close to 100,000 in the first game Manly v Newcastle. I was there, as I lived down the road at Concord.

RussellEbertHandball, Tuesday at 5:00 PM #848Reply

leagueiscrap wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2017 2:20 pm

AFLcrap1 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:09 am

& this isn't the fight club .
All I did was clear up some post of yours that was wrong .
If you can't handle that without being abusive then don't post in here .
Face facts son .
RL holds the record .

It's official
Then there's this from a BF poster who was there .
& why would an AFL fan lie about a rival sport .







Les forgets the opening round of 1999 NRL season was the opening of Stadium Australia, 18 months before the Olympics and 104,583 turned up. Yes it was for a double header but there was close to 100,000 in the first game Manly v Newcastle. I was there, as I lived down the road at Concord.

RussellEbertHandball, Tuesday at 5:00 PM #848Reply

Lol trolling BF!
I couldn't care the nrlol holds the crowd record there, in just pointing out the usual pathetic ness from the nrlolit needed a double header

RL has played hundreds of more games there!
but it is good to see the swans still hold the record for best H&A crowd and finals crowd (non GF)
probably best average as well