News 2016 Membership discussion

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Which they are to be commended on. Good fans Tigers.

However I really do believe Geelong will finish ahead of the Tigers next season - and if we do that will say a lot about our drafting and organisation.

I actually think we are a real chance to go ahead of North as well. But it will be a very tight season IMO - so it is hard to predict.

Yep, agree on both fronts Jon. Where do you see us in relation to Freo? Do you think we can go ahead of them too? The easier draw will certainly work in our favour. Freo certainly do have an ageing team, certainly in terms of their spine. But yeah, I can see us leapfrogging Tigers, North, Crows and Bulldogs.

 

[MYOB]

A Geelong supporter rang SEN this morning saying that the club has charged AFL Members $40 more than a Geelong member for their reserved seat, without telling the AFL Members. Someone must have picked up on this and complained to the AFL and the club was forced to write to members explaining this.

My wife is an AFL Geelong Club support member and has been a reserve seat hold for over 25 years. She was totally confused by the letter that the club sent.

 

[Cezz The Catter]

How many of these members are full fledged or atleast home game members?

Be interesting to see how many 3 gamers are apart of this population.

 

[Will_I_Am]

How many of these members are full fledged or atleast home game members?

Be interesting to see how many 3 gamers are apart of this population.

It would be interesting, but on top of that, if you really wanted to get valuable information we'd need to know where the 3 game members were coming from. Did they have full memberships and have 'downgraded' to a 3 game, or are they new members who are trying out a 3 game membership before they jump in with a full membership?

 

[Cezz The Catter]

It would be interesting, but on top of that, if you really wanted to get valuable information we'd need to know where the 3 game members were coming from. Did they have full memberships and have 'downgraded' to a 3 game, or are they new members who are trying out a 3 game membership before they jump in with a full membership?

Very true. When I work full time I hope I can upgrade my 3 gamer to a full membership, still studying though and life's expensive haha, plus Geelongs very out of my way haha.

The club seems to be well behind the bigger clubs in assetts and investment, defnently an area to explore. The club should probably be more open with membership figures full/12/3 gamer defnently help develop an attachment to the club and something to strive for.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

No doubt the new signings are playing a big part here. If we made no moves and just got in the guys from the draft I daresay our membership tally would be more like 25k not 35k. There's heaps of Cats fans out there, need to get as many as we can to sign up. Hitting 50k looks very doable and it'd be a huge achievement for the club.

 

[catempire]

A little more info on where the additional members are coming from. Having 5,000 new and 15,000 still unsigned bodes well for 50,000.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au...t/news-story/eea31536065e9f1e13946407952e8700

GEELONG could be forced to jack up its membership target after making rapid headway in its pursuit of a record 50,000 paid-up fans.

The Cats on Tuesday passed 36,000 members and remain supremely confident of hitting the 50,000 benchmark that has previously eluded the club.

The current tally is almost 10,000 up on the same time last year and includes 5000 first-time members, with still 15,000 yet to renew from this year.

The surging growth has been attributed to a combination of the “Paddy Dangerfield factor”, aggressive recruiting, rising on-field expectations and an overhaul of the club’s membership operations.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au...t/news-story/eea31536065e9f1e13946407952e8700

 

[AM]

Our people get most things right. However, they've struck a bit of a poor patch lately. Rather sneakily getting people to direct debit membership on an ongoing basis. Sneakily adding a $40 surcharge for AFL members who nominate Geelong as their 'supporter team'.

The membership pack arrives and they can't even get the meagre contents of that right. Throw in the only bit of sugar being an el-cheapo pen.

 

[Shell]

Our people get most things right. However, they've struck a bit of a poor patch lately. Rather sneakily getting people to direct debit membership on an ongoing basis. Sneakily adding a $40 surcharge for AFL members who nominate Geelong as their 'supporter team'.

The membership pack arrives and they can't even get the meagre contents of that right. Throw in the only bit of sugar being an el-cheapo pen.

Or just taking out the whole amount in one go, unless we contacted them directly and told them not to. Is that even legal?

Probably is, probably is in the term and conditions or something.

 

[Shell]

Oh yeah I recall the membership team just "overlooking" the fact I down graded my membership one year. Sent me out the original full membership + amount taken off my credit card, how nice of them.

