AFL Opening Round in NSW and QLD

[Beaussie]

On AFL 360 tonight, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said sellout crowds are expected in Sydney, Western Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

A great way to start the new season. Hope the AFL keeps this Opening Round concept in NSW and QLD.

[azif]

On AFL 360 tonight, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said sellout crowds are expected in Sydney, Western Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

A great way to start the new season. Hope the AFL keeps this Opening Round concept in NSW and QLD.

even if the GWS crowd is sold out
about 2K of the 22K with be there to support them , the rest for the other mob
almost same on the gold coast

still after 13 years , theres just no penetration into these markets

people in Sydney , Brisbane , & the Gold Coast will be attending or tuning in .. in droves to the big games the NRL has planned at exactly the same times in exactly the same markets

what the hell was the afl thinking

[Fred]

Australian Rules Footy is going pretty well on the Gold Coast - you just have to have a look not only at how many clubs but also how many leagues there are. It’s always had a big presence in QLD and has only grown of late with the women”s game going through the roof. RL is still the number 1 sport - no doubt - but GWs would love to be having the same level of grassroots as Gold Coast - to be fair - Aussie rules already well established. And he’s starting from scratch.

[azif]

Australian Rules Footy is going pretty well on the Gold Coast - you just have to have a look not only at how many clubs but also how many leagues there are. It’s always had a big presence in QLD and has only grown of late with the women”s game going through the roof. RL is still the number 1 sport - no doubt - but GWs would love to be having the same level of grassroots as Gold Coast - to be fair - Aussie rules already well established. And he’s starting from scratch.

Most afl fans on the GC don't follow the suns though , the only club in either code to never play a finals match , it would be a disaster if they were to miss out again in 2024 & the Titans , under their new coach Des Hasler were to make it . The tits look very , very good this year & will make a decent shake of it , Tino , Fifita , Beau Fermor thats a devastating back row & one of the fastest backlines in the comp to back it . They make it imo.
Pressure is on , big time.

[Fred]

Australian Rules Footy is going pretty well on the Gold Coast - you just have to have a look not only at how many clubs but also how many leagues there are. It’s always had a big presence in QLD and has only grown of late with the women”s game going through the roof. RL is still the number 1 sport - no doubt - but GWs would love to be having the same level of grassroots as Gold Coast - to be fair - Aussie rules already well established. And he’s starting from scratch.

Most afl fans on the GC don't follow the suns though , the only club in either code to never play a finals match , it would be a disaster if they were to miss out again in 2024 & the Titans , under their new coach Des Hasler were to make it . The tits look very , very good this year & will make a decent shake of it , Tino , Fifita , Beau Fermor thats a devastating back row & one of the fastest backlines in the comp to back it . They make it imo.
Pressure is on , big time.

I'd agree, most don't follow the Suns but many have them as their second team and they are the ones buying up memberships and attending games - when their 1st team isn't playing the suns then they are behind the Suns. That is my experience anyway. There is a very strong rusted on support for them though which is a great base to have generated through some pretty poor years - if things start looking up - you will watch that grow - but that base will always be there. I would also say the same about the Titans - hence why clubs in general struggle on the Gold coast I feel. Success on feild is the key, I agree. Suns coach has stated finals is the the pass mark - they have the cattle to do this - however a very even comp of late re: 3 to 14 - so will be needing to win those close ones and not drop the ones they should have won. Seen a few practice games and not looking too good - although only practice games - and it can take time in AFL to adjust to a new coaches games plan - so will see what happens. I am picking anywhere from 7 to 14 for the Suns. It is at the grassroots level that Aussie Rules is doing well though on the GC. Large participation at clubs level (actually playing not Auskick), and the local aussie rules comp seems to be run much more professionally at grassroots which brings a few parents with their kids over.

[Skippy Steve]

Who are the tits? I thought that they were the Gold Coast Trojans. But yes, the AFL are spending 1 billion on grassroots footy in QLD. More and more AFL goal posts are coming up in ALD.

[azif]

Who are the tits? I thought that they were the Gold Coast Trojans. But yes, the AFL are spending 1 billion on grassroots footy in QLD. More and more AFL goal posts are coming up in ALD.

they can spend 5 billion ( it will probably need to ) , it won't mean nada
they've been spending it up like a drunk fat guy at a whore house for 42 years in NSW & QLD & they're still outrated by pepper pig on TV in these states

[Beaussie]

Sellout crowds for all Opening Round games is fantastic news, along with an additional $1 billion investment in footy development and participation. Already liking this new AFL CEO better than Gillon McLachlan.


Opening Round

After criticism from the Giants and Swans last year that the AFL was losing ground to the NRL, Dillon helped introduce opening round in NSW and Queensland this year, allowing the code’s non-traditional markets a rare chance to start the season.

The season opener on Thursday night between the Sydney Swans and Melbourne at the SCG will be sold out, as will the Saturday night clash between Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood at Sydney Olympic Park, leaving Dillon delighted with fans’ response to the concept.


AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has set ambitious targets for his code in 2024CREDIT: LUIS ASCUI

“We’re going to have four sell-out games in NSW and Queensland this weekend, and then we’ll have our round one next week, which will be almost as big a round, attendance-wise as we’ve ever had,” Dillon said.

“I’m not a marketing person, I’ll leave that to others more versed in that one, but I think it actually resonates a little bit and it is different to round one because it’s not everyone in it, and we didn’t want to detract from round one,” Dillon said.

Despite early success at the ticket office, Dillon is cautious about committing to making the opening round concept an annual affair for NSW and Queensland clubs.

“We want to see how it goes,” Dillon said. “We need to look at venue availability and there’s a whole host of things that go into doing our fixture.

