ARTICLE: "WAFL Crowd Growth in 2009 comes from Various Factors", by Chris Egan (Perth Glory historian)

Chris Egan (left) is a dedicated supporter of Perth Glory (A-League) and Peel Thunder (WAFL). He is a committed and passionate supporter of WAFL football. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Archeology. He has contributed articles to Austadiums.com. 

Chris Egan (centre) & Glory supporters

"WAFL Crowd growth in 2009 comes from various factors", by Chris Egan (Perth Glory and Peel Thunder supporter and Perth Glory historian) 

Global Financial Crisis is the largest element. The GFC hit Western Australia's mining sector pretty severely. In September 2008 the unemployment rate in Perth was 2.7% the lowest ever in recorded Federation History, by May 2009 it had doubled to 5.2% and the GFC and its surrounding doom atmosphere gravitated around Western Australia. 

With a dramatic cultural shift, 20,000 Mining jobs were lost and it was the growth in Retail from the Rudd Stimulus Package that propped up not just WA's but Australia's economy. 

The resulting impact was that there was more unemployed men in the Perth metropolitan area, and during periods of downturn in Australia's history, they have often turned to sport. With Subiaco Oval's crowds larger in the 2009 season than what they are this year (despite both teams being in far better form) we see the spill-over impact of sold out games and scarcity of tickets flowing through to the WAFL. 

But where the growth in average attendance was, was in the outer suburbs. Subiaco, East Perth and Claremont's growth was far lower than West Perth's, Perth's, Peel, East Fremantle and South Fremantle. 

Come on you Glory boys: Chris Egan and friends

But there was added factors that continued on the crowd growth - Media Attention. Throughout the season the storyline, like the Glory's was about the WAFL's crowds being the highest since 1994, just as the Glory benefited from this free advertising to people in 1996, so did the WAFL. As crowds got larger, so did people hear about the larger attendances. 

But just as the Glory was able to hit a golden spot, so did the WAFL. While crowds at Subiaco Oval had been boosted dramatically by the Rudd Stimulus Package, people also would have shifted from watching AFL on TV to going to watch the WAFL - Due to both sides being in poor form. Western Australian's have traditionally shifted support to teams that are doing well, regardless of the code. 

Indeed there is no football code war in Western Australia, there was no animosity about the Glory's entry by the West Australian, there has been little to none of the eastern states bagging of soccer and indeed the west embraced Glory to such a level that during the summer of 96/97 Glory got the back page over the Hopman Cup and Perth Cup (Writing the History of Perth Glory atm). 

So with a flexible sporting community that follows success, hype and interest...this further boosted the crowds. 

Lathlain Park: great retro ground (respect!)

But 15% growth in a season, has to be seen in context of exciting games, a more even competition (which is how the WAFC accounted for the increased crowds) and the rather fine weather conditions. However there is even more significance to the ability to grow at such a dramatic rate - Town Node infrastructure. 

There was no impediments to crowd growth. Families were not put off by lack of public transport, surrounding eating places, pubs and shopping facilities. A whole day experience could occur and unlike the SANFL which has impediments such as poor public transport, in largely residential areas with no retail foot traffic...WAFL grounds bar East Fremantle and Lathlain are integral additions to their town centres. 

In the 2009 SANFL season the crowd attendance was 260,287 a decline on the previous year's 275,842, so we have to see the factors happening in Western Australia that was not happening in South Australia to facilitate a similar sized growth in attendance. 

- A non-existent mining sector, thus they didn't have a huge unemployment growth

- A stadium that was not facing lock out at AAMI Stadium

- A lag in growth for many years, despite population growth. 

- Poorer infrastructure and more venues in residential regions rather than in town centres

- Lack of media focus on crowds and the promotional aspect the West Australian media went through because crowds had grown unprecedently and the largest since the Dockers came into the competition. 

R.A. McDonald Stand - part of Perth's social history

In terms of why Swan Districts' average went down, they had a crowd of over 6000 for the Anzac Day game in 2008, by 2009 they had just over 2,500 for the game on April 27th. 

Regional breakdown of crowds for 2009 and its increase...are in the mortgage belt, rather than in the wealthier and yuppier Inner City. Mortgage Belt would have been more impacted by unemployment, more unemployed men not working and probably looking after kids during the week while the wife worked and wanted to do something on the weekend. 

Crowds at Leederville and Claremont grew the slowest, East Fremantle had a Foundation Day Derby crowd of over 11,000 which boosted their average, while Sth Fremantle's average were boosted by some very large Friday Night fixtures in the Port City and an ANZAC Day crowd of 5,500

Fine Weather for many of the games also played a factor. 

One of the legacies of 2009, is that Blockbuster top of the table clashes now attract 3000 plus regardless of who are playing in them. This year 3417 for Swans v East Perth and 2863 for Claremont v Est Freo last weekend. 

Peel's crowds in 2009 grew primarily due to their start to the season. Peel won 3 of their first 4 games and by Round 5 they attracted 1966 and Foundation Day weekend they got 2006 against Swan Districts. 

Perth's crowds were boosted by a very good start to the season, with over 3000 for their first three games. Showing the extent of their latent bandwagoners, a literal doubling of crowds from the previous start to the years crowds. 

WAFL comfortable in its own skin: merch store, Lathlain

West Perth's crowds seemed to have grown by the natural factors and they did make the top 4 that season. 

Sth Fremantle made the Grand Final that year, having all teams in the mix for the finals for much of the season also helped. But I think we can't just look at the even season as the reasons behind the massive growth. 

Go to WAFL Online and the crowd figures are simply amazing in terms of the amount of games with over 3000 people that drove the crowd average up. 

9 crowds over 3000....

Anyways, these are thoughts. The extent of the growth can be looked at regionally by good form by a few of the lower clubs, Friday Night Football...but the cultural tradition and history of sporting attendance growth in Australia during periods of unstable economic environment I think was a very strong push factor. 

You could argue that Western Australia got into the downturn after South Australia did the season before when they had 6.8% growth in the 08 season and then a decline from that peak when the WAFL increased by 15%. 

[by Chris Egan]

[Jack Frost's note: This article was originally written in 2009 and originally appeared at Austadiums.com. It was reproduced in its entirety with the kind written permission of Chris Egan.]