Home Games

[annew]

It's pretty hard to get any momentum when in 5 weeks the draw is game at Manuka, game at MCG, week off, game at ANZ Stadium, game at AAMI, tell me what other team has to play 4 games before they play at home. Pretty bad draw by the AFL I mean to say the SCG is our home ground. What other team plays at 9 different grounds in one year (Subiaco, AAMI, Gabba, Skilled, MCG, Etihad, Manuka, ANZ, SCG), every other team gets at least 11 at their home ground even the Melb teams that sell home games to other venues? Hard to get momentum or attract fans other than diehard.

[DST]

This is why I agree with Andrew D about a second team in Sydney to help with the load.

They would be candidates to play games at Manuka Oval and hopefully it would also mean a return for us back to more games at the SCG with only games at ANZ Stadium for Collingwood and the West Sydney team.

More contunuity of games at the SCG on a set day (say Saturday arvo) would help with crowds and memberships.

DST

[laughingnome]

I'm ready to give up on ANZ. The SCG capacity is currently 46000 and will probably be around 50,000 when the new Paddington End stands are erected. I think that's more then enough for the Swans, and it means a better atmosphere on a more consistent basis. 41,000 sounds a lot bigger there.

PLUS we play the ground better. It's a true home-ground complete with after-match functions and activities. ANZ is a hole in the desert, and it's time to abandon it.

[DST]

I'm ready to give up on ANZ. The SCG capacity is currently 46000 and will probably be around 50,000 when the new Paddington End stands are erected. I think that's more then enough for the Swans, and it means a better atmosphere on a more consistent basis. 41,000 sounds a lot bigger there.

PLUS we play the ground better. It's a true home-ground complete with after-match functions and activities. ANZ is a hole in the desert, and it's time to abandon it.

I don't doubt the club would prefer that as well, but while we remain the only club in Sydney we have the responsibility to help with the development of the game by playing 3 or 4 games a year at ANZ.

A renovated 50,000 seat SCG would be perfect for the club.

DST

[laughingnome]

I ran a basic breakdown of crowd numbers at homebush. The table is too big for RWO to let me attach it, but here are some basic statistics:

Average Home/Away Crowd:
45,720 (25 Games)
Average Finals Crowd:
47,950 (4 Games)
Average Crowd:
46,028 (29 Games)
Median Crowd:
44,235 (29 Games)
Range of Population:
19,157 to 72,293

Average crowds by year (games in brackets)
2002 - 42,986.3 (3 games)
2003 - 55,033.0 (4 games, PF v Bris)
2004 - 42,485 (4 games, EF v WC)
2005 - 39,855.7 (3 games)
2006 - 49,092.8 (4 games, PF v Freo)
2007 - 63,392.3 (3 games)
2008 - 40,484.6 (5 games, EF v North)
2009 - 35,745.7 (3 games so far)

[Robbo]

Oh God we play Adelaide next week.

[BSA5]

I ran a basic breakdown of crowd numbers at homebush. The table is too big for RWO to let me attach it, but here are some basic statistics:

Average Home/Away Crowd:
45,720 (25 Games)
Average Finals Crowd:
47,950 (4 Games)
Average Crowd:
46,028 (29 Games)
Median Crowd:
44,235 (29 Games)
Range of Population:
19,157 to 72,293

Average crowds by year (games in brackets)
2002 - 42,986.3 (3 games)
2003 - 55,033.0 (4 games, PF v Bris)
2004 - 42,485 (4 games, EF v WC)
2005 - 39,855.7 (3 games)
2006 - 49,092.8 (4 games, PF v Freo)
2007 - 63,392.3 (3 games)
2008 - 40,484.6 (5 games, EF v North)
2009 - 35,745.7 (3 games so far)

Could I get you to find the standard deviation and do a correlation test to test the correlation crowd numbers and membership of opposition club, plus do a t-test to see if ANZ stadium attracts a larger crowd than SCG games, discounting all matches at either stadium with crowds over 42,000?

@@@@ing Psychology degree. "Stats and rats". I'm doing the stats. KILL ME!

[cruiser]

I thought that 41,000 was an excellent crowd last night, given how much it had rained during the day until just a couple of hours before the first bounce. The crowd sounded very loud on TV, especially during the second half (I was stuck at home with a cold). I'm sure it was the noise of the crowd that prevented Richards from hearing that a free had been paid to Davis.