“Anywhere where we can get content around the country, we’re going to continue to look at that and explore different opportunities as they arise.”

After being asked why the AFL called this round of fixtures ‘opening round’ and not simply round one, Dillon said it was about appealing to a wider audience.

Filling Giants Stadium

Spearheaded by star captain Toby Greene, GWS came within a point of reaching the grand final in a thrilling preliminary final against Collingwood last year.

The club also set a new membership record of 33,036, backed by often innovative social media content, but still often struggles to fill home games in Sydney. Dillon believes that the future remains bright for the Giants.

“On Saturday night, there’s over 20,000 [tickets sold], the Giants will basically sell out the three games they play in Canberra and their game against the Swans when they host the home derby will again be another close-to-sellout at Giants Stadium so almost half their games are at absolute capacity,” Dillon said.


Giants’ captain Toby Greene will renew acquaintances with Collingwood on Saturday after a one point defeat in last year’s Preliminary Final CREDIT: GETTY

“What we’ve go to do is work with the Giants on the remaining six home games that they have, and it’s fixturing, it’s marketing. They play an amazing brand of football, as they showed last year. So I think it’s a whole range of ingredients coming together...”

“I’m really confident that the crowds at the Giants will continue to grow, you know, they’re only 12 years old as well and you sort of forget that. It’s a generational investment up there and their crowds on a Sydney scale are still pretty strong and I think they’ll get they’ll continue to get stronger.”

Driving community growth in Sydney

Last month Dillon announced the AFL’s ambitious plans to invest $1 billion of funding to drive to one million participants in the game across Australia by 2033.

Given Sydney’s lack of green space and shortage of AFL-ready ovals, how does he propose to continue to increase community participation in an increasingly crowded city?

“One of the things that we have identified is that to continue to grow our participation, there’s got to be different ways to play the game,” Dillon said.

“So we’re looking at alternative offerings, we’ve had AFL nines [a shorter, non-contact form of the game] and we’re going to continue to grow that, and we’re going to look at programs for juniors which are a bridge between Auskick and community football.“

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/by-any ... 5f9xx.html

[Beaussie]

Opening Round has proven popular for footy in NSW and QLD with sellout crowds and lots of media coverage.

[Fred]

I’ve always said that a good sign for AFL”s penetration into Sydney and QLD was when they started showing the AFL footy shows at a decent time. Well in QLD tonight you have The Fromt Bar followed by Talking Football on 7 (main channel). I think this is a big thing and will be interesting to see how it goes.

[Beaussie]

I’ve always said that a good sign for AFL”s penetration into Sydney and QLD was when they started showing the AFL footy shows at a decent time. Well in QLD tonight you have The Fromt Bar followed by Talking Football on 7 (main channel). I think this is a big thing and will be interesting to see how it goes.

Yep… watching here in Sydney too on 7 main channel. My AFL mates in Sydney cheering. Love the Front Bar.

Opening Round games getting prime time main channel coverage too here in Sydney/NSW.

[azif]

so we can expect 4 AFL sellouts then ?
thats
all games well under capacity ?

% numbs of away fans at these games
Swans 33%
Lions 44%
Suns 77%
GWS 88%

numb of new fans at each game .. who wouldn't have attended the games anyway
swans
5 ... not % , thats 5
lions
4
suns
3
gws
2

yea
it was worth fucking up the draw as a lame response to the NRL eh guys

[Fred]

I think you may be right re suns and Richmond fans turning up - last game I attended it was a massive Richmond crowd - although a fair percentage of those will be at the next home game supporting the suns I reckon. As for new fans - like first time ever at an afl game - that would be an interesting stat to know and a good question. I do have two friends going Saturday who are Carlton supporters who are getting season tickets and plan on going to home games. It’s a great day out and reasonably inexpensive. They used to give 3 game memberships to junior players - which resulted in a parent usually buying a membership - that is where you get the new followers I found when my kids played - Dad”s whose kids wanted to play AFL and not knowing much about it - and learning the game watching their kids and getting into it. This is a good base as they have no afl allegiance so get behind the suns.

[Terry]

The Ginats coach got it right when he said the Swanettes have a following of all the rich whitey Vic expatriates now living in the elite eastern suburbs. That'll be most of their crowd in good 'ol Sydney town. Then they'll have a smattering of former RU fans. White. Rich. Former GPS snotty nosed brats. Sounds like a fun place NOT to be lolololololol!!!!!!!

And the Ginats crowd will be 95% Collingwood supporters. You'll be able to tell by doing a tooth count lolololol!!!! It'll be a bonanza if a team of dentists set up outside No Name Stadium. There's a fortune to be made outta those thousands of toothless, tatt covered, mullett wearing citizens. If any of our fine fumble fans head out to No Name stadium I suggest they secure their wallets and valuables. Just to be safe lololololol!!!!!!!

[azif]

The Ginats coach got it right when he said the Swanettes have a following of all the rich whitey Vic expatriates now living in the elite eastern suburbs. That'll be most of their crowd in good 'ol Sydney town. Then they'll have a smattering of former RU fans. White. Rich. Former GPS snotty nosed brats. Sounds like a fun place NOT to be lolololololol!!!!!!!

And the Ginats crowd will be 95% Collingwood supporters. You'll be able to tell by doing a tooth count lolololol!!!! It'll be a bonanza if a team of dentists set up outside No Name Stadium. There's a fortune to be made outta those thousands of toothless, tatt covered, mullett wearing citizens. If any of our fine fumble fans head out to No Name stadium I suggest they secure their wallets and valuables. Just to be safe lololololol!!!!!!!

i just hope they'll be all fine with that ground for livestock they'll be at

moooooooo
mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo