Supporter Base - Trimming The Fat

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

So I've recently had a mate move to Queensland who was a Freo supporter since 1995. He flicked over to Brisbane as he still wants to watch footy live and is sick of Freo underperforming.
I also went to dinner last night with a group of friends and and we were discussing the footy and who supports who. We mentioned another friend who is a die hard Docker then got to thinking. Is there anyone who supports Freo that isn't a die hard?.
What became clear is Freo don't have many half hearted supporters as the weaker supporters have dropped off yet the opposite is true of the Hawthorns, Eagles etc.
As strange as it sounds it is a good thing for the true supporters to see these types stop following Freo even if we lose a percentage of membership dollars. It's similar to the Darwin theory and has made us a very passionate and knowledgeable supporter Base.
As you will know we've all had those conversations with Eagles "fans" who barely know the rules and can't believe it if they don't get 3 or 4 free kicks in front of goal a week. That is the reverse Darwin at work right there which once again is a good thing. Their true supporters are drowned out by the masses of numpties hence watching their home games and listening to the crowd is cringe worthy.
The fact we still get nearly 40,000 to our games and the fair weather supporters don't come any more, I believe is a great thing for our club. I still think and hope we will won a flag in my time and if we don't I hope my kids see it, but in any case it will not make me waver if we don't. When the time comes and we finally climb the mountain if I am still sain of mind I for one will not be inviting the fair weather brigade to my celebration and I would hope you will all do the same.
We got a sniff in 2013 and since then I have seen the weak drop off. One thing I'd ask is if you question why you still stick fat I emplore you to jump off the train now.

 

[Square Peg]

Damn I was attracted to the thread by the promise of group exercise or a miracle diet offered exclusively to Freo supporters. I'm disappointed.

 

[Nothing]

Damn I was attracted to the thread by the promise of group exercise or a miracle diet offered exclusively to Freo supporters. I'm disappointed.

I've got a bout of gastro that has caused some weight loss. I can share if you want.

 

[Fireballs]

Passionate ? Yeah from 1995-2015.. but our current crowd doesn’t care anymore

 

[Square Peg]

I've got a bout of gastro that has caused some weight loss. I can share if you want.

Sorry to hear you're crook. I thought your diarrhoea was purely verbal.

 

[Nothing]

Sorry to hear you're crook. I thought your diarrhoea was purely verbal.

It comes from everywhere.

 

[Steinfreo]

The best supporter era was around the early 2000s. Around 2006 the place was rockin and you had the freo quirkiness combined with the high crowd numbers. The Jlo goal after the siren epitomizes that era, we were so aspirational, that era is the reason in some ways 2013 felt like fate.

 

[basashi]

we lost a lot throughout 94.

announcement after announcement, it was like they were trying to talk everyone out of it.

 

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

I agree that period was the most enjoyable time. I think the fact there was limited expectations made the wins more exciting and the losses easier to stomach. These days we demand more which in the business of AFL is the way it should be.

 

[johnnomac]

I think that the two teams that you mentioned aren't good examples as they have had fairly good and consistent results for a long time, so it's easy for the fairweather supporters to hang around.

I think that Collingwood probably more fits with our supporter base. It's not just their onfield performance but also the "seige" mentality that 'everyone hates us' so it's us against them.

As for crowd numbers, well I don't think that they are much to crow about. Last year the average home game attracted 459403 people. Most of that you would have to put down to the new stadium. Now that the new ground novelty has worn off somewhat and people are focused again on team performance, the average attendance is down to 365712 which is where it was in 2017 and 2016.

Membership numbers are still fairly resilient, but interestingly Freo are acknowledged as one of the best teams to be able to convert followers into members. The only problem there is that the number of people who declare themselves to be Dockers supporters has fallen more than any other club (2018, don't know about 2019) - https://the365712west.com.au/sport/...astic-drop-in-supporter-numbers-ng-b88937625z

 

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

I think you are confirming my comments backed up by stats. The reason I cited WC and Hawthorn is because they do have alot of fair weather supporters which is not something Freo affords us.

 

[se17enteen]

When you’re ugly and you have someone thats willing to be with you, you know that person REALLY likes you for you.

Freo have won NOTHING and yet have +55k members, the supporters are passionate and really love the club.

I know lots of Eagle supporters who wear the full gear, have stickers on their cars but can only name 5 Eagle players. I guess supporting a winning team is cool.


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[eastfreo75]

The problem I see is that the kids won’t support us going forward.

In 5-10 years we will have issues money wise.

 

[nurries]

When you’re ugly and you have someone thats willing to be with you, you know that person REALLY likes you for you.

Freo have won NOTHING and yet have +55k members, the supporters are passionate and really love the club.

I know lots of Eagle supporters who wear the full gear, have stickers on their cars but can only name 5 Eagle players. I guess supporting a winning team is cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

with Ross in charge we won’t ever know

 

[se17enteen]

The problem I see is that the kids won’t support us going forward.

