Brisbane members and supporters totals

As cruel as it sounds, we may potentially pick up some supporters coming back to us after Gold Coast's shemozzle of a season - especially if we're looking to have more potential in the coming season.
 

M Malice

Hall of Famer
Aug 31, 2015
31,433
72,026
By the Gabba.
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Valleys. Chelsea.
As cruel as it sounds, we may potentially pick up some supporters coming back to us after Gold Coast's shemozzle of a season - especially if we're looking to have more potential in the coming season.
You could be right, although I know a couple of x lions supporter families who jumped ship and they are waiting to see what happens with the new coaching appointment and clean out.

Our biggest ever drop off in membership was the year the Suns came in ie.
2010 members- 29,014.
2011 members- 20,792. = - 8,222.

Suns members in first year ie. 2011- 14,064.

Not a big jump to suggest the Suns dragged a large portion of that 8,222 away from us as well as a substantial number of casual/non member supporters.
 

HowYouDoin

Club Legend
Sep 24, 2014
1,750
3,475
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Real Madrid
Lol at anyone thinking 35k is unattainable for us. Do you all forget that collingwood and hawthorn had similar figures in 2003, etc. The fact of the matter is that membership numbers as a whole continue to grow and a strong brisbane afl club should have no problems getting over 40k members.
 

morsie

All Australian
Aug 19, 2009
973
1,260
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Surely its achievable with onfield success and competent marketing even given the difficulties the Club faces being based in a non AFL town.North have hit over 40000 in their worst season for many a year so I would hope we can get 35K if we are a successful team.
 

winged1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 30, 2013
5,281
6,529
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
You can't tell me a Tassie team couldn't get 200k supporters.
 

WA Lion

Club Legend
Jan 27, 2015
2,569
3,162
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
You can't tell me a Tassie team couldn't get 200k supporters.
I definitely believe a team in tassie would be the best bet for long term survival of the club.

Looking at the attendance levels of GWS even for a home final, imagine how few will attend when they have a downward spell
 
8th ghee I wonder where they're getting these numbers from

"Yeah, I live in Brisbane, I support the Brisbane team. Did they make finals this year?"
 
Meaningless figures. I remember a similar poll some years ago had us close to the biggest following across the nation. Trouble is, even if true, it doesn't translate into members or attendances.
 
Sep 16, 2001
4,269
6,975
Behind the goals at the BSO
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Fitzroy, North
So the combined membership of an AFL club in Queensland (Brisbane and Gold Coast) is now higher than the period where we won 3 in a row. Hmmm

The Victorian membership ain't worth the money. They play in Geelong, or on Saturday arvo, so clashing with Fitzroy in the Ammos but I buy a membership each year. I am a Lion.

My son used to barrack for the Lions (in the cheer squad for all three flags) but he went to a Hawthorn dominated school and one guess who he now follows.

The one thing I would like to see is that all the Queensland kids play for the Gold Coast or us. This is the only way forward in the long term. There is something wrong when the Scott twins, who went to school less than a mile away from where I live in Doncaster, played for Brisbane, but Riewoldt (can't be bothered to spell his name correctly) captained the Saints.

Brand loyalty, a sense of ownership, of belonging to the Brisbane Lions has to be developed.
 

HowYouDoin

Club Legend
Sep 24, 2014
1,750
3,475
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Real Madrid
Meaningless figures. I remember a similar poll some years ago had us close to the biggest following across the nation. Trouble is, even if true, it doesn't translate into members or attendances.

I think the fact that we've been s**t since 2010 has a lot to do with that.
 

CarterS

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 14, 2001
12,156
12,034
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Lions
The number of casual fans who I know who "have been to 1 game and it sucked" in the last few years is really high. It's a worry though because one consistent comment is "the lack of atmosphere these days when in the premiership years it was amazing." Start winning games and they start coming back.

Another thing worth mentioning is that a night out at the footy is more expensive than it was in 2004, times are tough, disposable income is less, etc.

The other thing is the Gabba sucks. No parking, bad transport. I'd like to see cheaper tickets, too. Broncos consistently do 2 for 1 deals against lower drawing teams etc., I don't think I've ever seen us do that.
 
Oct 13, 2001
16,920
24,213
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Lions
The number of casual fans who I know who "have been to 1 game and it sucked" in the last few years is really high. It's a worry though because one consistent comment is "the lack of atmosphere these days when in the premiership years it was amazing." Start winning games and they start coming back.

Another thing worth mentioning is that a night out at the footy is more expensive than it was in 2004, times are tough, disposable income is less, etc.

The other thing is the Gabba sucks. No parking, bad transport. I'd like to see cheaper tickets, too. Broncos consistently do 2 for 1 deals against lower drawing teams etc., I don't think I've ever seen us do that.

I get what you're saying,especially with regards to the one game wonders who are only interested in following winners. Queensland "football" followers are a spoilt lot. By "football" I mean in a generic way.....League, Soccer and Union included..

Queensland NRL followers have enjoyed years of success via the annual SOO bashings of the hapless NSW Blues, pumped up by a parochial (not to mention heavily invested) local print media. On a more local level,the Broncos are a juggernaut and despite not having won a title for over a decade are always highly competitive and rarely miss the Finals. The Broncos "love" in the media is palpable and also feeds into the parochial Us versus Them mentality that is deeply ingrained into the average Queenslander's psyche.