 

[JD Tomahawk]

Is there a live membership tally? Website on phone didn't have one. Would be could to check on it every few days

 

[Catman]

Our people get most things right. However, they've struck a bit of a poor patch lately. Rather sneakily getting people to direct debit membership on an ongoing basis. Sneakily adding a $40 surcharge for AFL members who nominate Geelong as their 'supporter team'.

Only if they have a reserved seat. And the club have every right to do it. Admittedly, it could have been done with more transparency, but they make so little off AFL memberships, that $40 shouldn't be an issue.

As for that flog Luke Massey nominating the Bulldogs as his supporter club in protest, good riddance, you clearly aren't a Geelong fan.

 

[dazbroncos]

Only if they have a reserved seat. And the club have every right to do it. Admittedly, it could have been done with more transparency, but they make so little off AFL memberships, that $40 shouldn't be an issue.

As for that flog Luke Massey nominating the Bulldogs as his supporter club in protest, good riddance, you clearly aren't a Geelong fan.

Was pretty sure that there was an article that suggested that AFL had increased it AFL member price after the clubs put out there literature for the above membership costs. The clubs could either eat the loss or pass it on.

Pretty use thats why it went up late…

Cant find the article however so could completely WRONG….

Go Catters

 

[mac_cat]

Is there a live membership tally? Website on phone didn't have one. Would be could to check on it every few days

It's on the Membership page. Currently 35,176.

https://membership.geelongcats.com.au

 

[GHS33]

Only if they have a reserved seat. And the club have every right to do it. Admittedly, it could have been done with more transparency, but they make so little off AFL memberships, that $40 shouldn't be an issue.

As for that flog Luke Massey nominating the Bulldogs as his supporter club in protest, good riddance, you clearly aren't a Geelong fan.

It's incredibly poor PR to charge an extra $40 to people that already financially support the club. Our marketing/membership and media/comms team needs an overhaul imo.

 

[AM]

Only if they have a reserved seat. And the club have every right to do it. Admittedly, it could have been done with more transparency, but they make so little off AFL memberships, that $40 shouldn't be an issue.

As for that flog Luke Massey nominating the Bulldogs as his supporter club in protest, good riddance, you clearly aren't a Geelong fan.

I'm unsure why you brought into the discussion the clubs right to set its fees and charges as it sees fit. No one has questioned that as it has nothing to do with the criticism.

Subject to the consumer being fully apprised of any new charges so they can make a choice there's no issue. The criticism is that was not the case. The same applies to the way clubs aren't being fully transparent in the way they are luring members into on-going direct debiting of their membership.

Openness, transparency and accountability aren't bad standards for any organisation to live by. That is at the heart of the discussion. Nothing else!

 

[Partridge]

Or just taking out the whole amount in one go, unless we contacted them directly and told them not to. Is that even legal?

Probably is, probably is in the term and conditions or something.

They may be adopting the 'better to ask forgiveness than permission' mantra.

 

[AM]

They may be adopting the 'better to ask forgiveness than permission' mantra.

We forgive you Partridge!

 

[Jon Douglas]

Yep, agree on both fronts Jon. Where do you see us in relation to Freo? Do you think we can go ahead of them too? The easier draw will certainly work in our favour. Freo certainly do have an ageing team, certainly in terms of their spine. But yeah, I can see us leapfrogging Tigers, North, Crows and Bulldogs.

I honesty think most teams will improve next season but because most are going to improve this may not result in a significant change in their ladder position - if that makes sense.

Personally I expect the Suns to improve - as they get back a lot of players and another pre-season - and they should be ready to win a lot of home games - if they can largely stay injury free of course (but that is true for all teams I am about to prognosticate about). They I think will break what I have just said - they will improve and climb up a ladder more than other teams.

The Giants should be better with Mummy back and another season of development under their belts. These are the two teams that have the best youngsters coming thru because they were given so many good draft picks and have since largely been near the bottom and so got more good ND picks. You would back both these teams to be top 8 in 2017. Maybe one of them will make it in 2016 season. But that is adding a new team to the mix from this year's finalists. Who drops out ?

