A new attendance record for a domestic women’s sport game in Australia was broken on Sunday.

53, 034 spectators descended on Adelaide oval to watch the Adelaide Crows defeat Carlton at the AFLW grand final. The crowd numbers significantly eclipsed the previous AFLW attendance record of 41, 975 at the 2018 final.

It was the Crow’s second premiership in the short three years of AFLW, cementing their position as the competition’s powerhouse team.

With 53,034 fans at Adelaide Oval today #AFLWGrandFinal attendance records smashed -this is the biggest audience for a womens sporting event in Australia ever. Ever. Congrats @CrowsAFLW on a sensational win, and valiant game by @CarltonFC #AfLWGF #aflw @aflwomens #womeninsport pic.twitter.com/iHZQXZdq2X — sam mostyn (@sammostyn) March 31, 2019

For many, including Carlton coach Daniel Harford, the attendance figure went above their wildest expectations. Harford had hoped for a crowd of 25,000. AFLW fans more than doubled that figure.

This. Is. Nuts.

Top level just being opened up now #AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/n1dN3DBVkp — Sarah Black (@_sjblack) March 31, 2019

The record breaking crowd was bigger than every NRL game in 2018 besides the grand final, a significant feat for any sporting competition only in its third year.

big numbers – the 53,034 crowd at the AFLW grand final today was bigger than every NRL game in 2018 other than the grand final pic.twitter.com/euabRtnBf5 — Angus Livingston (@anguslivingston) March 31, 2019

In front of a record #AFLW crowd, the Crows dominated in an emphatic 45-point victory over the Blues. https://t.co/vDd2f6WN40#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/WPzPqIkZ8y — AFL Women’s (@aflwomens) March 31, 2019

Adelaide’s superstar co-captain Erin Phillips played an integral part of the Crows win, before she devastatingly tore her left ACL in the third quarter. In an emotional exit from the game, she left the field to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Members from both teams acknowledged her and ran by her side as she exited the field in a touching show of sporting camaraderie .

Incredible respect from both teams and the crowd as Erin Phillips gets taken off the field. 💛#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/ql50X7BabF — AFL Women’s (@aflwomens) March 31, 2019

She received the best on ground medal and was helped onto the stage by her team mates at the end of the match to receive her award in a bittersweet moment. In 2017, she was named the inaugural AFLW best and fairest player of the year.

“It’s pretty emotional,” she said after the game.

“To play in front of this crowd means so much and is incredible for women’s footy.”

A bitter-sweet day for Erin Phillips as she becomes a dual #AFLW Premiership player, but confirms she’s suffered an ACL injury. ❤️#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/joVlNtDf96 — AFL Women’s (@aflwomens) March 31, 2019

The idea that people don’t want to watch women’s sport is dead in the water. Try and stop them.

UPDATE: This article originally stated the AFLW Grand Final crowd was a record for women’s sport in Australia. It is a record for any domestic women’s fixture in Australia but in 2000, during the Sydney Olympic Games, a crowd of over 58,000 attended the MCG to watch a women’s soccer game between Sweden and Brazil.