Play Nice Which club has the biggest supporter base? Collingwood, Richmond or West Coast?

Which club has the biggest supporter base?


  • Total voters
    454

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Jun 6, 2016
19,309
12,031
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Pines Football Club
would argue strongly though if you asked most non footy/afl fans in non traditional football States like NSW or QLD who is the first team they think if asked about the AFL, I would say a good proportion would say Collingwood more than anyone else .
So maybe it's fair to say Richmond are the most popular club in the land right now but Collingwood is and probably always will be the most famous one (imo)

But not the biggest, and that really is the subject of the thread. But I believe a now should've been added to the title.

our membership in QLD is double that of Collingwoods.

Well that's not really a high bar, not somethin I'd write home to mum about.
 

dave10

Premiership Player
Apr 26, 2004
4,281
3,461
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Agree the Macedonian Marvel in my time and
Simon Madden for Essendon top bloke too!
Big Simon is a very likeable and affable bloke. I’m fortunate enough to know him well through my Essendon connection (coterie member). Everyone likes him and he’s as friendly with the toilet cleaner as the President. Ditto Sheeds……. Anyhow, we digress.
 

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Nov 8, 2000
33,295
21,790
South of the river
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Peel Thunder
Not indicative of anything except West Coast being able to charge more per member due to demand and capacity restrictions and have people pay for it.

Are you suggesting other teams don't have the same level of demand? West Coast can sell more seats at Optus than any Vic club can sell at either venue.
 
Nov 20, 2018
1,373
1,525
AFL Club
Carlton
Big Simon is a very likeable and affable bloke. I’m fortunate enough to know him well through my Essendon connection (coterie member). Everyone likes him and he’s as friendly with the toilet cleaner as the President. Ditto Sheeds……. Anyhow, we digress.
The bloke could play Essendon being my second team as a kid lollolol he kept them in games when behind.
 
Jul 2, 2010
37,958
36,137
Adelaide
AFL Club
Carlton
attendance.png
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Id graph member revenues for you, but theres no one for one comparison really. Some clubs include reserved seating, some gate receipts, some merchandise, some dont show it at all.

Data is here if you want to play with it.

 

uranium_death

All Australian
May 3, 2004
641
1,204
AFL Club
Geelong
I still strongly believe that Essendon will explode once they experience some success
I've met more Essendon supporters, by far, than any other club.
I never met more Richmond supporters than in September 2017, but it was a sharp spike

They won flags in 84, 85, 93 and 2000 - strategically placed to keep people interested. Their mascot is popular
Their colours are popular. Their jumper is popular. Many of their idiotic fans like the word, "Essedon"

They're a sleeping giant, IMO. Their inept management off-field over 20 years has dimmed the fire, but I'm expecting an inferno once they get themselves together off and on-field.
 

dave10

Premiership Player
Apr 26, 2004
4,281
3,461
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Correct me if I'm wrong did I see Carlton had the biggest revenue of the Victorian clubs for 2021???
Again, you can’t compare apples with apples on revenue due to Carlton and Richmond in particular having substantial revenue coming from external non football businesses. You’re best to look at operating revenue excluding venues, gaming and allied businesses.
 
Nov 20, 2018
1,373
1,525
AFL Club
Carlton
Again, you can’t compare apples with apples on revenue due to Carlton and Richmond in particular having substantial revenue coming from external non football businesses. You’re best to look at operating revenue excluding venues, gaming and allied businesses.
Might sound arrogant but only looked at Carlton in depth BTW.
 

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dave10

Premiership Player
Apr 26, 2004
4,281
3,461
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
I still strongly believe that Essendon will explode once they experience some success
I've met more Essendon supporters, by far, than any other club.
I never met more Richmond supporters than in September 2017, but it was a sharp spike

They won flags in 84, 85, 93 and 2000 - strategically placed to keep people interested. Their mascot is popular
Their colours are popular. Their jumper is popular. Many of their idiotic fans like the word, "Essedon"

They're a sleeping giant, IMO. Their inept management off-field over 20 years has dimmed the fire, but I'm expecting an inferno once they get themselves together off and on-field.
Agree with this. Essendon probably has had the most impressive ‘floor / base’ of all the bigger clubs in Victoria at least with respect to attendances and possibly membership. Apart from 2016 (suspensions), their attendance aggregates have been at a higher level than the other clubs worst aggregate attendance years since 2000, except for Collingwood. Having not won a final in 17 years, or even getting within 7 goals of winning in fact, they consistently generate 1M+ aggregate for the H&A season. This is even more impressive given they play 7 home games at Marvel. Granted they get ANZAC Day (so do Pies) and Dreamtime (so do Tigers), they don’t get Carlton in round 1 each year so to guarantee 70,000+ against the Blues before their season often falls away by the time the Bombers get them (ala Richmond). And they don’t get the until recently the hopeless Demons annually on public holidays (ala Collingwood). Point being, their fixture isn’t really dissimilar in terms of ‘assistance’ compared to Collingwood and Richmond at least.

