Is the Sydney Competition the strongest it has ever been?

[DLH]

I've been to the majority of Giants games at Spotless, and you can't tell me that they fiddle their crowd numbers if you use a capacity of 25,000 as a baseline.

It was pretty close to half full against Brisbane so a bit over 9000 would have been spot on. In fact, if you take into account that there were barely any Lions fans present, I was pleasantly surprised.

Their other two crowds this year of 13500 against Hawthorn and 9500 against Adelaide are clear improvements in relative terms on previous years.

[unconfuseme]

I've been to the majority of Giants games at Spotless, and you can't tell me that they fiddle their crowd numbers if you use a capacity of 25,000 as a baseline.

It was pretty close to half full against Brisbane so a bit over 9000 would have been spot on. In fact, if you take into account that there were barely any Lions fans present, I was pleasantly surprised.

Their other two crowds this year of 13500 against Hawthorn and 9500 against Adelaide are clear improvements in relative terms on previous years.

Pleeeeez! Have a look at any of the video you like from the Lions game, there is not one shot of the crowd (and the cameramen are instructed to avoid them!) where there are a quarter of the seats filled! ... if you put your blanket on a seat and your scarf on another seat, I'm sure they count that as 3 patrons!!!!

Yep 13,500 for the match against the reigning premiers, and team with the biggest following in the sport is clear evidence that they are "winning" the fight for their hearts and souls ...

Anyway, with Mummy gone, so too is their season, I predict that they will not crack 10k (legitimate) for a crowd for the rest of the year.

[DLH]

I don't need to look at the video, I was there. The lower bowl area was quite full other than the two bays where they've set up the stage.

As you've highlighted, I said 'clear improvements', which they are, I didn't say anything about battles being won.

The fact that you think Hawthorn have a bigger supporter base than Collingwood says it all.

Having said that, today's crowd of less than 8,000 was poor, especially considering that North fans were there in good numbers.

Great prediction by the way given they still have to play the Swans there, although the way their fans sook about travelling it might be close.

[ShortHalfHead]

Would have been a lot bigger crowd if they hadn't canned the curtain raiser match Penrith V Moorebank. And there would have been a GWS win on the day.

[saviour01]

If your telling me almost 1 in 3 seats were taken yesterday then you have rocks in your head. You'd be hard pressed trying to find a single bay 1/3 full.

[DLH]

If your telling me almost 1 in 3 seats were taken yesterday then you have rocks in your head. You'd be hard pressed trying to find a single bay 1/3 full.

Rubbish, one third full was about right.

I presume all these people who are commenting are actually at the games and can see the ground in its entirety rather than what's on TV?

[often_confused]

I am with DLH, I was at the ground and about 30% feels about correct. That said, there were good numbers from the shinboners and a combination of dreadful weather knowing they would be leaving on a cold wet night plus the cancelled curtin raisers did not assist.

[saviour01]

Rubbish, one third full was about right.

I presume all these people who are commenting are actually at the games and can see the ground in its entirety rather than what's on TV?

Next time you go take some pics for us to prove us wrong. I saw on tv and a few pics on twitter.

[saviour01]

Found this on twitter

View image: gwspano

Hit the right key to scroll right. Why back is 1/3 full there? Theres next to no one upstairs. 24k capacity stadium and 8k announced and yet not even a single bay is 1/3 full

[Tom Wills]

GWS vs whoever...... blah......blah......blah......blah......blah...... blah......blah......blah......blah......blah...... who the hell cares about the crowd. If you live in Sydney we have 2 teams. Anything else is irrelevant...... sorry manly, parra, crowd numbers, seats, .... everything else is irrelevant - we have 2 teams !!!!

[Mug Punter]

GWS vs whoever...... blah......blah......blah......blah......blah...... blah......blah......blah......blah......blah...... who the hell cares about the crowd. If you live in Sydney we have 2 teams. Anything else is irrelevant...... sorry manly, parra, crowd numbers, seats, .... everything else is irrelevant - we have 2 teams !!!!

It's not irrelevant at all. The Manly issue show s a complete lack of community engagement and the pitifully low crowds illustrate in stark terms the work they need to do to establish themselves. Yes, the Swans had a dip in the 90s but these guys need to build a new supporter base form scratch and from all reports they are alienating the people they should be connecting with.

These guys must be losing an absolute fortune and if you think the Melbourne clubs will put up with GWS winning flag after flag when they are being bankrolled by $10m plus a year from AFL HQ then you are deludued. So, actually they need to sort themselves out off the field pretty damn quick

[saviour01]

Around 16.5 million a year apparently.

[Pmcc2911]

What are the options for GWS, you are looking at 10 years plus to build any sort of off field support.
I reckon they will play more and more games in Canberra to try and build a greater supporter base

[Coastal Boy]

Found this on twitter

View image: gwspano

Hit the right key to scroll right. Why back is 1/3 full there? Theres next to no one upstairs. 24k capacity stadium and 8k announced and yet not even a single bay is 1/3 full

As much as I appreciate an evidence based reply, on closer inspection some of the crowd photos are taken during day whilst others at night. I can see the run on banner in the last one. The crowd looks very light-on but a photo taken before the first bounce whilst many of the spectators are not seated cannot be seriously submitted into evidence.

[chatovadafloor]

Still working out what this has to do with the Sydney competition