The game day experience for Collingwood supporters

Bucks5 · Nicky D - Parting the red sea Joined: 23 Mar 2002

This is because too many people bragged how good AFL memberships are, and now there are too many of us. Ruined a good thing.

David · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 10:37 am

I still love walking to the ground from Richmond station with masses of football supporters; taking a seat in a stadium with 60,000+ others waiting for the game to start; having a good view of the game from the top level of Etihad (or first level of the MCG, if I'm lucky enough to end up down there); the roar of the crowd; the cheersquad when it isn't completely sedated; the 120 minutes of the game itself.

What stops me from attending games? The price of entry is getting steadily beyond my means, but beyond that I'm finding the experience of watching the game at the ground has become diminished: the way the countdown clock, loud music and fake crowd roar has killed the buildup to the opening siren; the overbearing PA announcements; the cringeworthy "innovations" like the (thankfully yet-to-be-experienced) Collingwood cheerleading troupe that make it all feel less like a football game and more like a variety show for bored teenagers. Who really wants to go to that? Just give us a football game. As a spectacle, it's perfectly sufficient.

Hiss · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: Geelong

Jezza · 2023 PREMIERS! Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End

Here are my likes and dislikes of the typical match day experience when attending a Collingwood match:

Likes:
* Watching the Mighty Pies play the game of Aussie Rules
* Socialising with mates and having a few beers in the process
* Enjoying the moment of yelling and cheering on the side (sad to see that this is diminishing amongst the general footy supporting population in recent years though)
* The walk from the train station or car park to the ground (the feeling of seeing fellow supporters just as eager for the match than just yourself)
* My seat on level 1 of the Ponsford End (if people see me or recognise me come say hello)
* Seeing the Auskick kids playing on the MCG at half-time. It's better than having a bloody half-time entertainment show like they do in the USA for instance.
* The CAAS Squad (in m32 standing room) - Those guys make the standing room experience awesome in that area Smile

Dislikes:
* The increasing commercialisation of the game day experience
* Hug, Kiss, Smile and Dance cam are cringeworthy to say the least. Get rid of them.
* The umpires ruining good matches.
* The manufactured crowd noise at the start of the opening bounce for each match. Why can't it be natural?
* The food prices are increasing but the temptation of eating something still gets the better of me though!
* The increasing amount of people that have become theatre-goers as opposed to displaying their passion and love for the club.
* The cheersquad and it's lack of passion (I hope we see an improvement in this area this year)
* Empty seats in the Ponsford End

In regards to the music, I'm indifferent but it would be helpful to keep it down just a little so you can chat with people without having the need to yell though.

Jezza · 2023 PREMIERS! Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End

Delete Mods!

die4pies · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:08 am

Pretty much agree with everything in your list JW.

I am liking the VFL experience and especially Victoria Park more and more each season now. We could do with a few more fans coming along though. I would love to see 8-10k at Victoria Park for a VFL game. It would be an awesome atmosphere. Even today with such a small crowd, when The Ferg went on a candy selling spree in front of the Sherrin Stand to kick the sealer the noise that came from the thousand or so fans was incredible.

Lachlan Ferguson goals late in the last quarter today

John Wren · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:32 pm

tonight, i had to ask one of the attendants whose home game it was.

kiss cam, hug cam and dancing. urgh.

to our game day manager, please make it stop.

MattyD · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Location: Kew

The AFL do not care what any of you say or think.

And I don't think the Club gives a stuff either.

The experience of going to the football is whatever the AFL decides it will be and that also goes for who wins and who loses.

Corrupt is an understatement.

xpunky bash · Joined: 30 Sep 2002 Location: melbourne Victoria

I am in agreement with the original poster who suggested that it's time to let the AFL know what the average club member wants at the football, because the tripe that is added to our fantastic game doesn't enhance it. It is unsophisticated and is an embarrassment. They have taken it from sugar to shit !

Likes
seeing familiar faces in the crowd at the Collingwood games.
barracking for my team loud and proudly !
Joffa's Rant about "The AFL can't run a chook raffle "

Dislikes
Having to shout over the music at the G to be heard.
Listening to the goose at the G between quarters recanting the scores and telling who kicked "the majors". If I missed it, then I shouldn't be there !
Most bands that play at the G. It's an acoustic nightmare. You can't compress the sound with all that concrete, glass and shit... thats why concert halls and night clubs are carpeted and curtained and have cushioned seating. Add Cheer leaders, mime artists, clowns and footballers dressed as fairies to the detriment of the experience.

John Wren · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:05 pm

went along tonight. essendon as the home team have it sussed. same game day experience as their etihad games. no ott and unnecessary smug cams. the breaks were punctuated by music but that was it. half time had the auskick and also the chemist warehouse comp they had last night.

so so simple.

Big T · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Location: Torino, Italy

Likes: nothing

Dislikes: where is me A:B C Very Happy

E:F K:L M:N
Where is VFL park
Who are the Giants and why did they steal all of our players
Etc etc

Big T · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Location: Torino, Italy

Likes: nothing

Dislikes: where is me A:B C Very Happy

E:F K:L M:N
Where is VFL park
Who are the Giants and why did they steal all of our players
Etc etc

think positive · Side By Side Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Location: somewhere

Member 7167 · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:34 am

Would they PLEASE stop showing those tweeted images from the crowd. When the play is at the opposite end of the field I look to the screen to see what it happening. Instead Of seeing the play or a replay of what has just occurred I get to view the image of some retard who has no interest in the game but is inanely posing for some profound image. If you are going to do this put it on the side of the screen, not the main one. Same goes for all those adverts for raffle ticket and other crap.

Give it a rest. We now have the best screen ever at the MCG and a good percentage of the time we see crap being displayed.

How about the power that make these illogical decisions realise that THE GAME IS THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PAYING OUR MONEY TO SEE.

There is plenty of time in the breaks to screw us over with what they call entertainment.