How big can Melbourne FC become?

maxiboy238

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We all know how big collingwood, Essendon, carlton and richmond can be if they start winning flags.
but what about Melbourne? footy club named after the capital of Victoria surely they would have to be the biggest? maybe back in the 50s and 60s but if the dees can build on their success how big can they get in the modern day with other powerhouse clubs
 
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maxiboy238

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We have of the lowest supporter bases. I expect we'll get the post-premiership bump, plus AFL crowds should hopefully return to normal next year which should encourage membership, but I dont see us getting anywhere near the 'big' clubs. And that's just fine with me.
fair point but I reckon the demons can build an identity with the current group with petracca and Gawn creating new premiership hero’s will build you guys up and support base
 
Will never be a big club on the level of Pies, Tigers or Bombers but can cement themselves as a strong mid-tier club over the next few years creating a bit of a gap over Saints and Dogs.
 

Fitzey

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Being an ex Victorian living in Perth for last 15 years I’ve met probably about 5 Dees fans in that time here

Where the hell did they all come from getting to the GF at Optus?

it was pleasantly very surprising to see so many there at the game
Everyone is proud to say they are a Dees supporter, a lot over the last decade haven’t been that way. A lot of the Perth supporters were probably still getting over the 2018 prelim haha. I bet you’ll see a lot more getting around now, was great to see such great support.
 

maxiboy238

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Everyone is proud to say they are a Dees supporter, a lot over the last decade haven’t been that way. A lot of the Perth supporters were probably still getting over the 2018 prelim haha. I bet you’ll see a lot more getting around now, was great to see such great support.
fair point dogs fans seemed to come out of the woodwork after 2016 and even tigers fans lol
 
Mar 11, 2018
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Everyone is proud to say they are a Dees supporter, a lot over the last decade haven’t been that way. A lot of the Perth supporters were probably still getting over the 2018 prelim haha. I bet you’ll see a lot more getting around now, was great to see such great support.

yeah it’s just in my business I visit a lot of homes and I never see signs of MFC fans ..memorabilia etc

Same with a decade of local footy involvement. Can’t recall one Demon fan ever.

But they’re out here in the west and I think just about every single one of them got a ticket and turned up

it was great to see
 
I would rather be a BIG club in the mould of Hawthorn or West Coast that consistently win flags

Rather than a BIG club in the Essendon & Carlton mode in that they are consistently s**t but have a lot of supporters so they think they are a big club

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Aug 27, 2014
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there are no other teams worthy
We all know how big collingwood, Essendon, carlton and richmond can be if they start winning flags.
but what about Melbourne? footy club named after the state surely they would have to be the biggest? maybe back in the 50s and 60s but if the dees can build on their success how big can they get in the modern day with other powerhouse clubs
They can build up to the big 4 again but would probably take two generations to get there as generations born in 70's, 80's and 90's just did not take them up in any great numbers. I'm sure up until late 60's they were probably as big as the other four.
 

maxiboy238

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4E4519CE-AC79-4891-8224-AFE1691DCD06.png

lol I think this was made a few years ago they will be higher than third last atm
 
Apr 18, 2005
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What makes a club a big club though? Premierships or members? Whilst Richmond, Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon have the most members, they have amassed 4 premierships between them this century and seen 9 GF appearances. This is obviously very skewed to Richmond and Collingwood. Geelong has 70,000 odd members. I would think since 2007 they have maximised their exposure and added a significant part to that 70,000. The same with Hawthorn who have 77,000.

Now, West Coast have the most members and are huge in WA. There a lot of people and the Eagles are traditionally incredibly successful. They’ve pretty much been playing finals since they joined. They really are their own state team given Fremantle have been underwhelming.

If I look at Melbourne in terms of growth, then look at how Geelong and Hawthorn grew to 70,000+ members, I think we have to have a really big decade. Since 2007 and 2008 the Cats and Hawks have been on the map. It’s taken a long time to build that membership base through success. I think to amass another 20,000 members we would have to see an 8-10 year period of regular finals and probably 2 more premierships.

Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, Richmond really dominated pre 2000. 56 premierships were won by them from say, 1900 to 2000. Hawthorn since 1960 won 9 and Melbourne won 12 all before 1965. But Melbourne since 1965 were awful, hence why we never kept up with those 4 big teams. Hawthorn started to turn into the other big team in the seventies then exploded in the eighties.

I think it’s inevitable that the big 4 has more success over the next 20 years, so I can’t see them not being relevant. Melbourne can make up some ground if they can get to 15 flags and become regulars in the top 8.

West Coast will just do their own thing. They’ll Bob up every decade and win a flag. That’ll get them another 5 thousand members.
 

sprockets

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Melbourne Football Club is named after the state? Please explain.

But they can become really big. Like really big.
 
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View attachment 1247479
lol I think this was made a few years ago they will be higher than third last atm


yeah those graphs they makelike that with numbers are guess work
this one I believe is the work of Roy Morgan Research… very reputable organisation and they would have done rigorous analysis and plenty of investigation and research to come up with these results..

Its certainly not just guesswork.. the figures would be pretty reliable. although this one looks to be an older version.. the latest I could find is the 2019.. they would only be getting more and more accurate the more they undertake the analysis..

4E3180E7-6974-4BEC-B4AA-CDBECF10E752.jpeg
 
Apr 18, 2005
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They can build up to the big 4 again but would probably take two generations to get there as generations born in 70's, 80's and 90's just did not take them up in any great numbers. I'm sure up until late 60's they were probably as big as the other four.
Well up to 1964 we won 12. By 1965 the traditional big 4 had won;

Carlton - 8
Collingwood - 13
Essendon - 12
Richmond - 5

Melbourne, Collingwood, and Essendon were the most successful clubs up until our decline. Since 1965 Carlton won 8 more, Collingwood 2, Essendon 4 and Richmond 8. We had also played in 2 GF between 1965 and 2020. We were overtaken by Geelong and Hawthorn.

Undoubtedly we were one of the biggest clubs, and if you did your big 4 back then (to mid 65) it was definitely Melbourne in and Richmond out. Richmond then added 5 flags in 13 years, pretty much did a Hawks of 08-21. 13 year period, 4 flags. So by 1980 Melbourne were bumped out by Richmond. Hawthorn got moving from 71 onwards and then made themselves the next big club through the eighties. Geelong followed in the nineties with no flags but remedied that from 07-11.

1900 - 1965: Collingwood, Essendon, Melbourne, Carlton (Geelong 5th, Richmond 6th)

1966 - 1980: Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond (Geelong 5th, Hawthorn 6th)

Theres been a pretty definitive top 6 clubs from the mid sixties onwards, with WC then getting in the mix from 88 onwards. Whilst Collingwood didn’t win a flag from 59-89, they played in a lot of GF and stayed relevant.
 
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We have of the lowest supporter bases. I expect we'll get the post-premiership bump, plus AFL crowds should hopefully return to normal next year which should encourage membership, but I dont see us getting anywhere near the 'big' clubs. And that's just fine with me.


Expect a Hawthorn-like boom if you guys salute next season too.

You'll suddenly be regarded as one of the big clubs then be forgotten about once the form inevitably drops off as the years pass.
 

Mr north man

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Mar 12, 2016
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We have of the lowest supporter bases. I expect we'll get the post-premiership bump, plus AFL crowds should hopefully return to normal next year which should encourage membership, but I dont see us getting anywhere near the 'big' clubs. And that's just fine with me.
Hay 1st of All congratulations on winning the Premiership and I’m happy for Ben Brown.
Now if the MCC membership who aren’t football members sign up in 2022 for you guys plus like all clubs the fair whether supporters sign up can see your club adding at least 10k to 15k more members.
As now your no longer the hunters you are now the hunted as next year the other 17 clubs will be coming for you.
But again Congratulations to your club .
 
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