Port's crowd today.

[Damien]

They got 21,970....an absolute disgrace.

Less than two years ago they won their first AFL premiership against Brisbane, yet they can only manage 21, 970 against them today??

Port people (and others) often mouth off about having culture and history over the Crows (and even Eagles), but not much good having culture and history if no one is going to turn up as soon as the going gets tough.

It's the type of drop off I would expect here or in Brisbane, not in an AFL heartland 18 months after a premiership.

[Dave]

Even in their premiership year they could barely get a decent crowd. Pretty pathetic really.

[573v30]

Maybe they can't afford tickets...

Seriously, that's absolutely disgraceful for a match held in South Australia where Australian Rules Football is a religion to them. I wonder what the SANFL attendances are like lately?

[SimonH]

Originally posted by 573v30
Maybe they can't afford tickets...

Seriously, that's absolutely disgraceful for a match held in South Australia where Australian Rules Football is a religion to them. I wonder what the SANFL attendances are like lately?

1. This figure is an improvement on the Dogs game, where 20,233 attended. So far as I'm aware, neither game was wet.

2. No problems with the religiosity of footy in Adelaide. The Clones have high-40,000s membership numbers.
Port Adelaide were the most popular team in the SANFL, but they were only one of 9 or 10 teams in the competition. 75-80% of the footy-loving public of Adelaide grew up hating them with a religious fervour. In a smallish city, with a well-established AFL team that didn't carry the stigma of SANFL rivalries, this left them with very limited room to grow. Even worse, their traditional supporter base is staunchly working-class, not rich, so the "maybe they can't afford tickets" jibe isn't entirely wrong. It all adds up to a club with questionable long-term financial strength. The problems were papered over with several years of on-field success; but unless they turn it around on the park rapidly, lower attendances and poor financials will continue to bite them harder and harder. And as one of those who grew up hating Port, I won't be crying too many tears.

3. SANFL attendances predictably steadily declined from 1991 into the new millenium, before plateauing or possibly slightly increasing over the last couple of years. 12,000 net attendance this weekend across 4 games, which is roughly typical.

[ScottH]

I noticed the cupboard looked a bit bare.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by 573v30
Maybe they can't afford tickets...

You may have been joking, but from what I hear from Adelaide that is part of the problem, Footy Park tickets are over priced.

[Sanecow]

Relocation is a certainty.

[573v30]

Originally posted by ScottH
I noticed the cupboard looked a bit bare.

I guess they have no space in their Magpies cupboard...

[Jeffers1984]

Originally posted by Sanecow
Relocation is a certainty.

The Penrith Power?

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
The Penrith Power?

Southport Power

[S.U.D]

Originally posted by Sanecow
Southport Power

Puckapunyal Power

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by S.U.D
Puckapunyal Power

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by goswannie14
You may have been joking, but from what I hear from Adelaide that is part of the problem, Footy Park tickets are over priced.

They aren't actually for Port home games at all.

http://www.bass.net.au/events/porb6.php

$23 is still nowhere near as cheap as games in Melbourne. Cheaper than a GA ticket here from memory.

For that matter, why doesn't the AFL introduce a uniform ticket pricing policy so that there is some sense of unison around the league? Why should people in WA NSW & Queensland be discriminated against in terms of ticket prices just because of the state they live in?

I know the Port scene pretty well. A few points people need to realise when looking at Port Adelaide & their crowds.

-their average crowd in their last season in the SANFL was 10000. So by averaging 24-26000 they have found up to 16000 new members.

-Port's 'membership' statistics include both Category 1 & 3 SANFL memberships

http://www.sanfl.com.au/default.aspx?s=genericnewsdisplay&kw=52&aid=101969

When you consider that many Category 1 members are Camry Crows supporters who want to have a guaranted ticket for the away Showdown, the fact there are such huge gaps in that area of the ground should not really come as any surprise

-30-40% of SA followed Port in the SANFL. That means that over 60% of the State hates them & would never consider following them.

The Power realise this have have tried to engage in several rather 'comical' moves to broaden their appeal & to market their matches to a more casual audience (taped chants & songs after goals, entertainment etc etc).
It goes without saying that traditional Port fans don't exactly take to them horribly well.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237002

The fact remains, Port have not got the huge supporter base that can afford to drop off in numbers. Making matters worse for the Power is the fact that the Port Magpies SANFL are sitting once again at the top of the SANFL ladder (aside a far more amenable team in North Adelaide ). How many people are deserting the Power after inspid effort after insipid effort & are standing on the Alberton outer with a tinny in their hand swearing at the umpires for as little as $2!

JF

[paralowiepower]

Hi guys, first of all thanks for your concern.

I'm not really sure why you guys are interested but I will gladly put up some reasons for the decline.

The main reason would have to be because we are playing like @@@@, but there are a few others.

1st) most of our home games this year are early 12.40 Sunday games. Survey's by the club in 2004 when we also had low crowds show this to be the worse time slot for Power fans. We tend to have a majority of younger fans than the crows, and Sunday morning is the main time of the weekend for junior sport in S.A. As we are the city of churches maybe that is a reason too, but I doubt it.
Most of out home games this year are Sunday at 12.40, compared to last year which were Saturday night (The most preferred time) hence our record crowds since our first year in the AFL

2nd) Home games on Easter Sunday and another 12.40 on Mothers Day where crowds were @@@@house across the board in the AFL.

3rd) We have not played a big drawing team at home yet.

4th) The style of play ( flooding, backwards etc), the new rules (non contact etc) has sent many back to the local league where it is still Australian Football as we use to know it. Also as JF said the Port Magpies being top has sent the local league crowds soaring.

These are not excuses but facts, need I say Adelaide also is in a soccer frenzy at the moment as is most of Australia, and I think crowds are well down at the AFL and it is not all down to Port.

Cheers

Shane K

[Powerstuff]

All of the above I guess.
We are not a generic team, we are Port Adelaide. We don?t have open access to a city full of unattached footy fans in the way Adelaide and West Coast have had. Even Sydney and Brisbane have had it easier in that regard.
Pre 1990 we and our fiercest rival Norwood dominated the SANFL in the way Carlton and Collingwood dominated the VFL. Port?s long standing success meant we had a disproportionately large share of SA footy supporters following us. But with ten teams (since shrunk to nine with the merging of Woodville and West Torrens) we had a minority overall, I hope that is not confusing.
With all of our games on minor delay on TV it takes a particular devotion to trek to AAMI Stadium and part with your dosh. When you play like we are playing this year it takes even more. It seems around 20,000 is the base level of support we get which is very sad and probably financially unsustainable. But that is the way it is.
And yes the Port Adelaide Magpies are firing and exciting and a realistic alternative for some who are unwilling to put up with what they?re being fed in the AFL.