2021 AFL Membership Tracker / Figures

LightTower4

Premiership Player
Mar 3, 2004
3,216
3,015
No Fixed Address
AFL Club
Melbourne
Not sure about that.

From 1955 to 1964 the MFC attracted almost 21 per cent of total VFL home and away attendances to their games (including 1964 where they drew an average of 49,575 to their 9 home games)

These were the days where G had seats and all the other suburban grounds were primarily standing room on open terraces. The chance for visiting team supporters and their family's to watch a H&A game in comfort at the G only happened once a year in that time frame.
 

Demon bhoy

Club Legend
Oct 7, 2017
1,665
1,495
AFL Club
Melbourne
Im really confused, how is 50k tremendous?

Its legitimately pathetic. Why would you boast about 50k? Those boys have had their best start since The Beatles were on tour and they can barely muster a couple of thousand more than a North Melbourne side who has won 1 game in 400 days?

Maybe the wrong side continually gets told to pack their bags and relocate..
Not sure if you’re being wilfully ignorant or just plain stupid
 

Demon bhoy

Club Legend
Oct 7, 2017
1,665
1,495
AFL Club
Melbourne
The MCC membership has the option of adding a club membership for less than a hundred bucks, which then counts towards club membership totals. An MCC membership, despite the relatively high cost, is no longer a really good excuse not to support your AFL club.
Do you often spend 100 plus dollars on things you don’t need?
 
Oct 3, 2013
12,164
27,973
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Chelsea
Latest

Richmond = 103,021
West Coast = 100,000 (announced on May 7)
Carlton = 81,012
Collingwood = 75,996
Essendon = 75,580
Hawthorn = 70,000 (announced on April 20)
Geelong = 67,008
Port Adelaide = 57,871
St Kilda = 55,012
Melbourne = 50,085
Sydney = "just over” 48,000
Western Bulldogs = 45,447
North Melbourne = 43,296
Brisbane = 35,000 (announced on May 12)
GWS = "around" 25,000 (as of March 25)
Gold Coast = 15,983

Updated Sydney’s numbers.

OP is also updated.
 
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Oct 3, 2013
12,164
27,973
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Chelsea
That’s pretty disappointing? Weren’t they at 64,000 in 2018? Most clubs have regained most of their COVID declines in 2021.. Swans may be the outlier here.
Sydney's recent membership numbers and membership ranking.

2014 = 40,126 (11th)
2015 = 48,836 (9th)
2016 = 56,523 (6th)
2017 = 58,838 (6th)
2018 = 60,934 (8th)
2019 = 61,912 (9th)
2020 = 48,322 (11th)
2021 = "just over" 48,000 (11th excluding Adelaide and Fremantle)
 
Jan 14, 2002
12,637
16,545
...
AFL Club
Richmond
Any examples of you buying yourself multiple memberships every year for exactly the same thing, I’m intrigued
But its not the same membership. The MCC component gets me into every footy and cricket match at the MCG, whereas the Richmond component goes straight to the club to pay players and staff and contributes to its ongoing survival. The Tigers have always given me immense entertainment - for better or for worse - and I feel a personal sense of obligation to chip in for the club.

Similarly, I can easily listen to RRR and PBS for free on my radio, but I feel a sense of duty to fork out 100-odd bucks for each subscription every year to hopefully contribute to keeping them on air and let them know they're valued. And it's not just that I have a job and can afford it - I did the same for years when I was a student with the arse out of my dacks.

There's also a couple of podcasts I chuck a bit of money at each year to support, not to remove the ads but to hopefully ensure their ongoing viability.

Ditto the extra bit of cash for my beloved footy club. ATEOTD it's the cost of one good night out.
 
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Jan 14, 2002
12,637
16,545
...
AFL Club
Richmond
Yes support, my wife is not very supportive of the cost of my Full MFC and full MCC membership and the fact I’ve been to two games in 2 years
Yep, fair enough. We've all got different situations, I appreciate that. My wife still thinks the $500 is pretty decent value for getting rid of me, even if its just for a few nights a year. That way she's got a free run of the remote to watch her Rupaul, or whatever bollocks she watches when I'm not home.
 

Demon bhoy

Club Legend
Oct 7, 2017
1,665
1,495
AFL Club
Melbourne
But its not the same membership. The MCC component gets me into every footy and cricket match at the MCG, whereas the Richmond component goes straight to the club to pay players and staff and contributes to its ongoing survival. The Tigers have always given me immense entertainment - for better or for worse - and I feel a personal sense of obligation to chip in for the club.

