News 2016 Membership discussion

[Willo_]

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.

I just assumed that I would get a new keyring when I went up the next bracket...

Also glad we got a pen... the pens are excellent

Also recieved my little blokes junior membership pack.. very impresed with the amount of stuff the kids get for the cost. Only have given him his membership card and lanyard which are now proudly hanging in his room and his magnet. He's going to love unwrapping the rest in 2 weeks time

 

[Art Vandelay_]

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

MoggsCreek is this true?

 

[BUSTER29]

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.

I just assumed that I would get a new keyring when I went up the next bracket...

Also glad we got a pen... the pens are excellent

Also recieved my little blokes junior membership pack.. very impresed with the amount of stuff the kids get for the cost. Only have given him his membership card and lanyard which are now proudly hanging in his room and his magnet. He's going to love unwrapping the rest in 2 weeks time

My pen lasted all of 3 days last year before it fell apart.
Im hoping for at least a week for the 1 that turned up today!

 

[cats_09]

My pen lasted all of 3 days last year before it fell apart.
Im hoping for at least a week for the 1 that turned up today!

Same with my pen - I clipped it to the inside of my bag and often would find it in 2 pieces, but that I could just push it back together. I stopped clipping it in my bag and just let it sit in the bottom and it lasted better.

I know this is really minor, but considering our colours are blue & white, couldn't they have got the pens with blue ink rather than black ink?

 

[Whiskers]

I'm also not impressed with how they have sneakily Direct debited everyone and upped my seat by $40.
I had changed my CC but it doesn't matter, I know others who were surprised they had already paid.
There must be a lot of very annoyed members out there?
Personally I was always going to re sign but don't like the sneakiness at all. It's my 1st year of full AFL membership and my seat is far too expensive, I pay over $800 a year for my membership with seat which seems ludicrous. Not really willing to give it up though.

 

[Willo_]

My pen lasted all of 3 days last year before it fell apart.
Im hoping for at least a week for the 1 that turned up today!

I must have got the good one! Mine lasted 8 months before I snapped the clip off it... and I'm rough with them so I thought that was pretty good.

New one is going into the bowls bag so will laat years!

 

[catempire]

I just assumed that I would get a new keyring when I went up the next bracket...

Also glad we got a pen... the pens are excellent

Also recieved my little blokes junior membership pack.. very impresed with the amount of stuff the kids get for the cost. Only have given him his membership card and lanyard which are now proudly hanging in his room and his magnet. He's going to love unwrapping the rest in 2 weeks time

Did your little bloke's pack come with a Cats backback? I was very impressed to see ours.

 

[Willo_]

Did your little bloke's pack come with a Cats backback? I was very impressed to see ours.

Yeah it did, nice looking backpack as well. They get a heap of stuff don't they.. i liked how the poster was of the 'Young Guns' as well

 

[Mr Blicavs]

25 year member last year......I got a 'pin' for my efforts......a BLOODY PIN!!!! Lets be honest, we've all got mates who follow other clubs, and Geelong is the tightest' club by far!

 

[Partridge]

25 year member last year......I got a 'pin' for my efforts......a BLOODY PIN!!!! Lets be honest, we've all got mates who follow other clubs, and Geelong is the tightest' club by far!

Maybe that's what the $40 charge pays for.

 

[Jon Douglas]

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)

I generally do not watch our membership numbers until the first month of footy is over. But seeing this figure I am pretty confident we will make 50,000. That is a terrific result given we just had the first season in nearly a decade we have not made the finals.

Clearly the recruitment of Dangerfield will pay off handsomely (as long as he does not get injured). But I do not think it is just Dangerfield turning around our membership fortunes.

I think Scooter, Henderson and Smith - have had a fair impact on the result as well. Danger is only one player but 4 good players is a big inclusion over a season.

Then people expect Stanley, Clark and Menzel to come back and maybe just be something for us. Add that to the above 4 players and Cat's fans are getting pretty excited about next season.

Then the icing is that you can see that we have a few young players coming thru that have shown a fair bit relative to their AFL experience. Caddy, Guthrie, Thurlow, Lang and Gregson. Most would expect these players to be even better next season.

So IMO the huge cost we paid to get these players in losing loved players, in our salary cap and in ND picks and players - has started to be paid back already - in membership numbers. I have a good feeling about making a profit this year. And that is an important thing to do.

But if they can perform on the park and play finals again - you would probably say the costs were worth it. Good start but a little way to go yet.

 

[FredLeDeux]

So IMO the huge cost we paid to get these players in losing loved players, in our salary cap and in ND picks and players - has started to be paid back already - in membership numbers. I have a good feeling about making a profit this year. And that is an important thing to do.

But if they can perform on the park and play finals again - you would probably say the costs were worth it. Good start but a little way to go yet.

Cook predicts "a heavy loss" again this year.

 

[JUBJUB]

Cook predicts "a heavy loss" again this year.

I'm guessing JD is talking about 2016

 

[FredLeDeux]

Cook predicts "a heavy loss" again this year.

Cook too, I believe.

 

[catempire]

FYI - I have moved all posts from multiple different threads regarding 2016 memberships here.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Did your little bloke's pack come with a Cats backback? I was very impressed to see ours.

My two youngsters never received the backpack. A young guns poster, fixture magnet and a pencil case.

