AFL Silver Membership Waitlist Number

[Amen Corner]

My kids were offered upgrades despite being at positions in the 1,980’s at this time last year. I received no email mid year when others did, so I called to find out what was happening only to find they were eligible for upgrades - which I duly took up the offer. That was late June this year.

Logic states that everybody should have moved up at least 1,980 places in the queue this year. That they haven’t only leads me to assume that some, or a fair number of Gold members elected to retain their AFL Membership but downgrade to Silver or to go Absentee. These people are put at the head of the queue when they publish queue numbers and are likely always the first lot offered re-entry to Gold before the remaining Silver members are offered upgrades. Think of it like a pass out at a club.

You can probably add first time offers to Silver Members who chose to defer their upgrade. They also sit at the head of the queue.

Given the shenanigans and stories of lapsed members being offered upgrades this year, I think there’s some weight to that theory.

I have a mate who did the same this year. He’d been on the waiting list for around 14 years. It just so happened I was in this thread and saw people being upgraded at 1400 or so when I knew he was around 1000. He never received an upgrade email but rang them to see if he was close, they informed him that he was eligible for an upgrade and they could do it on the spot for a fee ($170??) which he paid. He was stoked to get the upgrade but was curious why he never received the email and the told him that his account had unsubscribed to their updates. He assures me he’s never unsubscribed from AFL Membership and was receiving the “around the grounds” or the news updates but not the gold membership upgrade. Something weird has been going on in there for the past few years I reckon.

 

[Dan Moody]

I have a mate who did the same this year. He’d been on the waiting list for around 14 years. It just so happened I was in this thread and saw people being upgraded at 1400 or so when I knew he was around 1000. He never received an upgrade email but rang them to see if he was close, they informed him that he was eligible for an upgrade and they could do it on the spot for a fee ($170??) which he paid. He was stoked to get the upgrade but was curious why he never received the email and the told him that his account had unsubscribed to their updates. He assures me he’s never unsubscribed from AFL Membership and was receiving the “around the grounds” or the news updates but not the gold membership upgrade. Something weird has been going on in there for the past few years I reckon.

I haven't received an email and have now been a 14 year member.
I was around 2600 last year, maybe it's worth me giving them a call.

 

[Dan Moody]

I haven't received an email and have now been a 14 year member.
I was around 2600 last year, maybe it's worth me giving them a call.

Actually, just went back through my emails, sitting at 1112 as of now, i'll call them today and see if I can get an upgrade

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I have a mate who did the same this year. He’d been on the waiting list for around 14 years. It just so happened I was in this thread and saw people being upgraded at 1400 or so when I knew he was around 1000. He never received an upgrade email but rang them to see if he was close, they informed him that he was eligible for an upgrade and they could do it on the spot for a fee ($170??) which he paid. He was stoked to get the upgrade but was curious why he never received the email and the told him that his account had unsubscribed to their updates. He assures me he’s never unsubscribed from AFL Membership and was receiving the “around the grounds” or the news updates but not the gold membership upgrade. Something weird has been going on in there for the past few years I reckon.

I've received all the renewal emails for me, my wife and oldest son but my youngest sons hasn't come through yet. I asked them to send/resend it but haven't had a response yet.

 

[cfcsince1992]

4 possible scenarios I can think of (or a combination of them).
1. A number of people offered the upgrade chose not to, so they went to a second and maybe subsequent rounds, until a quota of 1100 odd was upgraded. Meaning at least 800 chose not to.
2. At least 800 in the top 1900 on the waitlist were bronze and therefire were not offered an upgrade.
3. Your mate is mistaken.
4. The AFL is dodgy.

1 and 2 seem extremely unlikely. I hope it is option 3. Most likely it is option 4.

I will post my change when I get my renewal as I am in the 6000s.

So I emailed them today, they offered between 1900-2000 upgrades this year but not all were accepted, and those people remained on the waitlist. Not sure how long you can not accept for though and if that means that the gold membership is under full capacity this year.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

So I emailed them today, they offered between 1900-2000 upgrades this year but not all were accepted, and those people remained on the waitlist. Not sure how long you can not accept for though and if that means that the gold membership is under full capacity this year.

