TOPIC:

Beasley Hutton wrote: Bazza the VFL never gets 10,000 to their GF either let alone 25,000.
The attendances for the VFL are only a couple of hundred a match similar to amateur games here.

That’s correct BH.
The VFL get 500-1000 at a home and away game and up tp 10k for a GF if there lucky.

If our GF goes to the WACA or suburban ground then gone forever is getting crowds over 20k to our GF and I’m of the opinion your neutral supporter will stop going.

As stated the atmosphere,noise and look of Optus at AFL games whilst COVID crowd restrictions have been in place has been great,much better than many believed it would be.
Keep the GF at Optus and in my opinion that would guarantee crowds of over 20k yearly.

Bazza wrote:

Ti Em wrote:

La Hincha wrote: 20,000 people at 20 dollars per ticket (a fair price) plus corporate boxes goes close to half a million dollars take in one day.

How can that not be enough to cover associated costs! If it isn't .... then the deal is a joke and the WAFL are getting ******

Gate receipts of about half a million dollars is a fair and conservative estimate - could be more. Funny that Bazza crys poor but often posts that he is more than happy to have people turned away from the GF to fulfill his fantasy of having it at the WACA. What sort of business acumen is that?

Let me tell you something about business acumen, last year the WAFL lost 120,000 on the GF at OPTUS, what sort of numpty actually believes that every single person attending actually pays for a ticket, of the 18,000 there you would be lucky of 50% actually paid full price or paid at all, a huge portion are officials, friends and family, sponsors and associated free loaders that are given free tickets, then there's the kids pensioners that make up another big portion. So the ticket revenue is minimal to covering costs. This year Optus have dropped the ground fees, but it would still be putting $100K in the furnace.

You seem pretty keen to hold it at Optus, how about you chip in the $100k to burn.

The fact that the WAFL lost 120k is a very sad state affairs as that stadium is a legacy of 140 years of WAFL football,and quite simply their would be no stadium without the WAFLS historical contribution to football in this state,and this is a damning indictment of those who signed off on this deal.

Can anyone share the last 10 years GF attendance figures.
I would be very surprised if there were any crowds over 20k.
Except the ones held at Optus maybe (1).
Then that would have been curiosity.

DF...crowds have averaged 18,100 over the last 10 years with a high of 25,064 in 2018 at Optus for the first time and a low of 11,987 in 2014 when it rained all day....from the WAFC website.

I think the only other 20k plus crowd was SD v CL in 2010 at Subi. Given those numbers, a re-imagined WACA with a 25k capacity will be more than suitable.

Senior Seagull wrote: I think the only other 20k plus crowd was SD v CL in 2010 at Subi. Given those numbers, a re-imagined WACA with a 25k capacity will be more than suitable.

SS you do realise with the WACA's proposed new redevelopment upgrade to a boutique style venue it will have a reduced capacity of only 10,000.....nowhere near 25,000!

www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2020/08/03/wa...lian-cricket-venues/

You have to factor in also that Subi have probably been in 7 of those GF’s.
They don’t have a huge following and the neutral supporter in those GF’s have stayed away and not to mention who some of there opponents were.
The 20k plus crowds will come back with new blood playing off,the bigger draw cards in the comp.

30plusyeardrought wrote: You have to factor in also that Subi have probably been in 7 of those GF’s.
They don’t have a huge following and the neutral supporter in those GF’s have stayed away not to mention some of there opponents.
The 20k plus crowds will come back with new blood playing off,the bigger draw cards in the comp.

Spot on 30+ not too mention the other lowly supported clubs Claremont & Peel playing in another 3 & 2 GF's respectively.

Bazza wrote:

Ted Nugent wrote: I agree with SS provided it really is just a one-off. It would be nice if someone from the WAFC could come out and confirm that in a normal season, the GF will be played at Optus. The concern is that, whatever happens, the WAFC will declare the GF to be a tremendous success, that the smaller venue made for a better atmosphere, or whatever they need to say to justify it and repeat it. Generally speaking, I certainly agree that having the GF at a suburban ground diminishes the WAFL, but I can live with if it is limited to this year only.

I would think its a stop gap, clearly as posted many times this is not a normal year, all sorts of weird things have happened, hopefully we can find a long term venue that is better suited to WAFL Finals, that will probably be the WACA, it wont be Optus the viability is just not there. Optus was off the table weeks ago, and the Fremantle Oval was the best choice from the limited options on the table.

The VFL dont play their GF at the MCG, its Princess Park for all the same reasons.

It's played at Etihad ( or whatever it's called now) Gets over 20,000

Another great decision by the WACA then.
Don't they get 20k odd to a big bash game?
I am surprised at the average of 18k+ over the past 10 years.
If the DEES ever make a GF in my lifetime the stadium will be full of DEE supporters coming out of the closet.