AFL looks to increase match attendances to beyond 10 million fans a year

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon has this week unveiled plans to push attendances at AFL and AFLW games and events over the next three years beyond the 10 million fan barrier while also revealing that the reintroduction of state of origin matches are also under consideration.

Following a record-breaking year in 2024, with 9,219,524 fans attending matches and events - boosted by the growth of Gather Round, the AFL Finals Series and the Grand Final Festival - the AFL aims to expand its reach further, strengthening its status as Australia’s most-attended sport.

Dillon wants the AFL’s administration to support all 18 clubs in building to the 10 million attendees mark while also looking to grow AFL memberships to more than 2 million - currently there are 1.31 million members of AFL clubs (1 in 21 of all Australians).

After last year setting the target of 1 million participants by 2033, Dillon also wants to further support the game in the community with more than 10 million people attending local games each year. (Currently the figure across Australia is estimated at about 9 million going).

Strategies for Growth
To reach these targets, the AFL plans to implement several key initiatives:

Elevating Marquee Events - Collaborating with the 18 AFL clubs to turn more fixtures into high-profile matches, expanding on events like Gather Round, the Finals Series, and the Grand Final Festival.

Boosting AFLW Crowds - Driving double-digit percentage increases in attendance by investing in scheduling, marketing, and enhancing the fan experience.

Increasing Membership Engagement - Encouraging club members to attend more games and boosting overall membership.

Exploring AFL Representative Matches - Building on the success of the Indigenous All Stars concept to bring new representative fixtures to life.

Investing in Community Football - Allocating 10% of football revenue to grow grassroots participation beyond 1 million players by 2033, particularly in Western Sydney and Queensland.

Engaging Diverse Communities - Strengthening relationships with Indigenous, Indian, and Chinese communities to increase interest and participation.

Keeping AFL Affordable - Maintaining General Admission prices at Marvel Stadium and the MCG at $27 for the seventh consecutive year.

Commenting on these goals, Dillon advised "people love big events and our clubs have been incredibly innovative and creative in driving big events for their fans. We want to help them create more of them for football fans. Bigger, better and more often.

"Our clubs have been amazing in building out our blockbusters on our calendar. Where once we had Anzac Day now we have multiple Anzac Day blockbusters and now Anzac Day Eve has grown in stature as has the King's Birthday game with Freeze MND and now the King's Birthday Eve game. Dreamtime has grown from one game to two rounds.”

He went on to say “the drive to 10 million is not just about numbers - it's about evolving the game, broadening its reach, and strengthening its connection with old and new fans.

"It's a commitment to ensuring Australian football remains Australia's most attended sport, a leader in women's sport globally, and a league that keeps finding new ways sport can connects with communities.

"That means continuing to reimagine the way Grand Final and Gather Round live sites operate - and looking at how we can continue to turn them into bigger festival-like experiences that capture the excitement of the game for a wider audience.

"It also means more AFLW Marquee events and fixtures, cross-promotions with the AFL, and deeper engagement with grassroots and community footy will be key to ensuring AFLW reaches new heights.”

State of Origin back on the agenda
Dillon added that the AFL is looking into introducing more representative game in its calendar, flagging the possible return of state of origin amid a "groundswell" of support for the concept, as the league weighs up the future of representative football.

Buoyed by the success of last weekend's Indigenous All Stars exhibition, Dillon forecast representative fixtures becoming a regular feature on the AFL calendar for years to come, going on to say “we're absolutely committed to Indigenous All Stars. Whether that's every year or every couple of years, I think that's the bit we've got to work through.

"In the other years, I think that's where you could look at other types of representative football.

"Whether it's forms of state of origin or all stars, they're the things we need to discuss."

Origin-style matches have only been played twice this century - both featuring Victoria against the rest of the country.

Victoria defeated a Dream Team in a 2008 Hall of Fame tribute match, and also accounted for an All-Stars team in the 2020 bushfire relief match.

The last true state of origin fixture was in 1999, when Victoria defeated South Australia.

Images: Young AFL fans (top), Andrew Dillon (middle) and the 2023 AFL Grand FInal Parade (below). Credit: AFL Photos.