Their attendance floor superiority the last 20 years can be seen in their attendances against interstate sides at Msrvel, the only club that consistently draws upwards and over 40,000 at the venue. Its only opportunity to ‘play with the big boys’ against interstate sides on the MCG in the last 10 or so years came in 2019 when 9th (Essendon) drew over 60,000 against 10th (Swans). It certainly makes you wonder how high an Essendon ceiling would be playing 14-15 games a year at the MCG in the current era with the scheduling benefits of a top 4 on field type club. We will never know this due to its Marvelhome game arrangements.

If note, even Collingwood in recent years hasn’t been immune to home crowds at the MCG of under 25,000. Apart from 2016(*), I can’t count many sub 25,000 Essendon home crowds at the G or Marvel since 2000. In fact, in about 2015 Essendon held the league record of longest running streak of home attendances greater than 30,000. That stat supports their impressive base.

Memberdhip would take care of itself with a premiership. It has set itself a goal of 125,000 by 2026. If it wins a flag before 2026 you’d have to think it will deliver in this target. Especially if it can unlock the formulae to coerce its interstate base to sign on.
 

AstuteTiger

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 22, 2009
6,912
15,767
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Richmond generate over $24M from its Leisure business venture. They’ve won premierships so their operating revenue is stronger presently as you’d expect.

Smart management, in Vic with 10 clubs must diversify into other areas to generate higher revenue and profits.
In 2019 our revenue was $92.6 million (covid hit in 2020/2021 for all clubs), expect to see a further increase in revenue in 2022
 
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dave10

Premiership Player
Apr 26, 2004
4,281
3,461
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Smart management, in Vic with 10 clubs must diversify into other areas to generate higher revenue and profits.
In 2019 our revenue was $92.6 million (covid hit in 2020/2021 for all clubs), expect to see a further increase in revenue in 2022
Agree. As long as they deliver incremental profits they’re critically important when on field form invariably goes awry.
 

BuffDog

Club Legend
Nov 10, 2009
1,092
1,561
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Id have to agree that Essendon has a high number of very casual fans. I’ve met numerous Essendon ‘fans’ who simply like the colours, thought Lloydy was handsome or have a keen interest in aviation.

If they ever get their act together on field there’s a wealth of latent support that can be tapped into.
 
Nov 20, 2018
1,373
1,525
AFL Club
Carlton
Id have to agree that Essendon has a high number of very casual fans. I’ve met numerous Essendon ‘fans’ who simply like the colours, thought Lloydy was handsome or have a keen interest in aviation.

If they ever get their act together on field there’s a wealth of latent support that can be tapped into.
That is so true, with Carlton they are the same. I have met so many Mohammed's, Giusseppe's, Spiro's, Goran's, Mehmet's and their families. All like Carlton watch it on TV go once a year to a game or check the score on line during game day.
 
Nov 8, 2000
33,295
21,790
South of the river
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Peel Thunder
No. Not by a long way. Money isnt everything. and counting waiting lists is a crock.

Of course it's not everything, but crowds - at last against interstate opposition - are probably the strongest indicator of support.

And the demand is artifically derived from capacity restraint. It is not the same.

But Optus has more seats available for tenant clubs to sell than any other ground in Australia. The capacity restraint argument applies more so to every other club.
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
13,147
21,981
perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Not indicative of anything except West Coast being able to charge more per member due to demand and capacity restrictions and have people pay for it.

Right so we have such a high supporter base that we can charge double what most other clubs do for normal seated memberships yet they will still pay for it every single year. We'd be in the same position with an 80000 seat stadium.
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
13,147
21,981
perth
AFL Club
West Coast
without the pressure of a waiting list? im not a believer.

The waiting list is well over 10000 and each person on the waiting list is entitled to up to 4 memberships. At the current rate of membership drop off each year something significant would need to happen otherwise people will potentially be waiting 15-20+ years for a full membership and you're telling me we couldn't prefill an extra 20k seats?
 
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