Freo is an interesting one - aging list but they still have some gun players and they have slowly added some relatively new talent (but not fast enough). McPharlin is a huge out for them and Pav is slowing. I am not sure they have the forward line now to be a serious threat to beat some of the better higher scoring sides. They are coached well and play a good team game - and they still have one of the best midfield/ruck set ups in the league.

They will win a lot of home games and that is why they will still make the 8 - or higher. But WC has gone past them, Hawks were always ahead of them and Sydney have been their equal over the past 5 years. I do not think they have added enough to their list to see a marked improvement in their performances - while teams like Geelong will most likely improve significantly.

We play them once and it is over there (round 17 July 15 th). So by then our team with its likely significant player changes (from this season's standard line up) should have started to sort its way out and the best 22 emerging and the team has had a fair while to play together and start to gel.

Right now I am unsure how much we will improve because it is hard to imagine adding Danger, Scooter, Smith and Henderson to side and what differences they will make overall as a group. Then we will have (please !) Menzel, Stanley and Clark out there on the park regularly. We really do not know how those 3 players will pan out but if they play regularly I think they will all be decent additions to the side we had generally for this season.

Then Geelong will finally see a lot of improvement from some of our younger players as we finally have the situation that over the past 3 seasons we have got some good senior experience into quite a few. Guthrie and Caddy are starting to blossom, Gregson and Thurlow are showing good colour and there are some good shoots on Kolo, Bews, Lang, Vardy and Cocky.

So it is, IMO, the hardest year to predict how we will go for a long time. Will we be as good as Freo ? I think definitely in time - by 2017 for sure (unless they go out and recruit like we have). In 2016 I am not so sure. I think it is however not only possible but the probability is as high as 50/50. Much will depend on if our injured players like Duncan, Stanley and Menzel can stay on the park and can get their touch back. Give me a full list and Freo a full list on July 15 th - I think this result will tell us a fair bit.

What is for sure is that if we beat teams like Freo at their home - we are heading for a top 4 position.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Danger is definitely a factor. He's a marketing dream. Top tier player, whose socially aware and a very good spokesperson.

Personally I think it is just the extended Dangerfield family signing up as members that have boosted the numbers

 

[Will_I_Am]

The interstate memberships are pitiful - it's basically just a $100 donation to the club. I'm only a member purely to support the club, if my decision was based on value I'd have never signed up.

Got to agree with you on that one, there is a small benefit to getting a discount on the games played in your state.. but for me up here in QLD, that was zero last year and one in 2016. I knew that when i signed up for my membership of course and i'm not sure what they can do about it.

 

[Will_I_Am]

Good, start early. My father didn't start early enough and I was nearly lost to my mums team..... Carltank. Thank christ that didn't last.

I met my 2.5 hour old niece on Tuesday just gone, first thing i said to her was 'AFL is the best sport' followed by 'Your team is Geelong' and finished with a rendition of We are Geelong. I am not sure if the fact that she fell asleep at that point is a good sign or a bad sign, but i continued the brainwashing with a second rendition of the song just to cover my bases .

 

[Will_I_Am]

Just an update, it looks like the membership page was updated overnight, looks to have gone up around 2000 to a new total of 37,311..

12,689 to go. I'm calling we reach it midway through February (at the latest)

 

[cats_09]

Got my membership pack in the mail today - not too bad, seems to be very similar to last year, happy with the journal that I assume is the premiership membership item.

One thing I would have liked to see them continue with from a couple of years back, is the acknowledgement of the number of years of continual membership - that seems to have slipped away, but I think it would be nice to continue; I have my keyring with the membership category on it when that came out, and it would be kinda cool if when you moved up to the next level of membership you get another keyring or something.

 

[jaydee2323]

Got my membership pack in the mail today - not too bad, seems to be very similar to last year, happy with the journal that I assume is the premiership membership item.

One thing I would have liked to see them continue with from a couple of years back, is the acknowledgement of the number of years of continual membership - that seems to have slipped away, but I think it would be nice to continue; I have my keyring with the membership category on it when that came out, and it would be kinda cool if when you moved up to the next level of membership you get another keyring or something.

Totally agree about acknowledging the number of years of continual membership. There was reference to it on last years membership card but not this year and whilst a small thing, thought it was one of the better ideas.