The game was met with mixed reviews. "The Roar" declared it a "total circus", "bordering on embarrassment", and accusing the AFL of "no longer the game seriously", while the "Herald Sun" cited social media reaction from viewers, asking "do we all need to lighten up a bit?". Attendance was down significantly on 2017's figures, with a reported crowd figure of only 6,000. Television ratings, however, increased marginally on 2018 figures for the Seven Network, with an average of 403,000 viewers watching in the 5 capital cities. Additionally, an average of 82,000 viewers nationally watched the game on Fox Footy, down from 98,000 in 2018.