Resource 2024 Membership - Audited Figure 66,015 - New Club Record

[El Zorro]

Marketing.

We have 71,000 passionate members sound better than 66,000.

It's BS, but we have a professional bullshitter as Prez and a CEO who one of his major KPI is membership figutes and AFL executives who love positive, positive news and the bigger the better mentality.

Sure, for a couple of months until the audited figures are published. It makes us look disingenuous. I rather we didn't count those members until the AFL adds them to the audited figures. But clearly I am not a professional bullshiter.

Also, after of 7 seasons of no finals, the crows are 9k members ahead of us, when at one point we were equal and even higher. How does Koch want to spin that one?

 

[Port2Power]

You dont understand how the AO Football members allocation works.

There are 8000 AO Football Members.

If 34% = 2,708 are allocated to Port then 5,292 are not.

71,307 - 5,292 = 66, 015.

Edit 2708/8000 = 33.85%

Thanks for the correction/explanation

 

[JakeNeadeFan]

Sure, for a couple of months until the audited figures are published. It makes us look disingenuous. I rather we didn't count those members until the AFL adds them to the audited figures. But clearly I am not a professional bullshiter.

Also, after of 7 seasons of no finals, the crows are 9k members ahead of us, when at one point we were equal and even higher. How does Koch want to spin that one?

The club would argue that we don't know who those members support and the 20% allocation is arbitrary.

The right way to approach it is probably to allocate 50/50.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

1,023k members renewing from last year's 1,264k total means a churn rate of 19.1% which is high compared to 15 years ago because there are so many BS freebie or cheap memberships and give aways. Auskick membership freebies part of your Auskick fees were never counted 15 years ago.

 

[Hammer#8]

Anyone know if the 'complimentary 1 game membership' offered would be part of the audited figure?

 

[TeeKray]

All time highs are completely expected for mass consumer products in the context of a rapidly growing population. You don't hear Coles and Woolworths trumpeting all time high sales figures, it's just a given. Not achieving all time highs would be alarming.

 

[Hammer#8]

Last year they offered $1 memberships for our last 2 home games.

This year they offered $1 game access for the home Showdown if you had a 3-game $110 membership.

Not sure if that's going forwards or backwards.

 

[Papa G]

All time highs are completely expected for mass consumer products in the context of a rapidly growing population. You don't hear Coles and Woolworths trumpeting all time high sales figures, it's just a given. Not achieving all time highs would be alarming.

Do Camry drivers buy Footy memberships?

 

[El Zorro]

The club would argue that we don't know who those members support and the 20% allocation is arbitrary.

The right way to approach it is probably to allocate 50/50.

While the method of allocation might be wrong and could/should be challenged, the club knows very well what the split is and has been for over a decade. Ignorance is not an excuse, they know exactly where this will land post-AFL audit.

 

[El Zorro]

All time highs are completely expected for mass consumer products in the context of a rapidly growing population. You don't hear Coles and Woolworths trumpeting all time high sales figures, it's just a given. Not achieving all time highs would be alarming.

Yes and no. Australia's population grew by 1% in the last year, while AFL clubs' memberships collectively grew 4.3% in the same period if time. I mean, it is pretty obvious that we are being very creative on what we count as members these days.

 

[TeeKray]

Yes and no. Australia's population grew by 1% in the last year, while AFL clubs' memberships collectively grew 4.3% in the same period if time. I mean, it is pretty obvious that we are being very creative on what we count as members these days.

I'm not talking about our membership, I'm talking about the AFL trumpeting all time highs as though that's an achievement rather than an actual expected result.

 

[GremioPower]

The AFL has clearly changed the way it counts members.

 

[PowerBaz]

Was keen to see the average crowd attendances versus memberships. Grabbed a screen grab from AFL Tables and threw it into Claude.ai, asked it to re-order it from highest to lowest then placed it next to the membership list.

Interesting to line it up - seems its almost whatever membership number you have, roughly half go to the footy - although we are above average compared to say West Coast,

 

[Tibbs]

I'm not talking about our membership, I'm talking about the AFL trumpeting all time highs as though that's an achievement rather than an actual expected result.

I dont know why people have their knickers in a knot and keep trumpeting on about this! its all marketing people! get over it!

We know ALL the clubs have inflated membership totals. The AFL themselves are also in competition with the NRL and soccer to promote the game as the premier Aussie sport. They want to maximise broadcasting sales & rights, and of course have their own sponsors to appease, so they will also crow about the figures.

Everyone knows that the figures are inflated, but it is an industry-wide practice, one which the others sport use too. It doesnt detract from the fact that memberships are indeed rising, as are attendances at matches. The AFLW is another facet to the AFL that has attracted followers and public interest.

One thing is certain though, Port's membership numbers would even be much better if they had of sacked Hinkley 7 years ago, when they should! A hell of a lot more members have refused to renew that the club would care to admit.

 

[JakeNeadeFan]

While the method of allocation might be wrong and could/should be challenged, the club knows very well what the split is and has been for over a decade. Ignorance is not an excuse, they know exactly where this will land post-AFL audit.

The purpose of the club tally is to not necessarily to match the AFL audited figure.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

I dont know why people have their knickers in a knot and keep trumpeting on about this! its all marketing people! get over it!

We know ALL the clubs have inflated membership totals. The AFL themselves are also in competition with the NRL and soccer to promote the game as the premier Aussie sport. They want to maximise broadcasting sales & rights, and of course have their own sponsors to appease, so they will also crow about the figures.

