SANFL records highest-attended opening three rounds in six years

The SANFL is pleased to announce that the first three rounds of the Hostplus SANFL League have recorded the best attendance figures since 2017.

In addition, Round 3 (Anzac Round) hosted 15,099 fans across four days of football, representing the highest Round 3 attendance since 2014 (18,675) and the third-highest Round 3 attendance since 2006.

Contributing to the outstanding attendance numbers in Round 3 were Monday night’s Anzac Eve blockbuster between Glenelg and Woodville-Torrens at Stratarama Stadium with a crowd of 4,521, followed by the traditional Anzac Day grand final re-match at Norwood’s Coopers Stadium with 4,259.

Across Rounds One, Two and Three a combined total of 43,831 fans have attended matches, compared with 34,639 in 2022 – an increase of almost 27%.

SANFL Chief Executive Officer Darren Chandler said the League was thrilled to see big crowds back at SANFL games on the back of three years of the COVID pandemic.

“After such a challenging three years dealing with restrictions and uncertainty, it’s pleasing to see fans returning to see and experience the game live and being really engaged with SANFL footy,” Mr Chandler said.

Mr Chandler said in addition to the high- quality standard of football and the evenness of the competition, the new SANFL Super Match initiative also was already proving a success in drawing more people to SANFL games.

“We’re thrilled to see the SANFL Super Match program already having an impact on attendances and providing a real festival atmosphere at SANFL grounds to enhance the game day experience for fans,” he said.