That doesn't ring true though does it? Say for instance 2000 upgrades were offered but only 1200 were accepted then at the moment there will only be 29,200 Full/Gold Members out of a maximum 30,000. Does that make sense? Is it realistic that the AFL would just leave ~$160k on the table (800 members x $200 for upgrade to full)? Surely if 800 members declined the offer to upgrade to full then the offer should proceed to those next in line (so those between 2001-2800 on the waitlist in this example).

If this is true then next year there should be a minimum 800 people offered upgrades as those spots are still vacant from those who didn't take up the offer this year.

As you say how long can a member defer the offer for? If I were a Silver North supporter for example I would just keep deferring until a year where it looked likely they would make finals - why pay an extra $200 this year and next year and the year after to receive no benefit?

 

[TigerR]

That doesn't ring true though does it? Say for instance 2000 upgrades were offered but only 1200 were accepted then at the moment there will only be 29,200 Full/Gold Members out of a maximum 30,000. Does that make sense? Is it realistic that the AFL would just leave ~$160k on the table (800 members x $200 for upgrade to full)? Surely if 800 members declined the offer to upgrade to full then the offer should proceed to those next in line (so those between 2001-2800 on the waitlist in this example).

If this is true then next year there should be a minimum 800 people offered upgrades as those spots are still vacant from those who didn't take up the offer this year.

As you say how long can a member defer the offer for? If I were a Silver North supporter for example I would just keep deferring until a year where it looked likely they would make finals - why pay an extra $200 this year and next year and the year after to receive no benefit?

They could have offered it in 2 or more batches until they were around 30000.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

They could have offered it in 2 or more batches until they were around 30000.

They didn't though, they offered the initial 1900-2000 and if they weren't taken up that was that. Hence the lower move up the waitlist than anticipated.

 

[Dan Moody]

I have a mate who did the same this year. He’d been on the waiting list for around 14 years. It just so happened I was in this thread and saw people being upgraded at 1400 or so when I knew he was around 1000. He never received an upgrade email but rang them to see if he was close, they informed him that he was eligible for an upgrade and they could do it on the spot for a fee ($170??) which he paid. He was stoked to get the upgrade but was curious why he never received the email and the told him that his account had unsubscribed to their updates. He assures me he’s never unsubscribed from AFL Membership and was receiving the “around the grounds” or the news updates but not the gold membership upgrade. Something weird has been going on in there for the past few years I reckon.

tried this today after reading your post, i'm at 1112 now.
rang them up, asked if i could pay on the spot for an upgrade, could almost hear the campaigner on the other end of the phone laughing inside.
your mate's either bullshitting or got a better membership officer than i did

 

[cfcsince1992]

tried this today after reading your post, i'm at 1112 now.
rang them up, asked if i could pay on the spot for an upgrade, could almost hear the campaigner on the other end of the phone laughing inside.
your mate's either bullshitting or got a better membership officer than i did

I think his mate was around 1000 last year, which would make sense. Not this year.

 

[TigerR]

They didn't though, they offered the initial 1900-2000 and if they weren't taken up that was that. Hence the lower move up the waitlist than anticipated.

That's not what the OP said, but I at least agree that it sounds likely. Perhaps they offered 2000 based on the number that normally accept ro still reach

Has anyone else got anything like that on their 2023 renewal invoice on the online portal? I’ve never seen it before. Was 2300 in line last year.

If you click on 2023 Invoice, then click email and you will receive an email with the actual wait list number.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

tried this today after reading your post, i'm at 1112 now.
rang them up, asked if i could pay on the spot for an upgrade, could almost hear the campaigner on the other end of the phone laughing inside.
your mate's either bullshitting or got a better membership officer than i did

You're 1112 now but would've been around 2300 off when they offered the upgrades so not eligible yet unlike the other person.

 

[Manchild]

FYI

2013 - 25,251 (joined)
2014 - 20,882
2015 - 15,470
2016 - 12,628
2017 - 11,625
2018 - 11,030
2019 - 10,060
2020 - 9,174
2021 - 8,138
2022 - 6,675

Still a long way off it seems

 

[Black Panther]

6-7 more years maybe

15 odd years to gold, still much better than the MCC

 

[Demonic Ascent]

6-7 more years maybe

15 odd years to gold, still much better than the MCC

True but there is a far better pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for MCC members.

