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AFL tips huge Sydney crowd
Melissa Ryan
September 8, 2003
The AFL is hopeful that the excitement generated by Sydney's home preliminary final in two weeks will exceed that of 1996, when Tony Lockett sent the harbour city into a frenzy with his post-siren point that secured a grand final berth.
The Swans yesterday earned the right to host a preliminary final, and enjoy a week's break, with their massive upset victory over minor premier Port Adelaide.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said last night the league expected more than 70,000 people to attend what was likely to be the Saturday night match on preliminary final weekend. Sydney will host the winner of the Brisbane Lions-Adelaide semi-final.
"With the Swans one game away from the grand final, it will be huge," Demetriou said.
"If we cast our minds back to the last time they played in a preliminary final, with the Lockett kick after the siren . . . and all the excitement that generated, we'd be pretty hopeful that that could be exceeded."
A record crowd of 72,393 filled Telstra Stadium in round 21 this year for the Swans' clash with Collingwood. It was the biggest AFL crowd for the season and the largest ever outside Melbourne.
On the question of attendances in Adelaide over the weekend, Demetriou was more circumspect. He said that for the two games to have attracted a combined total of slightly more than 72,000 people, it was "very, very good".
A crowd of 33,968 attended the Port Adelaide-Sydney game, while 38,641 turned up for Adelaide's clash with West Coast. AAMI Stadium's capacity is 54,000.
Demetriou dismissed concerns that having only a 30-minute delay before broadcasting in Adelaide had had an impact.
Other talking points for the slow sales included the effect of Father's Day and the Royal Adelaide Show. Ticket prices, Demetriou said, were not a factor because prices had been reduced.
"Given there's two games in Adelaide on the one weekend, that obviously has an impact on the crowd," Demetriou said.
"If there had been one game, I'm sure there would have been higher numbers at either of those two games.
"I just think we have to accept that both teams earned the right to play a home final, and in an ideal world it would have been better if they played on different weekends.
"But that's how it happened, and we just move on."
Melissa Ryan
September 8, 2003
The AFL is hopeful that the excitement generated by Sydney's home preliminary final in two weeks will exceed that of 1996, when Tony Lockett sent the harbour city into a frenzy with his post-siren point that secured a grand final berth.
The Swans yesterday earned the right to host a preliminary final, and enjoy a week's break, with their massive upset victory over minor premier Port Adelaide.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said last night the league expected more than 70,000 people to attend what was likely to be the Saturday night match on preliminary final weekend. Sydney will host the winner of the Brisbane Lions-Adelaide semi-final.
"With the Swans one game away from the grand final, it will be huge," Demetriou said.
"If we cast our minds back to the last time they played in a preliminary final, with the Lockett kick after the siren . . . and all the excitement that generated, we'd be pretty hopeful that that could be exceeded."
A record crowd of 72,393 filled Telstra Stadium in round 21 this year for the Swans' clash with Collingwood. It was the biggest AFL crowd for the season and the largest ever outside Melbourne.
On the question of attendances in Adelaide over the weekend, Demetriou was more circumspect. He said that for the two games to have attracted a combined total of slightly more than 72,000 people, it was "very, very good".
A crowd of 33,968 attended the Port Adelaide-Sydney game, while 38,641 turned up for Adelaide's clash with West Coast. AAMI Stadium's capacity is 54,000.
Demetriou dismissed concerns that having only a 30-minute delay before broadcasting in Adelaide had had an impact.
Other talking points for the slow sales included the effect of Father's Day and the Royal Adelaide Show. Ticket prices, Demetriou said, were not a factor because prices had been reduced.
"Given there's two games in Adelaide on the one weekend, that obviously has an impact on the crowd," Demetriou said.
"If there had been one game, I'm sure there would have been higher numbers at either of those two games.
"I just think we have to accept that both teams earned the right to play a home final, and in an ideal world it would have been better if they played on different weekends.
"But that's how it happened, and we just move on."