Soccer has established a serious foothold in Brisbane and although it has postioned itself as an "out of season" Football code, it's also managed it's fair share of success on a local level via the achievements of the Brisbane Roar over recent years. Back to back Premiership/ Championship Titles when Postecoglou was in charge from 2009-2012 served to reinforce the Brisbane/Queensland sporting superiority paradigm in the eyes of the public.

The Reds in RU have been a basket case for a few years but even they can boast a more recent Title success than the Brisbane Lions AFC, having won a Super Rugby title in 2011.

Then there's us, the Brisbane Lions.

Last Finals win in 2009, and looking nothing like it ever since.

Considering our "record" over the last seven years and our Poor Relation staus in the broader "football" community in Brisbane, we have as a club probably done bloody well to hang on to as many paid up members as we have.

So what do we do and how do we progress?

Well for a starters, we get in a team of Pros to run the Club who actually look like they know what they are doing. I'm talking FagNob and Swan here. Then we try to build a list that gives us genuine hope ...... and I think for the first time in years think we're finally getting there.

Then we try to get the people back and yes you are right... that will only really come whem the "atmosphere" returns and that will only return when the wins start becoming an expectation rather than a hope.

I actually think the Club has done a reasonable job in marketing and membership retention over this very trying and barren period. stretching back to 2004. One initiative I've appreciated as a Platinum Memeber is the two free Guest passes I can get per season and yes I know not everyone is a Platinum Member and don't enjoy this privelege, But at least I feel that the Club is making an effort to reward loyalty in a tangible way.

Without researching relative Disposable Income between 2004 and 2017, I can't comment on whether or not a night at the footy for the average person is more or less expensive. My gut feeling is that it's not but even if I'm wrong, I doubt if "expense" would keep the masses away if we were winning most weeks.

I don't agree that the Gabba "sucks".

There has never been parking available at or in close proximity to the Ground. This has been a known fact since the Bears relocated there in 1995. Transport is free and has been for several years if you get a bus.

Not sure what the Broncos do with ticket "deals" but I doubt that 2 for 1 promotions are going to solve the issue of attendance for the Lions if the team is regarded as non-competitive.

There's a limit to how many freebies you can give out before you start bastardising you're own product.

The kernel of the solution is what you stated yourself:

"Start winning games and they start coming back".

All these other things like parking, freebies, transport etc really are non-issues once the masses regain faith in the Club and the Team:footy:
 
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CarterS

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 14, 2001
12,156
12,034
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Lions
The kernel of the solution is what you stated yourself:x

"Start winning games and they start coming back".

Your whole post is very good mate, agree with everything

The Broncos 2 for 1 deal I'm talking about are on the back of shopping dockets for home games against lower drawing teams (Penrith, Canberra etc.). Fair point about bastardising the product.

The thing we have going for us is that even the casual fans know that AFL is much much better live than on TV so quite confident people will continue to come back if we are consistently competitive at home.

It would be a great help if there were any recognizable names who still lived in Brisbane and were on TV semi regularly but I can't think of one.

Anyone who has been to a Big Bash game in the last couple of years will know how good the atmosphere can be when you have a great team and a full gabba. Have to admit I made the comment to friends on a few occasions that I enjoyed the BBL more than most home games in 2016 (we did get belted a bunch of times). I remember in 2001 or so Kevin Sheedy said they didn't build the Gabba big enough when they redeveloped it, we were going that well.
 

briztoon

Wannabe Draft Nuffie
Nov 28, 2015
26,165
32,483
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
NUFC, Philadelphia 76'ers
Your whole post is very good mate, agree with everything

The Broncos 2 for 1 deal I'm talking about are on the back of shopping dockets for home games against lower drawing teams (Penrith, Canberra etc.). Fair point about bastardising the product.

The thing we have going for us is that even the casual fans know that AFL is much much better live than on TV so quite confident people will continue to come back if we are consistently competitive at home.

It would be a great help if there were any recognizable names who still lived in Brisbane and were on TV semi regularly but I can't think of one.

Anyone who has been to a Big Bash game in the last couple of years will know how good the atmosphere can be when you have a great team and a full gabba. Have to admit I made the comment to friends on a few occasions that I enjoyed the BBL more than most home games in 2016 (we did get belted a bunch of times). I remember in 2001 or so Kevin Sheedy said they didn't build the Gabba big enough when they redeveloped it, we were going that well.
I disagree strongly with this.

Very much dependant on where you are seated in the Gabba and the view you have. I'd much rather watch on tv than attend a game sitting on the lower level.
 
I disagree strongly with this.

Very much dependant on where you are seated in the Gabba and the view you have. I'd much rather watch on tv than attend a game sitting on the lower level.

Go to the game in General Admission for the atmosphere, and then watch it on replay for the analysis:thumbsu:
 

briztoon

Wannabe Draft Nuffie
Nov 28, 2015
26,165
32,483
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
NUFC, Philadelphia 76'ers
Go to the game in General Admission for the atmosphere, and then watch it on replay for the analysis:thumbsu:
I would much prefer to sit on the second tier. It's hard for me to sit in GA and miss half the game. I get pretty tense watching at games, though I do enjoy cheering a goal.
 
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