 

[Hawks91b]

True but you have to run through the restricted to full process that can take many more years to get access to the GF or other big games

 

[lilJeffyG]

True but there is a far better pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for MCC members.

Do you think so? As a carlton supporter I have to pay to go to Etihad. So only can go to 7-8 games at the M.C.G. I have a mate who is also a carlton supporter and only just got his provisional M.C.C membership last year.

No guarantee for blockbuster games as full and restricted M.C.C members get full rights. No chance of even a first week final. With afl gold you get 40 games anywhere and pretty much guarantee finals and grand final ticket.

 

[TigerR]

Do you think so? As a carlton supporter I have to pay to go to Etihad. So only can go to 7-8 games at the M.C.G. I have a mate who is also a carlton supporter and only just got his provisional M.C.C membership last year.

No guarantee for blockbuster games as full and restricted M.C.C members get full rights. No chance of even a first week final. With afl gold you get 40 games anywhere and pretty much guarantee finals and grand final ticket.

True, MCC is better value for MCG tenant club supporters than others, but you can't compare MCC provisional with AFL Gold. Compare Provisional with Bronze, Restricted with Silver and Full with Gold.
When the time is right, I will be dumping my AFL membership for MCC like a hot potato.
MCC has better bars and other facilities, does not treat its members with disdain, does not push its members out of its best seats for blow in Medallion Club members or club members from interstate clubs, does not sell its members seats to others, generally has reasonable walk up seats, does not have you looking into the sun during a day game, has various other functions, does not let people get away with scalping their seats delaying full membership of others, etc.
AFL membership has 2 things going for it - it is cheaper and you do get Etihad access if you are unfortunate enough to have to go there. And for me at least, AFL seats are closer to Richmond station.

 

[eddiesmith]

That's not what the OP said, but I at least agree that it sounds likely. Perhaps they offered 2000 based on the number that normally accept ro still reach

If you click on 2023 Invoice, then click email and you will receive an email with the actual wait list number.

Thanks for the tip, my nephews jumped 1800 spots this year.

 

[Henry85]

True, MCC is better value for MCG tenant club supporters than others, but you can't compare MCC provisional with AFL Gold. Compare Provisional with Bronze, Restricted with Silver and Full with Gold.
When the time is right, I will be dumping my AFL membership for MCC like a hot potato.
MCC has better bars and other facilities, does not treat its members with disdain, does not push its members out of its best seats for blow in Medallion Club members or club members from interstate clubs, does not sell its members seats to others, generally has reasonable walk up seats, does not have you looking into the sun during a day game, has various other functions, does not let people get away with scalping their seats delaying full membership of others, etc.
AFL membership has 2 things going for it - it is cheaper and you do get Etihad access if you are unfortunate enough to have to go there. And for me at least, AFL seats are closer to Richmond station.

Agree with the better seats getting squeezed out. However once the great southern stand gets redone which will happen within a decade the facilities will match if not exceed the mcc. For me mcc is better if you go to cricket as well otherwise it’s not worth the wait unless you’re put down on the list from birth. In which case you could be getting access as a silver afl member straight away anyway. Afl membership for me is a no brainer


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[Pakenhamsaint]

7th Year for me
2019 - 17364
2023 - 11779

In 5 years I've moved a whole 5,585.

 

[TigerR]

However once the great southern stand gets redone which will happen within a decade the facilities will match if not exceed the mcc

I hope you are right, but I don't trust the AFL to do anything but hand those facilities to the highest bigger, rather than the members who pay year in year out. Let's wait and see.

 

[catters_28]

I haven't received an email and have now been a 14 year member.
I was around 2600 last year, maybe it's worth me giving them a call.

I signed up in 2007 and have been gold since 2019. I'm wondering why you're so far behind if you signed up not long after me? Something's not adding up.

 

[Jen2310]

Can't recall what I was last year but..

4 years - 18843

 

[Vampire013]

Many people did not know about AFL Membership a while ago.
Me, wife and 3 kids have been member for 16 years..
All of us got Gold in 7 years because there were not many in front of us at the time.
Unfortunately it's around 15 year wait list for gold now.
Even with silver it's just as good value.
The only difference really is access to a Grand Final ticket and prelim final price.
Silver is around $200 cheaper though and way better value than a club membership.