Quote: Keith Swiftcorn "I was in Melbourne last month and I can tell you that the crowds and atmosphere there are fantastic. In fact the game which I went to 76,000 turned up and that was just a regular round fixture. Melbourne is also a big city which has to support 9 clubs in the competition but that doesn't stop it from generating huge attendances. You know? Where fans actually turn up and place bums on seats?
It's called Aussie Rules and unlike Rugby League it doesn't need to obsessively waffle away ad nauseam about TV ratings as if somehow that makes up for the embarrassment of rows upon rows of empty seats and zero atmosphere at NRL games in Sydney and elsewhere.'"
Keith you should look for an Aussie Rules forum if that is how you feel mate, you will get plenty of bites I am sure.
I am not really fussed on what AFL does to be honest or the culture Melbournites have watching
their game, maybe it suggests they have little else to do on a weekend compared to other places.
They average 60k and that is a huge number, its -6 % down this year so far and it was -6% down last year.
Good TV ratings for Rugby League is a positive for our code any way you look at it, TV ratings translate to revenue. Those same ratings will be what sees more English players moving to the NRL and staying in the code rather than moving to Union (or AFL)
Most Clubs do not have rows and rows of empty seats unless you think a Club team should fill the Olympic Stadium or the Football Stadium, that's hardly realistic.