Similarly, I can easily listen to RRR and PBS for free on my radio, but I feel a sense of duty to fork out 100-odd bucks for each subscription every year to hopefully contribute to keeping them on air and let them know they're valued. And it's not just that I have a job and can afford it - I did the same for years when I was a student with the arse out of my dacks.

There's also a couple of podcasts I chuck a bit of money at each year to support, not to remove the ads but to hopefully ensure their ongoing viability.

Ditto the extra bit of cash for my beloved footy club. ATEOTD it's the cost of one good night out.
I know what it is, the point is you get access to games weather you make a contribution to your club or not, some people like you can pay extra, many others can’t and this particularly affects the MFC because our club has the largest amount of MCC members, not all of whom drive Bentleys.

To suggest that this can’t be used as an explanation as to why MFC doesn’t have a larger membership base is at best naive, it isn’t the only reason but it most certainly is a major factor.
 
Jan 14, 2002
12,637
16,545
...
AFL Club
Richmond
I know what it is, the point is you get access to games weather you make a contribution to your club or not, some people like you can pay extra, many others can’t and this particularly affects the MFC because our club has the largest amount of MCC members, not all of whom drive Bentleys.

To suggest that this can’t be used as an explanation as to why MFC doesn’t have a larger membership base is at best naive, it isn’t the only reason but it most certainly is a major factor.
As of 2018, with about 131,000 total MCC Members, with about 40,000 members who didn't go to a single event in the 2017-18 year.

Numbers breakdown were as below;

Melbourne 22,932
Essendon 17,792
Collingwood 15,947
Carlton 12,784
Richmond 11,729
Hawthorn 11,070
Geelong 10,939
St.Kilda 7,248
North Melbourne 4,217
Western Bulldogs 3,294
Sydney 3,163
Brisbane 3,163
Other teams 1,845
No team listed 6,853

1623327968189.png
 

CarnTheScray

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 4, 2019
6,790
8,370
Ballarat
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Really surprised the dogs are so low given the premiership not too long ago and doing well this season.
Yes I agree. They never really capitalised on that premiership via sustained membership growth like Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn did (Eagles growth more stadium driven?).
I agree with this. Covid has probably cost us 50k, many of my relatives wouldn’t have memberships if I didn’t sort it out for them this year and last. But onto 2016. Our premiership really came out of the blue. Mass injuries going in, not top 4, first final in Perth. If we were top 2 like we are now and built momentum all year and finished top again the next year and competed the few years after I’d say things would be different.

Think it was Brendon Gale at one point that said he was surprised we capitalised so little off the premiership and he aimed to do much more if Richmond won (which they did).

I also know so many Bulldogs supporters and casuals that don’t buy memberships. I feel if we had a run of a few years of success that would be enough to get them to sign up and make most of them loyal.
 

Demon bhoy

Club Legend
Oct 7, 2017
1,665
1,495
AFL Club
Melbourne
As of 2018, with about 131,000 total MCC Members, with about 40,000 members who didn't go to a single event in the 2017-18 year.

Numbers breakdown were as below;

Melbourne 22,932
Essendon 17,792
Collingwood 15,947
Carlton 12,784
Richmond 11,729
Hawthorn 11,070
Geelong 10,939
St.Kilda 7,248
North Melbourne 4,217
Western Bulldogs 3,294
Sydney 3,163
Brisbane 3,163
Other teams 1,845
No team listed 6,853

View attachment 1151994
I appreciate you proving my point, MFC are without a doubt the most adversely affected in regards to MCC membership
 
Jan 14, 2002
12,637
16,545
...
AFL Club
Richmond
I appreciate you proving my point, MFC are without a doubt the most adversely affected in regards to MCC membership
Winning an argument is not what drives me - if I wanted pointless back and forth bickering and sh*t stirring for the sake of it I'd just get a Facebook account. I was just putting the data that's available out there - it neither confirms nor refutes any point I was making.

To be fair, I never posted anything to the contrary that Melbourne were the most affected - you may have copped that from elsewhere. I was actually taking a bit of a swipe at my fellow MCC members who buckle at less than $100 to support their AFL club. If there's a larger number of Demon MCC members than other clubs who fit this description, then so be it.
 
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