Comment: Put a marquee match-up on and the fans will come to Adelaide Oval on a Thursday night

AFTER the smallest AFL crowd ever to Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, one factor has emerged as crucial to making the timeslot in SA a success. Tell us your thoughts on Thursday night footy by voting in our poll.

14/06/18 - AFL - Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs at The Adelaide Oval. The Western Bulldogs leave the oval after the loss. Picture SARAH REED

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IF THE city of Adelaide is to become the king of Thursday night football next season the AFL must consider three factors in its fixturing and one of them is crucial — the opponent.

Excluding last year’s sold out qualifying final, the Crows and Power have hosted eight Thursday night games at Adelaide Oval since it was redeveloped in 2014 — six of which were in winter — and the average crowd was 44,691.

On Thursday night Port Adelaide drew just 26,137 to its clash with the Western Bulldogs which was the smallest AFL crowd ever at the Oval — including the one-off game in 2011 before the redevelopment.

Crowds at Thursday night Adelaide oval games

It was just the second time the crowd had dipped below 30,000 since the Power and Crows took footy back to the city permanently and didn’t make for a great look on TV.

But there were obvious mitigating circumstances — the weather, scheduling and the opponent.

It didn’t help when the weather forecast was for torrential rain and gale-force winds with the SES handing out sandbags to those in the state’s danger areas amid flood warnings.

Although not a drop of rain fell during the game the heavens could not have opened at a worse time — 5pm in the city — which was when fans were deciding whether to brave the elements or watch it on TV.

The only way to almost foolproof that scenario is to schedule Thursday night games either side of winter but both Port and Adelaide have drawn 44,000 plus on a Thursday night in June and July.

Then there was the timing of a Thursday night game starting at 7.20pm which has the final siren sounding around 10pm and makes for a late night for kids who have to front up for school the next day.

The only way to avoid that is to play Thursday nights in school holidays.

But the big crowd killer for Port Adelaide on Thursday night was also the opponent in the struggling and low-profile Western Bulldogs.

Of course, the AFL is not to know how a team will be faring in June when it does its fixture in October but it does know which teams will draw a crowd and which teams won’t.

The Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Fremantle, Brisbane, Gold Coast and GWS cannot be considered for a Thursday night at Adelaide Oval if the crowd is to be maximised.

Adelaide has hosted five Thursday night games since 2014 and drawn 50,051 (Collingwood), 49,743 (Richmond), 49,108 (Hawthorn) and 45,312 (Hawthorn). The one that stands out was 37,890 in Round 14, 2016 against North Melbourne which was also played in inclement weather.

Port did draw just 37,910 against big-name Hawthorn on a Thursday night in 2017 but it averages 41,000 to Adelaide Oval compared to the Crows’ 47,000.

If the AFL brings a Collingwood, Geelong, Richmond, Hawthorn or even lowly Carlton given its strong supporter base to Adelaide Oval on a Thursday night, then regardless of when the game is played, the spectators will come.

If Thursday night is to be seen as prime time with Adelaide Oval reportedly vying for six games next year then to do the occasion justice the marquee timeslot needs a marquee match-up.