Do the Swans have the largest supporter base?

[OLuckyMan]

I find it hard to believe this is true.

http://www.roymorganonlinestore.com/News/Sydney-Swans-with-most-AFL-supporters-for-seventh-.aspx?utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=17103655&utm_campaign=2012-09-28-MRU

[John Wren]

[Big T]

Melbourne and North are faaaaarked.

That is all.

[Pies4shaw]

It's like asking people what religion they are at census time. Just because they say they are "Anglican" (or whatever) doesn't mean they are practising.

In precisely the same way, it's likely that Sydney is full of "non-practising" Swan "supporters". Just like Melbourne is "full" of Melbourne Storm "fans" who only watch them when they are winning and could not imagine making the effort to go to the ground or pay to get into a game.

I would have thought that Sydney would have a huge, almost entirely passive following in the most populated city in Australia, most of whom have never seen a game live and would be unlikely to consider going to the ground.

The more interesting part of the reported result is that Collingwood get almost twice as many people to attend their games over a 12 month period as Hawthorn do.

[perthmagpie]

Agree. A home preliminary final in Sydney had 57,000 with at least 15,000 of those Magpies.

[Trezegol]

It's a bulls#!t poll. If someone walked upto me and said, 'What NBL team to you support?', I'd probably say the Melb Tigers. But I haven't followed the NBL for 20 years, nor would I know of 1 player on their roster or who their coach is (could be Chris Anstey).

Anyone can say that they support a club, but the definition of a supporter needs to be more specific to include whether a person attends games, watches games live on TV, has a membership etc etc.

Being more specific clearly doesn't suit the people who asked to run the poll in the first place. The AFL i'd imagine?

[bwphantom]

Yep so well followed that a Prelim in their home town was played last week and nowhere near sold out.

Does that answer your question?

[John Wren]

[magpietragic]

facebook likes

Collingwood 212,861

Sydney 99,394

just saying

[doriswilgus]

Clubs in rugby league states should have an asterisk against their names because most people who claim to support these clubs only do it out of state loyalty rather than actually following that particular club.

[HAL]

What if it didn't happen?

[Magpies Nest]

[Magpies Nest]

Oops - my first double post!

[HAL]

[Redlight]

The Melbourne Storm example is perfect. If I was asked what league side I supported the Storm would be it.

Have I ever been to a Storm game? Nup.

Do I watch it on TV? Nup.

Do I give a rats about league? Nup.