Resurgent Tigers good news for MCG coffersBy Ashley Browne
afl.com.au
7:30pm AEST Wednesday, June 26, 2013THE resurgent Richmond Football Club is good for business.
Richmond's coffers have been swelled thanks to a membership tally that has passed 60,000, but so too have those of the Melbourne Cricket Club, with the Tigers now a major draw-card.
The average MCG crowd in 2013 through 27 games is 52,676, comfortably ahead of the season home and away average for last year of 49,764.
The boost is largely because of the 8-4 Tigers who are on the march and tracking nicely towards their first finals appearance since 2001.
The Tigers have already drawn three crowds of more than 80,000 to the MCG this year – 80,971 against Carlton in round one, 81,950 against Collingwood in round four and 84,234 against Essendon in the Dreamtime game in round nine.
With return matches against the Bombers and Blues still to come as well as a Saturday afternoon clash with Hawthorn, the Tigers are well placed to keep the MCG turnstiles busily ticking over until the end of the season.
"From our perspective, it is great that the six big Victorian clubs – Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond, Carlton, Geelong and Hawthorn are all doing well this year," MCC chief executive Stephen Gough told AFL.com.au.
"It's significant for us because when they're doing well, we're doing well."
Gough said he couldn’t help but look at the AFL ladder, which is already throwing up the prospect of a massive opening weekend of the finals including possible elimination finals featuring clubs such as the Blues, Bombers, Magpies and Tigers.
Richmond's success has more than compensated for the drop off in Melbourne supporters attending games at the MCG this year.
The Demons have been watched by crowds of more than 50,000 at the MCG just twice this year and the MCC, which became more involved in Melbourne's affairs in 2011 as part of an AFL package to stabilise the club, has watched with increased concern at the club's lack of competitiveness this year.
Gough said it was concerning when just 50,000 fans attended the last month's Melbourne-Collingwood Queen's Birthday holiday clash, compared to an average of around 65,000 in the years prior to that.
"It's an AFL matter for the time being and we are waiting to see what steps they take with the club," Gough said. "We expect to hear a little more later in the year."
Gough also said a decision about Carlton playing more home games at the MCG was also in the hands of the AFL. The Blues play six home games at Etihad Stadium and five at the MCG but have stated their wish to become primarily an MCG team.
Gough, a former Carlton chief executive, said he would welcome the Blues as a tenant club but said that in the meantime he would like the League to schedule more games featuring the Blues and clubs such as Hawthorn at the MCG, leaving their games against non-Victorian clubs such as Adelaide to Etihad Stadium.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-26/roaring-richmond-drawing-a-crowd
