HBF Arena the most visited ground in the WAFL

HBF Arena remains the most visited ground in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL), with West Perth Falcons pulling the biggest crowds for a fourth consecutive year.

An aggregate of 26,270 fans watched West Perth home games at the venue (formerly known as Arena Joondalup) during the WAFL’s 2015 home and away season to give an average of 2,627 per match.

East Fremantle was close behind with a mean of 2,447 a game, boosted by 5,200 attendees to their televised season opener at Domain Stadium and the hosting of two derbies against South Fremantle.

The Falcons attracted the biggest WAFL crowd in five years outside of finals when 7,849 people watched their international round clash with Subiaco Lions in June.

West Perth’s average attendance from 10 home games is 30% higher than the competition average.

Club President Brett Raponi said it demonstrated the side’s engagement with the cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup, stating “we work our community and the media hard to promote the game and our club.

“This is an outstanding result and the result of 21 years hard work.

“Other contributing factors to our success is that we foster, promote and play local talent.”

Falcons spectators nearly doubled the number of the competition’s least-watched team in Claremont Tigers, which recorded just 14,519 fans through the Claremont Showground gates in 2015.

The Tigers had the lowest attendance for a second straight year.

And while Peel Thunder’s AFL affiliation with Fremantle Dockers has been controversial, the club’s stronger performances appear to have boosted game day interest.

The Thunder recorded the WAFL’s smallest crowds in 2012 and 2013 but that changed when the club became the Dockers’ reserves base in the past two seasons. Peel’s 1.776 average this year grew from 1.744 in 2014 and is nearly 24% higher than it was in 2012.

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