Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury sets new AFL crowd benchmark in grand final

Dustin Fletcher’s record of being the most ‘watched’ player in VFL/AFL history was broken at this year’s grand final. SHANNON GILL dives into the numbers that show which players put bums on seats.

The AFL Grand Final saw Scott Pendlebury take another unique record. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Scott Pendlebury became the AFL’s most prolific ball-winner of all time this year, but the records didn’t stop there.

On grand final day, Pendlebury picked up his second premiership medallion but, as per online statistical bible and national treasure AFL Tables, he also became the most watched player in VFL/AFL history.

The grand final crowd of 100,024 ticked Pendlebury past Dustin Fletcher’s existing record of 19,298,044 total attendees.

The record now sits with Pendlebury, who has been watched by 19,382,094 football fans according to AFL Tables’ calculations that stretch back to 1921.

That’s more than what Australia’s total population was in 2001.

What makes it even more impressive is that the table disregards the pandemic-affected 2020 and 2021 seasons. A further two seasons of normal activity would push Pendlebury even further ahead.

Longevity clearly plays a big part in the record. But playing for the massive Collingwood army, who are rarely out of finals contention, places the 383-gamer in a sweet spot for crowds.

This year Collingwood averaged 60,209 at all matches in the home and away season, with 63,722 at their MCG home games.

Both of these totals beat the previous VFL/AFL records – set by Collingwood in its previous premiership season, 2010.

The Magpies’ finals crowd average in 2023 was a gargantuan 96,775.

Magpies Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury have played to massive crowds week in-week-out over their careers. Picture: Jason Edwards

On highest average attendance, Pendlebury also comes up trumps among the top 40 players on the AFL Tables list.

With 2020-21 taken out, Pendlebury’s career has consisted of running out in front of an average of 55,377 fans each week.

That’s not just Collingwood home games at the MCG. That’s ALL games.

For context, Australia’s other major sporting competition, the NRL, hasn’t had a non-grand final or state-of-origin match attract a crowd of 55,377 for a decade.

The total attendance record looks to be in Pendlebury’s safekeeping for a while.

The next active player, at third on the list, is his old comrade Steele Sidebottom, 4 million fans shy of Pendlebury’s record.

The most watched list is dominated by Pendlebury’s Collingwood contemporaries, 13 of the top 40 on the AFL Tables list are past or present teammates of the Magpie champion.

Kevin Bartlett had almost 14 millions fans watch him during his career in the VFL-era.

And while the list is dominated by players of the past few decades, who benefit from an era of stadium upgrades and scheduling timeslots that maximise crowds, AFL legend Kevin Bartlett must be acknowledged.

Bartlett played in front of a combined crowd of almost 14 million, and held the record for around 25 years before Fletcher took it.

The Richmond great is the only footballer on the list that exclusively played in the VFL era, his entire career consisted of days when six games were played simultaneously on a Saturday afternoon, competing for crowds.

Amazingly ‘KB’ still sits at sixth on the all-time list.

Originally published as Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury sets new AFL crowd benchmark in grand final