For twenty-one consecutive seasons, the Sydney Swans have held more Australian Rules Football supporters than any other club — a quiet testament to how geography, population, and identity shape loyalty as much as trophies do. This year's Roy Morgan figures confirm that dominance at 1.131 million fans, even as the club weathers a hotel scandal and a 12.8 percent decline from its 2025 peak. Brisbane's Lions, buoyed by back-to-back premierships, press close behind at 1.065 million, reminding the competition that on-field glory remains the most reliable engine of belonging. The two clubs now meet
Sydney Swans top AFL supporter rankings despite recent scandal
1.131 million supporters, down 166,000 in a year of scandal
Mark
So the Swans have the most supporters despite everything that's happened this year. How much of that is just that Sydney is a bigger city?
Mimi
It's a real factor. Sydney's population is enormous compared to most other Australian cities, and you've got two teams fighting for that market. The Swans win that fight. But it's not the whole story—they've still got 1.131 million people who identify as supporters, which is a real number.
Luke
But we should note that's down 166,000 from last year. That's a 12.8 percent drop. So the scandal and the missed finals did hurt them.
Mimi
Absolutely. That's the thing—they lost a lot of people. But they still have more than anyone else. The question is whether they can hold onto what's left.
Mark
And Brisbane is catching up fast?
Mimi
They gained 111,000 supporters in one year. Back-to-back premierships will do that. They're now at 1.065 million, so they're only 66,000 behind.
Luke
Though we should be careful about reading too much into year-to-year swings. These are estimates from one polling firm. The real test is whether these numbers hold or shift again next year.
Mark
What about the Victorian clubs? Collingwood is third, but it seems like they should be bigger.
Mimi
Victoria has ten clubs. That's the answer. The supporter base gets split ten ways. Sydney has two teams in the state, so the Swans capture a much larger share of New South Wales football fans than any single Victorian club can.
Luke
And that's worth saying plainly—this ranking tells you more about population distribution and state-level competition than it does about which club has the most passionate or engaged supporters.
Mark
Fair point. So what happens now?
Mimi
The preliminary final is Friday. If Sydney wins and makes the Grand Final, that could stabilize or even grow the supporter base. If they lose, we might see another drop next year.
Luke
And we won't know the real impact of the scandal until we see what happens in 2027. One year of data isn't enough to say whether this is a temporary dip or a structural shift.
The Pulse
- Sydney's supporter base shed 166,000 fans in a single year — the fallout from missing finals for the first time in five seasons and a damaging off-field scandal involving star players.
- Despite the turbulence, 1.131 million supporters held firm, keeping the Swans atop the AFL's supporter rankings for a remarkable 21st straight year.
- Brisbane surged with the league's biggest year-on-year gain — 111,000 new supporters drawn in by back-to-back premierships in 2024 and 2025, closing the gap to just 66,000.
- Sydney's on-field recovery has been dramatic: from missing the finals entirely in 2025 to finishing second on the ladder in 2026 and hosting a preliminary final this Friday.
- The preliminary final against Brisbane now doubles as a reputational referendum — a deep run could stabilise Sydney's fan base, while an early exit may accelerate the decline into 2027.
For twenty-one consecutive seasons, the Sydney Swans have held more Australian Rules Football supporters than any other club — a quiet testament to how geography, population, and identity shape loyalty as much as trophies do. This year's Roy Morgan figures confirm that dominance at 1.131 million fans, even as the club weathers a hotel scandal and a 12.8 percent decline from its 2025 peak. Brisbane's Lions, buoyed by back-to-back premierships, press close behind at 1.065 million, reminding the competition that on-field glory remains the most reliable engine of belonging. The two clubs now meet in a preliminary final that carries weight far beyond the ladder.
The Sydney Swans have topped the AFL's supporter rankings for the 21st consecutive season, with independent Roy Morgan polling counting 1.131 million fans nationwide — enough to hold off the Brisbane Lions by 66,000. The result arrives amid genuine turbulence: Sydney's support fell by 166,000 over the past year, a 12.8 percent contraction tied to the club's first finals absence in five years and a recent scandal involving several players and the Pullman Hotel. That the Swans retained their top position despite both crises says something about the structural advantages underpinning their dominance.