[Cheer Squad]

I'm ready to give up on ANZ. The SCG capacity is currently 46000 and will probably be around 50,000 when the new Paddington End stands are erected. I think that's more then enough for the Swans, and it means a better atmosphere on a more consistent basis. 41,000 sounds a lot bigger there.

PLUS we play the ground better. It's a true home-ground complete with after-match functions and activities. ANZ is a hole in the desert, and it's time to abandon it.

Rubbish. The last three games at Homebush I've been too - the North Melbourne final, the West Coast game in Round 8, and then last night, have all produced far better atmosphere than what usually gets dished up at the SCG. In fact, the last time I can remember ANY atmosphere at the SCG was when we managed to come back from the dead against Fremantle last year.

As far as playing the SCG better is concerned, it's kind of sad that some people think the best way to gain an advantage over another team is to use the ground. How about developing a winning style of football? That's far more satisfying and is a much better guarantee of success no matter where you play.

[hammo]

There is no point the club or any supporter complaining about the 'unfair' advantage of having two home grounds in Sydney because the club itself entered into those arrangements.

And as inconvenient it can be to get to from the east (getting home last night at 11.30 was quite ridiculous), the 03-06 crowds at that stadium of 50,000+ were great for the code in Sydney.

[ROK Lobster]

I thought that 41,000 was an excellent crowd last night, given how much it had rained during the day until just a couple of hours before the first bounce. The crowd sounded very loud on TV, especially during the second half (I was stuck at home with a cold). I'm sure it was the noise of the crowd that prevented Richards from hearing that a free had been paid to Davis.

Except for the part about the cold I am of the same view here. I thought the size of the crowd was excellent. Maybe the fact that there is little media coverage for the Swans in Sydney is of benefit when the team is playing crap?

[hammo]

Except for the part about the cold I am of the same view here. I thought the size of the crowd was excellent. Maybe the fact that there is little media coverage for the Swans in Sydney is of benefit when the team is playing crap?

41,000 was a great crowd because the weather yesterday was truly shocking. But the media will twist the figure to suit their agendas... on ABC this morning they said the crowd was "20,000 below expectations". Not sure where they got that from.

Anyway, 41,000 is a crowd league clubs in Sydney can only dream about and the crowd was double what was at the Wallabies test in Melbourne.

[Xie Shan]

I thought that 41,000 was an excellent crowd last night, given how much it had rained during the day until just a couple of hours before the first bounce. The crowd sounded very loud on TV, especially during the second half (I was stuck at home with a cold). I'm sure it was the noise of the crowd that prevented Richards from hearing that a free had been paid to Davis.

I agree, especially with the bolded part, it was right in front of me and I reckon he would have struggled to hear the whistle over the noise...he went on too long with the tackle, but there were several like that let go during the game.

[dimelb]

41,000 was a great crowd because the weather yesterday was truly shocking. But the media will twist the figure to suit their agendas... on ABC this morning they said the crowd was "20,000 below expectations". Not sure where they got that from.

Anyway, 41,000 is a crowd league clubs in Sydney can only dream about and the crowd was double what was at the Wallabies test in Melbourne.

Crowd sounded great on the teev and the last comment is absolutely right. How many league games would you have to add together to get our "measly" 41,000? I don't see Sydney as league-obsessed. It was when I was a kid and watched Churchill, Moir, Rayner and others, but not now; my impression (from a distance) is that apart from State of Origin and finals, league is doing it just as tough as we are.

[pinkemu]

I'm ready to give up on ANZ. The SCG capacity is currently 46000 and will probably be around 50,000 when the new Paddington End stands are erected. I think that's more then enough for the Swans, and it means a better atmosphere on a more consistent basis. 41,000 sounds a lot bigger there.

PLUS we play the ground better. It's a true home-ground complete with after-match functions and activities. ANZ is a hole in the desert, and it's time to abandon it.

More like a hole in the swamp. I truly hate trying to get out of the place, I feel like a sheep being loaded on to one of those ships bound for the middle east.
With the SCG the atmosphere IMO is always better. And when you are trying to get home you have the option of getting straight on to the sheep ships or taking a relaxing walk to Central via some of Sydney's finest watering holes.