Unfortunately true. Kids won’t support losing teams (they will get teased at school) unless parents force them to support Freo (which is what I’m doing)

 

[Ranger245]

Unfortunately true. Kids won’t support losing teams (they will get teased at school) unless parents force them to support Freo (which is what I’m doing)

Yep my kids have only ever been encouraged towards Freo by the family, and all the footy related merch they have is Freo related. But they go to school and the vast majority of the other kids are WC leaning (or if not, some pommy soccer team), and of course kids being kids, they don't want to be the only one in the class to go against that grain. A few times my 8 year old has even come home and said he wants to change his support the WC. In 20 years time, and unless something is done to turn the Freo machine around, Freo's home games will be attended pretty much entirely by about 20,000 cranky old buggers. As Margaret Thatcher once said "Enough is enough"

 

[Steinfreo]

Unfortunately true. Kids won’t support losing teams (they will get teased at school) unless parents force them to support Freo (which is what I’m doing)

Im not worried about the kids, they dont give a s**t about any team really. Im amazed how little my cousins and nephews give a s**t about afl as a supporter despite literally all playing it hahaha.

 

[FreoRicci]

It reverts back to our childhoods tbh. Growing up as a Freo suoorter, you get smashed pillar to post. The other kids would always support the winner. It’s too easy for them.
Nowadays, don’t think kids have the same resilience, or loyalty to support Freo. Social media etc. winning is everything and easy

The fan base has dropped off big time. The media propaganda on Ross’ supposed negative defensive football have affected many. Winning apparently isn’t better then losing with flair. Typical. Even today, we tried to play open, free flowing. No surprise we got smashed. Mark Harvey leaving has changed the supporter base to an extent with Ross’ gameplan. Never was a popular type ever since he came in. Even more so now.

 

[FreoRicci]

Yep my kids have only ever been encouraged towards Freo by the family, and all the footy related merch they have is Freo related. But they go to school and the vast majority of the other kids are WC leaning (or if not, some pommy soccer team), and of course kids being kids, they don't want to be the only one in the class to go against that grain. A few times my 8 year old has even come home and said he wants to change his support the WC. In 20 years time, and unless something is done to turn the Freo machine around, Freo's home games will be attended pretty much entirely by about 20,000 cranky old buggers. As Margaret Thatcher once said "Enough is enough"

Exactly. The resilience,loyalty is harder these days with social media, AFL being accessed 24/7 with ease. So much harder for kids to stay with Freo with the crap we’re dishing up for 4 years now vs West Coast making GFs and winning consistently

 

[jedi mind tricks]

We could trim a few more supporters off.

 

[StingBitten]

The best supporter era was around the early 2000s. Around 2006 the place was rockin and you had the freo quirkiness combined with the high crowd numbers. The Jlo goal after the siren epitomizes that era, we were so aspirational, that era is the reason in some ways 2013 felt like fate.

Was 17 at that game and it was the louder than the Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert I attended that year. There was a quirky Freo bloke at the front of our aisle called Assless Alfred because everytime we kicked a goal he lept out of his seat and his pants slid down. Everyone laughed as did he.

I swear that was some alternative Universe, cos that braingasm doesn't exist in 2019.

 

[Cobbler]

When you’re ugly and you have someone thats willing to be with you, you know that person REALLY likes you for you.

Freo have won NOTHING and yet have +55k members, the supporters are passionate and really love the club.

I know lots of Eagle supporters who wear the full gear, have stickers on their cars but can only name 5 Eagle players. I guess supporting a winning team is cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is frighteningly accurate. Some supporters just want to be ‘winners’. A lady at work is an Eagles ‘supporter’ and when I asked her about the recent Grand Final win she thought it was wonderful for all the Eagles players and mentioned Nic Nat as well as other players. I nearly pissed myself but gave the old bird a break and didn’t mentioned that he didn’t play.

Now contrast that with Freo supporters. Freo supporters can recall random acts of brilliance and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of players past and present.

 

[Purpellian Anchor]

So I've recently had a mate move to Queensland who was a Freo supporter since 1995. He flicked over to Brisbane as he still wants to watch footy live and is sick of Freo underperforming.
I also went to dinner last night with a group of friends and and we were discussing the footy and who supports who. We mentioned another friend who is a die hard Docker then got to thinking. Is there anyone who supports Freo that isn't a die hard?.
What became clear is Freo don't have many half hearted supporters as the weaker supporters have dropped off yet the opposite is true of the Hawthorns, Eagles etc.
As strange as it sounds it is a good thing for the true supporters to see these types stop following Freo even if we lose a percentage of membership dollars. It's similar to the Darwin theory and has made us a very passionate and knowledgeable supporter Base.
As you will know we've all had those conversations with Eagles "fans" who barely know the rules and can't believe it if they don't get 3 or 4 free kicks in front of goal a week. That is the reverse Darwin at work right there which once again is a good thing. Their true supporters are drowned out by the masses of numpties hence watching their home games and listening to the crowd is cringe worthy.
The fact we still get nearly 40,000 to our games and the fair weather supporters don't come any more, I believe is a great thing for our club. I still think and hope we will won a flag in my time and if we don't I hope my kids see it, but in any case it will not make me waver if we don't. When the time comes and we finally climb the mountain if I am still sain of mind I for one will not be inviting the fair weather brigade to my celebration and I would hope you will all do the same.
We got a sniff in 2013 and since then I have seen the weak drop off. One thing I'd ask is if you question why you still stick fat I emplore you to jump off the train now.

It is all to do with the meaning of the 'Anchor', what it stands for.

 

[Purpellian Anchor]

choose one or both if you want to be a Freo supporter

 

[Marty Whitelaw]

Unfortunately true. Kids won’t support losing teams (they will get teased at school) unless parents force them to support Freo (which is what I’m doing)

Me too but sadly my kids proving more stubborn and free thinking as they get older. I can live with it as long as they don’t support WCE. Thankfully the only one that’s jumped ship for now is a Bulldogs fan. Not ideal but can live with it.