Sydney's edge is partly a matter of demography. The city's population dwarfs most Australian capitals, and with only two AFL clubs competing for New South Wales attention, the Swans capture a disproportionately large share of that market. The same logic applies in Queensland, where Brisbane benefits from a two-team state — though the Gold Coast Suns, the state's second club, recorded the league's smallest supporter base at 153,000. Victoria's ten clubs, by contrast, divide a passionate football culture across a far wider field, keeping traditional powerhouses like Collingwood (920,000), Essendon, Carlton, and Richmond all trailing the Swans.
Brisbane's rise to second place is the competition's most compelling subplot. The Lions gained 111,000 supporters over the year — the largest growth of any club — on the back of back-to-back premierships in 2024 and 2025. They finished the 2026 home-and-away season as minor premiers with 19 wins, one game clear of Sydney's 18-5 record.
Sydney's own recovery has been swift and striking. After a 2025 season that ended without a finals appearance, the club rebuilt to finish second on the ladder and advance to the preliminary final stage. The 166,000 supporters lost represent real erosion, but the 1.131 million who remained suggest a core loyalty that scandal and disappointment have not yet broken. This Friday, Sydney hosts Brisbane in a preliminary final that will test both clubs — and may well shape the supporter numbers that Roy Morgan counts when 2027 arrives.
The Sydney Swans hold the largest supporter base in Australian Rules Football, according to independent polling data released this week—a position they have occupied for 21 consecutive seasons. Roy Morgan, the market research firm that tracks these figures, counted 1,131,000 Swans supporters across the country, enough to edge out the Brisbane Lions by 66,000 fans.
The finding arrives at a moment of considerable turbulence for the club. Sydney's support has contracted sharply over the past year, dropping by 166,000 supporters—a decline of 12.8 percent from 2025. That collapse followed the Swans' first finals miss in five years. The recent scandal involving several star players and the Pullman Hotel incident have cast a shadow over the club's resurgence this season, yet the supporter numbers suggest the damage to the broader fan base has been contained, at least for now.
What makes Sydney's dominance notable is that it sits well ahead of traditional Victorian powerhouses. Collingwood, one of the league's most storied franchises, ranks third with 920,000 supporters. Adelaide follows in fourth with 756,000. Essendon, Carlton, Richmond, and West Coast—all clubs with deep histories and substantial followings—trail the Swans. The gap is partly explained by demography and geography. Sydney's metropolitan population dwarfs most other Australian cities, and with two AFL teams competing for attention in New South Wales, the Swans capture a larger share of that market than any single club can claim in its home state. Brisbane faces a similar dynamic in Queensland, where the Gold Coast Suns, the state's second team, recorded the league's smallest supporter base at 153,000. Victoria's ten clubs, by contrast, fragment the state's football allegiance across a much wider field.
Brisbane's second-place finish reflects the Lions' extraordinary success on the field. The club gained 111,000 supporters over the past year, riding the momentum of back-to-back premierships in 2024 and 2025. That surge—the largest year-on-year growth among the league's clubs—demonstrates how on-field performance can translate directly into expanded support. The Lions finished the 2026 season as minor premiers with 19 wins and five losses, one game ahead of Sydney, which compiled an 18-5 record to finish second on the ladder.
Sydney's recovery this year has been swift. After missing the finals entirely in 2025, the club rebuilt and returned to contention, securing a qualifying final berth and advancing to the preliminary final stage. That trajectory—from collapse to second place in a single season—speaks to the club's capacity to retain core supporters even through crisis. The 166,000-supporter drop from 2025 represents real damage, but it also suggests that a substantial base of 1.131 million remained committed enough to stick with the club through its worst year in half a decade and its recent off-field troubles.
The preliminary final looms this Friday, with Sydney hosting the match as the higher-ranked qualifier. The Swans will face a Brisbane side that has proven it can win when it matters most. For Sydney, the game represents a chance to silence the noise of scandal and vindicate the supporters who have stayed. For the league's polling watchers, it will be worth tracking whether a deep finals run—or conversely, an early exit—shifts the supporter numbers heading into 2027.
Notable Quotes
The Sydney Swans are the most supported AFL club with 1,131,000 supporters, although this is down 166,000 on a year ago after the club missed the finals in 2025 for the first time in half a decade.— Julian McCrann, Roy Morgan industry communications director
Want the full story?
Read the original at Zero Hanger ↗
Economy & Finance