The AFL’s opening round crowd figures did not go unnoticed over the weekend, both within the game and outside of it. The total attendance was the lowest for Round 1 since 2006 and a few games in particular were below expectations. But, while those particular games were a tad concerning, there’s no real need to worry.

There would if we see more and more eyebrow-raising numbers in coming weeks, don’t get me wrong.

But at this stage, to say the poor Round 1 crowds are a reflection that off-season dramas have turned fans off the code, or to let your imagination run free and imply the AFL’s current position is in jeopardy, would be crazy.

Yes, the season opener between Carlton and Richmond barely scraped over the 60,000 mark. Yes, the blockbuster Friday night clash between Geelong and St Kilda drew under 43,000. Yes, Collingwood’s first game for points after its grand final win didn’t go close to filling Etihad Stadium.

However, on all three fronts, there were legitimate reasons for the low crowds. And in the other games, there were no such problems.

To start with, though, Carlton and Richmond should never have opened the season. It was obvious last year that fans were starting to grow tired of the concept, and I wrote as much at the time. The fact the Blues thrashed the Tigers for the second-straight year in that game should’ve been all the league needed to hand the season opener to two new clubs.

But the league didn’t. Instead we got our fifth-straight season of Carlton and Richmond in Round 1 and our fourth-straight of these sides as the very first game.

Only 60,654 at the Carlton-Richmond game? Put that down to poor scheduling.

A night later, Geelong and St Kilda resumed their rivalry. You could be forgiven for thinking these two would attract a bigger crowd.

The last time they played Cameron Ling’s last-minute goal was disallowed. The time before that Steve Baker and Steve Johnson went at each other. The time before that was the thrilling 2009 grand final. The time before that was that epic ’09 Round 14 game.

Two Victorian-based sides with that kind of history should be drawing well over the 50,000 mark. 60,000 even. Especially when it’s their first game of the season.

But looking at it realistically, there were a few issues preventing a big turnout. There were train cancellations to and from Geelong on Friday night – including three special footy train services after the game – and two of the four lanes on the West Gate Bridge were closed in both directions. A lot of fans, particularly Geelong-based fans, would’ve been put off by one or both these situations.

You also have to consider, and the past few years back this up, that the Friday night Round 1 game does get overshadowed by the Thursday night game. Even in 2009, the grand final re-match took a back seat to Carlton-Richmond a night earlier.

That’s not to say the figure could’ve been a little bit higher than it was. In fact, if there was any crowd the league should worry about it’s this one. But it would be wrong to use the figure as a sign the AFL has a major problem on its hands.

Only 42,869 at the Geelong-St Kilda game? Put that down (mostly) to major transportation issues and the inevitable Round 1 Friday night drop-off.

Then there was Collingwood, a club with 62,000 members and coming off a premiership, drawing less than 36,000 to Etihad for their opening-round match with Port Adelaide. At first glance, this is an odd figure.

But Collingwood fans hate Etihad. They prefer the MCG and why wouldn’t they when so many of their games are played there. In fact, with the amount of members the club has, combined with their supporter base’s dislike of the venue, it’s a farce that they have to play home games at Etihad at all.

For a comparison, though, last year the Pies had an Etihad Stadium home game against another Victorian team – another top four team even – the Western Bulldogs, and that was only enough for a 40,813 crowd. It didn’t stop their home games being the most-attended of any club in the country, so there’s absolutely no need to worry when 5,000 less show up because an interstate team’s involved.

Only 35,773 at the Collingwood-Port Adelaide? Put that down to the madness of Collingwood playing home games at Etihad.

In all the above cases you could also throw in the fact a little thing called the Formula One Grand Prix was in town, too.

There was another odd figure on Saturday night, outside of Melbourne. The Brisbane Lions hosted Fremantle  in front of a crowd of 23,373. This number was almost 6,000 below the Lions’ Saturday night Round 1 fixture last year (which was against West Coast).

But given what has gone on at the Lions over the past 12 months, that’s a more than understandable drop. Last year fans were hoping the arrival of Brendan Fevola would help them win a flag. This year they just want to avoid the wooden spoon.

In fact, with the added pressure of the Gold Coast Suns generating so much excitement and attention down the road, the Lions probably did quite well to only drop 6,000.

Only 23,373 at the Brisbane-Fremantle game? Put that down to where Brisbane are at right now.

Of the other games, there really was nothing to worry about. Any time Adelaide can pull over 40,000 for a game that isn’t a Showdown or a final it’s a good thing. The Melbourne-Sydney game was well up on the Sunday afternoon game those teams played at the MCG last season. Essendon hit 40,000 at an Etihad home game for the first time since Round 12 last year.

Sure, the aggregate figure – 317,651 – was the worst for an opening round since 2006, when the Commonwealth Games put the MCG out of action. But to hit 300,000 is still a respectable outcome. It happened in only six rounds last year.

So the AFL, at least at this stage, have nothing to worry about. Except, of course, finding two new clubs to open the season.

Round 1 AFL crowds
Carlton v Richmond, MCG – 60,654
Geelong v St Kilda, MCG – 42,869
Collingwood v Port Adelaide, Etihad Stadium – 35,773
Adelaide v Hawthorn, AAMI Stadium – 42,536
Brisbane Lions v Fremantle, Gabba – 23,373
Essendon v Western Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium – 42,617
Melbourne v Sydney, MCG – 33,951
West Coast v North Melbourne, Patersons Stadium – 35,878

Total – 317,651