A meaningful club is one that has genuine community and social support, it's engaging, the people/media genuinely are invested in the club and it's fortunes, they are followers of the club rather than just token supporters.
All AFL clubs and all Australian Football clubs are community run so they are by your definition meaningful.
I do not see the media reporting as being particularly accurate or meaningful.
The Sydney Swans can have a blockbuster game in Sydney and it will go unreported on the ABC website.
The ABC does not report on any state leagues despite there being more interest in them than many national leagues.