 

[thegerman]

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.

That's why it's funny seeing 30yo blokes with a one year hawks membership.

 

[Lana]

Cook predicts "a heavy loss" again this year.

A lot of that would be due to the extra money going into the stage 4 constructions and the loss in revenue from the reduced stadium capacity.

 

[giggler99]

I don't buy memberships for what's in a membership pack but gee that pack was crap! A pen and a crappy cartoonish oversized sticker and another lanyard which I don't use! wish there was an option not receive a lanyard have a bloody collection of them over the years! not only from the Cats but from the Victory as well.

 

[FredLeDeux]

A lot of that would be due to the extra money going into the stage 4 constructions and the loss in revenue from the reduced stadium capacity.

And the gaming losses.
Or gains, if you're a punter.

 

[JUBJUB]

25 year member last year......I got a 'pin' for my efforts......a BLOODY PIN!!!! Lets be honest, we've all got mates who follow other clubs, and Geelong is the tightest' club by far!

I got a keyring for my 20th a few years ago and love it.Didn't want some poxy scarf.

 

[Lana]

And the gaming losses.
Or gains, if you're a punter.

What are the odds...

 

[Jon Douglas]

I'm guessing JD is talking about 2016

Yes - sorry I meant 2016.

I do not know much about how we are structuring our debts and what our income is from all the things that generate us funds. Perhaps this latest building on our ground has cost us a fair amount of money but that is money well spent. Good for the fans who pay to come and watch a game, good for the TV and good for our bottom line if more fans can come into the ground and watch.

So a ground development may be a drag on the bottom line for a given year or years but this is an investment and is different from a poor performance.

I would think 50,000 members would see Geelong, if the team plays well in 2016 and with 8 home games, do financially quite well.

You would think that if we achieve 50,000, upgrade the facilities and play finals (and do ok in them) this is a base number from which to keep building. And that number will be enough to keep us in the black - except under exceptional circumstances like adding seats to our venue.

If this huge trading period pays off on the field (and we cannot deny we paid a fair bit for it) the I think all will be very well for the Cats as not only will those who bought memberships be happy, the sponsors happy, we will keep Friday night games and maintain 8 home games, have maybe our best attended home games aggregate in a long time, the club sells more merchandise and the net impact is a financially viable club for the foreseeable future.

I think the club has made a lot of changes this season and it will take time to adjust - new positions like a head of coaching, changes in staff, a reshuffle in some positions at the club and a huge change in the playing list. We would all like them to be moves that improve the club in some measure but the proof will not be available for some time to come. if they have been smart appointments then I expect that quite a few of these changes will pay dividends.

Then by adding four 25 (soon to be 26) year olds and taking off three 30 year olds off the list we have got a far better age profile. This issue is better but not resolved. We have too many very young players and still 2-4 older players to leave soon. But as I said the middle is looking fatter at least. But the fans will like watching the kittens grow as long as the team is generally winning. It will add to the story of Geelong FC in 2016.

In the end fans are your best source of money. So if our team is better performed, plays the game in a way that is exciting and plays finals - and even looks a slight chance at a Premiership - the fans will come a running and we will get good general press for how we do things 'down the road'.

If things go our way a bit we could have a very good season and be the good talking point of the season. And I reckon a few could fear the resurgence of GFC as it was not that long ago we, in the H&A games for about half a decade, were the most successful team in AFL ever. To turn it around and be threatening again so soon (if that were to happen) would make other clubs respect and envy what we do as a professional club.

 

[CroftyV1]

I'm also not impressed with how they have sneakily Direct debited everyone and upped my seat by $40.
I had changed my CC but it doesn't matter, I know others who were surprised they had already paid.
There must be a lot of very annoyed members out there?
Personally I was always going to re sign but don't like the sneakiness at all. It's my 1st year of full AFL membership and my seat is far too expensive, I pay over $800 a year for my membership with seat which seems ludicrous. Not really willing to give it up though.

Yeah I was annoyed the way this was handled. Was wondering why my reserved seat fee was so more than last year. Poor form that the club didn't communicate this info to us before most people's memberships automatically rolled over. Then some poorly worded emails & public comments followed. Got a follow up email on the weekend from the Chief Commercial Officer apologising for the way some comments in the media were interpreted. I appreciated this, cause I've been a Cats fan my entire life, been a member ever since I finished high school, was a 11 game Home Member right up until 2007 & still regularly contribute to the club, even if they don't get that much of a cut of my AFL Membership Fee.

 

[son of meto]

25 year member last year......I got a 'pin' for my efforts......a BLOODY PIN!!!! Lets be honest, we've all got mates who follow other clubs, and Geelong is the tightest' club by far!

I agree...I haven't been a member for the last two seasons. Convince me it is worth it! In fact, might start a thread called "Convince Son of Meto Cats Membership is Worth It."

And please, no pathetic arguments about how I'm supposed to sign up for the sake of the CLUB...the CLUB needs you and all that tripe! They're doing alright I guarantee you. None of this, "Do not ask what my country can do for me, but what I can do for....lalalala, etc etc." It's tedious and stupid. This is an industry and multi-million dollar business...what's the benefit for by hard earned!!!!

So, please convince me why me and mine are better off with a membership (and seat at KP...doubling my fees). Hard sell, but I'm sure many of you believe you're up to it.