‘It looks horrible’: MCG attendance sinks to 12-year low as AFL crisis deepens

Thursday night football made its long-awaited return this week, but nobody remembered to tell Richmond’s expansive supporter base.

Robbie Gray of the Power. Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Thursday night football made its long-awaited return this week, but Melbourne’s AFL fans seemingly weren’t aware.

The Richmond Tigers defeated Port Adelaide 11.11 (77) to 10.5 (65) at the MCG on Thursday evening, with the Round 13 contest played out in front of mostly empty stands.

Only 21,757 fans walked through the gates, making it the lowest home crowd for the Tigers at the MCG since 2010 – not including the 2020 and 2021 seasons that were marred by Covid-19 restrictions.

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The club boasts close to 100,000 members, but most of their supporters preferred watching the match from the comfort of home.

“Really poor crowd, Thursday night footy, cold but didn’t look like it was wet,” former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.

“It looks horrible. It’s a great TV spectacle, but it’s back to the pandemic. It looks horrible when no one’s there.

“7:20 on a Thursday night, the biggest club in the land and 21,000 went.

“I don’t think we can gloss over that.”

North Melbourne legend David King continued: “It was freezing. It’s a big difference. You can’t take kids to the footy in that temperature. So you’re losing families.

“Clearly they (the AFL) would be disappointed with those numbers.

“21,000 is the lowest for a decade, but I do think it is set up for TV.

“People have seen the other option. Over the last couple of years, people have enjoyed the comfort of being at home, you get great access these days on both Seven and Fox.

“It’s very difficult to take your family in those temperatures.”

MCG crowd: 21,757
Lowest Richmond crowd at the venue (outside of COVID) since August 2010 v Adelaide.
It’s freezing and it’s a school night… #AFLTigersPort

— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) June 9, 2022

Big ooft.

Thursday nights work early in the season when the weather is okay, but in June? Maybe not, fam. https://t.co/jQaejyNPH1

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshMedia) June 9, 2022

Speaking to KIIS 101.1 radio on Monday, Demons premiership player Christian Petracca blamed Melbourne’s cold weather for the sport’s lacklustre crowds.

“We need a crowd first to actually get ourselves going, no one comes,” he said.

“It’s Saturday arvo, Saturday night. We played 4.30pm last week against Freo — that’s not a great time for a Saturday night game.

“It’s just too cold at the moment, I don’t think people want to come. I find our age demographic for our fans is still quite older.”

But speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, veteran reporter Caroline Wilson rubbished the two-time All-Australian’s “pathetic excuse”.

“That game, Saturday night game there was 15,000 Sydney fans there according to people I know at the game. So Melbourne supporters didn’t even turn up, nor did they turn up for the top-of-the-table clash the week before, 29,000,” she said.

“These are terribly disappointing crowds, the premiership rematch in Round 1, the AFL was talking 70-75,000 — it couldn’t even get 60,000.

“Why are the Melbourne supporters not turning up? For Christian Petracca to have to blame the weather, it didn’t worry the Carlton and Collingwood fans the previous week (where 80,627 fans packed in at the MCG).”

Where is everyone? Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Last month, AFLFA president Cheryl Critchley confessed that dwindling crowd numbers has become an ongoing issue for the league.

“They talk about general admission being cheap, but if you want to sit in the good seats it can get very expensive,” she told 9 News Melbourne.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of people for whatever reason that are finding it more comfortable to be on their couches at the moment.”

The MCG is scheduled to host Thursday evening fixtures in Rounds 14 and 15.

Thursday night crowds in 2022

72,179 – Round 1: Carlton v Richmond – (MCG)
34,961 – Round 2: Western Bulldogs v Carlton – (Marvel Stadium)
32,312 – Round 5: Brisbane v Collingwood – (Gabba)
24,327 – Round 3: Western Bulldogs v Sydney – (Marvel Stadium)
23,058 – Round 4: Port Adelaide v Melbourne – (Adelaide Oval)
21,757 – Round 13: Richmond v Port Adelaide – (MCG)

Judson Clarke of the Tigers celebrates. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Tigers have unearthed another star, with 18-year-old wunderkind Judson Clarke booting two goals with his first two kicks in the AFL during Thursday’s 12-point triumph over Port Adelaide.

The left-footed small forward was nabbed with pick 30 of the 2021 Draft and did not have to wait long to land his first AFL major.

Richmond had gone down by two goals early before fighting back, kicking six straight including two for Clarke.

Clarke reportedly received 30 tickets for his debut, and his family were going berserk in the stands.

The Tigers will next face Carlton at the MCG on Thursday, June 16, with kick-off scheduled for 7.20pm AEST.

– with Andrew McMurtry

Originally published as ‘It looks horrible’: MCG attendance sinks to 12-year low as AFL crisis deepens