Australian Football League club Richmond "has shaded Collingwood to become the biggest draw in football this season" with average crowds to Tigers games almost 10,000 up on '14 figures, according to Grant Baker of the HERALD SUN. The AFL's overall average attendances are up -- thanks "mostly to the Richmond factor" -- despite 11 clubs playing in front of smaller crowds this year. The figures, which include clubs' home and away games, show Richmond's "remarkable rise." The Tigers average crowd in '14 was "a tick over 38,000 -- it is now more than 48,000." The Western Bulldogs -- "widely lauded as the most exciting team to watch this year -- have also enjoyed a large upturn in attendances," with average crowds approaching 27,000. Crowds for Hawthorn and Greater Western Sydney matches are "also significantly up." Average attendance at AFL matches so far this season is 32,548 -- just up from 32,333 in '14 (HERALD SUN, 8/19).
AFL 2015 Average Crowds
Adelaide 35,992 (-1,364)
Brisbane Lions 20,715 (-668)
Carlton 35,967 (-2,554)
Collingwood 47,895 (+410)
Essendon 42,102 (-2,351)
Fremantle 31,389 (+130)
Geelong 34,894 (-832)
Gold Coast 18,062 (-2,779)
GWS Giants 19,157 (+3,075)
Hawthorn 43,491 (+2,282)
Melbourne 30,387 (+570)
North Melbourne 26,703 (-1,356)
Port Adelaide 34,873 (-296)
Richmond 48,044 (+9,873)
St. Kilda 26,401 (-1,088)
Sydney 33,065 (-268)
West Coast 30,478 (-970)
Western Bulldogs 26,558 (+2,368)