Everyone knows that the figures are inflated, but it is an industry-wide practice, one which the others sport use too. It doesnt detract from the fact that memberships are indeed rising, as are attendances at matches. The AFLW is another facet to the AFL that has attracted followers and public interest.

One thing is certain though, Port's membership numbers would even be much better if they had of sacked Hinkley 7 years ago, when they should! A hell of a lot more members have refused to renew that the club would care to admit.

People get annoyed because the club use these bogus numbers to defend their "stability".

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[El Zorro]

The purpose of the club tally is to not necessarily to match the AFL audited figure.

Why not? Aren't both measuring the number of members, or have I missed something?

 

[JakeNeadeFan]

Why not? Aren't both measuring the number of members, or have I missed something?

What the AFL determines to be a member and what the club does may be different, based on their own purposes and requirements. That doesn't actually mean the AFL is correct.

In this case you can make a fair argument that the AFL's apportionment is not correct. I personally don't know what the correct method of allocation should be, maybe for the club's purposes counting all the sma members makes sense.

At the end of the day I find it a pointless tin foil hat argument anyway.

Why does it matter to you if the club count like 3k extra members in their tally or not?

 

[El Zorro]

Why does it matter to you if the club count like 3k extra members in their tally or not?

It sets the standard as an organisation.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

There are 10,913 stadium members in the 1.3 million club members total.

8,000 are at AO. Where the others are I dont know, but the AFL has only counted stadium members since A0 was redeveloped.

There are 1,385 12 month members at Perth Stadium which was opened 4 years after the redeveloped AO. If they are counted, there are another another 1,500 counted from some other stadium(s).

In 2023 they counted 12,516 stadium club members in the total, whereas in 2022 it was 10,427 I don't know what the change was.

AFL members have risen a fair bit. There used to be around 54k and about 48k would tick a Club Support box, the AFL then transfer monies out of that membership fee, to the club and they are counted as a club members. The balance was people who didn't tick a box, small corporate type AFL memberships purchases who didn't tick a box and absentee members ie go overseas and pay a holding fee for up to 3 years, and the fee is less than monies transferred to the club, so they aren't counted.

This year 56k are counted in the total, it was 49k in 2022.

In yellow I have highlighted those memberships that get you at least 11 games. The Home and Away category is for Vic clubs that can buy 15/16/17 game memberships because of MCG and Docklands in Melbourne having away team capacity. Also included are the AFL members and Stadium members that are counted.

These 11+ game memberships have grown by approx 10% since 2016 and the overall membership has grown by approx 50% ie a lot of reduced access, AFLW and mickey mouse memberships.

The AFL consistenly change how and what data they report over the years. This year they just rounded up the adult / concession / junior membership split numbers.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Got this from the Footy Industry board thread on 2024 memberships, which came from Reddit, and is Richmond's 2023 membership approx break down by category total which was 101,349.

Their 11+game access members = 19,150+2,400+18,000+6,000 = 45,550 which is a higher % than the AFL average.

It would be nice to see this breakdown of Port's over the last 6 years.

Official Club Stuff - 2024 Club Membership Updates

From the President's email yesterday:- Carlton - 106,345 Up by 11,068 on last years tally of 95,277

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Papa G]

Got this from the Footy Industry board thread on 2024 memberships, which came from Reddit, and is Richmond's 2023 membership approx break down by category total which was 101,349.

Their 11+game access members = 19,150+2,400+18,000+6,000 = 45,550 which is a higher % than the AFL average.

It would be nice to see this breakdown of Port's over the last 6 years.

Official Club Stuff - 2024 Club Membership Updates

From the President's email yesterday:- Carlton - 106,345 Up by 11,068 on last years tally of 95,277

www.bigfooty.com

View attachment 2109161

So based on that Richmond have nearly 50,000 proper atleast 11 home game day adult members, which is still pretty high. The cheapest 11 game season ticket is $320, which means that if all these ticket were at the base price, that is still $16 million in revenue. Obviously there are more expensive tickets in there, which means Richmond are pulling in lots of revenue off their memberships.

 

[tribey]

Port’s “I cancelled years ago and did nothing except open up my email” Membership doing some heavy lifting.

 

[The_Wookie]

There are 10,913 stadium members in the 1.3 million club members total.

8,000 are at AO. Where the others are I dont know, but the AFL has only counted stadium members since A0 was redeveloped.

There are 1,385 12 month members at Perth Stadium which was opened 4 years after the redeveloped AO. If they are counted, there are another another 1,500 counted from some other stadium(s).

In 2023 they counted 12,516 stadium club members in the total, whereas in 2022 it was 10,427 I don't know what the change was.

I wonder if this was the new MCC club support option

MCC members have the option to financially assist their football team, or the Melbourne Stars, by taking up a dual membership package.​

The offer is available to all 10 Victorian AFL clubs, the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions for the 2023/24 MCC membership season.

MCC dual membership options

Support your AFL club by becoming a dual member of both the MCC and your favourite footy team!

mcc.org.au

If not maybe Axxess One?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I wonder if this was the new MCC club support option

MCC dual membership options

Support your AFL club by becoming a dual member of both the MCC and your favourite footy team!

mcc.org.au

If not maybe Axxess One?

That has been around for a decade and Richmond in their 2023 break down said 3300 MCC members who upgrade to Richmond affiliation. So it can't be that.

See graphic I copied from Footy Industry board thread at post above

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