Collingwoods spike in form has led a to significant boost in the Melbourne Cricket Clubs estimated crowd for Sundays clash between the Magpies and Richmond at the MCG.
The MCC had tipped a crowd of 71,000 for the game, but upped that number to 78,000 on Thursday.
The increased estimate follows the Pies 49-point win over Essendon at the MCG on Anzac Day before a crowd of 91,440. The victory was Collingwoods third on the the trot, with Nathan Buckleys side starting to hit their straps ahead of the meeting with the reigning premiers.
The Tigers are themselves enjoying a purple patch. Their win over Melbourne on Tuesday night in front of 77,071 at the MCG was also Richmonds third win in the succession, and 11th straight win at the venue. It also moved the Tigers to the top of the ladder for the first time since the middle of 1995.
A crowd of 78,000 would be the biggest turnout to a Pies-Tigers match since round four, 2013, when 81,950 watched Collingwood win by 34 points. That was the fourth highest home and away crowd for a match between the clubs.
The average attendance over the first five rounds has been 39,425, an increase of more than 1000 from the same stage last year.
Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy in Melbourne with a forecast top of 18 degrees. The match begins at 3:20pm, with the Bombers meeting the Demons across town at Etihad Stadium in a 1:10pm fixture.
