The numbers that reveal the AFL’s brewing problem |
If economists were making market forecasts for this AFL season, they would note that the round one MCG crowds, which contribute heavily to the club and league coffers, were “soft” and that they cannot expect the kind of records and bonanzas of the recent past given the underlying conditions of certain clubs.
Essendon v Hawthorn was as hyped as any clash between the foes for two decades, on the back of Zach Merrett’s failed escape to the hated Hawks. The Bombers expected 80,000 to show up, as did the AFL. The turnout was a subdued 71,384, and a sizeable portion of them were at Richmond or........