Record Pies-Blues crowd looms
The all-time home-and-away crowd record for a Collingwood-Carlton game is under threat.
The all-time home-and-away crowd record for a Collingwood-Carlton game is under threat.
With Saturday afternoon’s highly anticipated round 17 encounter between the sides at the MCG shaping as one of the matches of the season so far, a crowd in excess of 90,000 is possible.
The AFL announced on Monday that all public tickets to the match have been sold.
In round three this year a crowd of 88,181 turned out to watch the Magpies unfurl the 2010 premiership flag against the Blues, the biggest attendance in the 221 home-and-away matches the sides have contested (they have also met in 22 finals games).
Prior to this season, the Collingwood-Carlton regular season attendance record was 87,119, set in round 1, 1995. Five times the clubs have drawn in excess of 85,000 to a home-and-away game.
Collingwood currently sits first on the ladder with 13 wins and one loss, while Carlton is fourth with 10 wins and a draw from 15 matches.
Only nine times in the history of the VFL/AFL have 90,000 or more attended a home-and-away game, with the record being 99,346 when Collingwood took on Melbourne in round 10, 1958.
The Magpies and Blues hold the all-time attendance record for a VFL/AFL game including finals, with 121,696 people turning up to the 1970 grand final.
Five times the teams have drawn in excess of 100,000 to a finals match.
The phenomenal passion and commitment of Collingwood supporters has continued in season 2011, with the club on track to break the all-time club single-season attendance record for home-and-away matches, set by the Magpies last year (1,306,461 at an average of 59,372).
Including four finals, the club drew 1,661,843 to its matches last year (average 63,917). 100,016 people attended the drawn grand final between the Magpies and the Saints, the largest crowd at the MCG in the AFL era and biggest since the 1986 grand final.
So far this year 853,712 have attended the 14 games played by the Magpies at an average of 60,979.
The club has attracted 700,459 to its 10 MCG matches in 2011, at an average of 70,045.
On four occasions the club has drawn in excess of 80,000 to this point in 2011, which represent four of the five largest crowds this season in the AFL. The biggest crowd this year was 89,626 for the annual ANZAC Day blockbuster between the Magpies and the Bombers.
Last year the club drew more than 80,000 to its home-and-away matches five times, with over 90,000 attending each of the preliminary final, grand final and grand final replay.
Top five Collingwood-Carlton home-and-away crowds
88,181 - Round 3, 2011 @ MCG (12th biggest H&A crowd in VFL/AFL history)
87,119 - Round 1, 1995 @ MCG
86,196 - Round 6, 1993 @ MCG
85,831 - Round 17, 1994 @ MCG
85,063 - Round 2, 1994 @ MCG
Top five Collingwood crowds so far in 2011
89,626 - Round 5 v Essendon @ MCG (ANZAC Day)
88,181 - Round 3 v Carlton @ MCG
83,985 - Round 15 v Hawthorn @ MCG
81,691 - Round 8 v Geelong @ MCG
75,998 - Round 12 v Melbourne @ MCG
*Only one game not involving Collingwood has drawn in excess of 80,000 in 2011 - 83,563 for Richmond v Essendon, Round 9
Top five Collingwood-Carlton finals crowds
121,696 - 1970 Grand Final @ MCG
113,545 - 1979 Grand Final @ MCG
112,964 - 1981 Grand Final @ MCG
112,838 - 1970 Second Semi-Final @ MCG
108,544 - 1969 Second Semi-Final @ MCG
Top 10 VFL/AFL home-and-away crowds
99,346 - Melbourne v Collingwood - Round 10, 1958 @ MCG
94,825 - Collingwood v Essendon - Round 4, 1995 @ MCG
92,935 - Hawthorn v Collingwood - Round 11, 1981 @ Waverley Park
92,436 - Richmond v Collingwood - Round 4, 1977 @ MCG
91,571 - Carlton v Essendon - Round 20, 2000 @ MCG
91,234 - Collingwood v Essendon - Round 4, 2006 @ MCG
90,564 - Richmond v Essendon - Round 3, 1982 @ MCG
90,508 - Essendon v Collingwood - Round 5, 2007 @ MCG
90,070 - Collingwood v Essendon - Round 5, 2010 @ MCG
89,626 - Essendon v Collingwood - Round 5, 2011 @ MCG
