Fair to say that growth has stalled…
The Tasmanian membership numbers are always itemised in the Hawthorn FC Annual Report…
And they are always singled out as a special part of the club membership but the numbers leave a bit to be desired…
http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/club/reports-and-policies/annual-reports
- In 2008 we had 41,686 club members (4,180 in Tasmania or 10.02% of the total membership)
- In 2009 we had 52,929 club members (7,335 in Tasmania or 13.8% of the total membership)
- In 2010 we had 54,473 club members (8,222 in Tasmania or 15.09% of the total membership)
- In 2011 we had 56,643 club members (8,500 in Tasmania or 15.00% of the total membership neat)
- In 2012 we had 60,841 club members (8,731 in Tasmania or 14.3% of the total membership)
- In 2013 we had 63,353 club members (8,567 in Tasmania or 13.52% of the total membership)
- In 2014 we had 68,650 club members (8,740 in Tasmania or 12.73% of the total membership)
- In 2015 we had 72,925 club members (8,947 in Tasmania or 12.22% of the total membership)
- In 2016 we had 75,351 club members (9,249 in Tasmania or 12.27% of the total membership)
- In 2017 we had 75,663 club members (9,550 in Tasmania or 12.62% of the total membership)
- In 2018 we had 80,302 club members (about 9,000 in Tasmania according to the clubs press release)
There is a myth perpetrated by Hawthorn that Tasmanian’s have embraced Hawthorn and that’s why the Hawks are now an off field power.
In fact in terms of membership growth in Tasmania, North Melbourne have proven much more effective...
I’m sure the sponsorship revenue and the clean stadium is a big reason for that but the only credible source to call Hawthorn out on this is Caroline Wilson.
I mean take this flowery statement about Tasmania in the 2017 Hawthorn FC Annual Report…
Its just BS to be honest...
Make no mistake Tasmania is Jeff Kennett’s baby.
Ian Dicker took us to Tasmania but Kennett extended it and was the architect behind the 7:4 ‘Tassie Hawks’ agreement in 2006 (the first of the five-year partnerships).
He sold it to the Hawthorn membership and takes all credit for it. Admittedly it was a great deal for the 2006 Hawthorn club but that was a premiership drought, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, 28,000 members and 4 premierships ago...
The AFL tried to buy Hawthorn’s contract out in 2010 and shift North to a 7:4 Tasmania / Melbourne arrangement before Kennett intervened. In 2017 he again intervened (and took the Hawthorn presidency) when the board wavered on Tasmania.
I spent the first 5 years of my time on BigFooty defending the Tasmanian agreement but it has clearly run its course.
Hawthorn crowds continue to drop, and have dropped in almost every year since 2010 despite ballooning MCG crowds in the 2008-2016 period, membership has also flat lined.
It’s in the AFL’s interests, Tasmania’s and probably in the long run Hawthorn’s interest (at least for the vast majority of its constituency) for Hawthorn to now leave after 2022.
Of course ego, politics and a dysfunctional Tasmanian football environment will probably lead to the status quo with the Hawthorn agreement being extended again…