North Melbourne Memberships

[malteaser]

But you see, this in part is actually North Melbourne's actual problem. Sympathy members or members that don't actually live anywhere near Melbourne. They bandy around this 30,000 members figure but really from evidence over the last 3 or 4 years, when their club actually needs supporters to make a stand, they can really only garner about 13,000 supporters that will actually turn up on a semi regular basis, ie their core support.

Now North apologists and supporters will list ad neaseum the excuses why, from coach, to venue, to time of day, etc even one North prominant North poster telling us that North supporters won't rock up to games against interstate teams because there is no "atmosphere" pffft.

So really whilst having a decent supporter base/members in WA and SA (where most of the clubs great players have come from) is all well and good, plus sympathy membership from VFL/Victoria rule the waves types such as H.A.D, it has really not helped.

The excuses have dried up, new coach, new facilities, the whole new nation of South Sudan behind you, the best young list that there has ever been and yet you are still in the financial shit. You are running out of people to blame. Caro and fixturing seem to be about all that is left.

I realise, as a Port supporter, with our current financial woes, this is open to ridicule, and no doubt will be, but it needs to be said. The excuses and whining from anyone to with North Melbourne from the President down is bloody tiresome.

well said.

 

[Gunstall19]

B) we can have 7 Friday night games a year as the home team against the Pies, Ess, Blues, Hawks, Saints, Cats, Rich. Also give us the ANZAC, Dreamtime and Queens Birthday games and only travel interstate 3 or 4 times.

Hawthorn don't get any of that so why should you? We post real profits every year. Why can't you do it? Where are your fans? Stop looking for excuses. For the good of the game you have to go.

 

[brad]

1 billion about to enter the AFL coffers.

A) They can prop us up for the next 100 years

or

B) we can have 7 Friday night games a year as the home team against the Pies, Ess, Blues, Hawks, Saints, Cats, Rich. Also give us the ANZAC, Dreamtime and Queens Birthday games and only travel interstate 3 or 4 times.

A or B?

I don't go to North "Home" games.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Guys honestly, there's kids starving around the world and we're spending our money on a football club that doesn't have the supporter base to survive long term...or at least it seems. I love footy too but let's not overdo this as some genuine tragedy, it's a bunch of blokes in stubby shorts chasing a cow hide. The sky won't fall down with one less Melbourne team.

As harsh as this is, you're spot on. I'd donate to a worthy cause that might help one unfortunate child or donate to cancer research before buying a membership from a club I don't even care about.

The AFL will be worth well over a billion soon, let them fork it out.

 

[arkie]

Everyone in this thread has an economics, business and finance degree!

Smart bunch of folk here!

 

[jacko57]

Hawthorn don't get any of that so why should you? We post real profits every year. Why can't you do it? Where are your fans? Stop looking for excuses. For the good of the game you have to go.

You obviously contribute nothing to society ; no-one is calling for you to be executed.

 

[jacko57]

So you would have no problems telling us your membership number then?

There are plenty of BF trolls who claim to have bought a North membership, but obviously haven't. I really don't think Donk is one of them.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Ummm, Sydney has 4m people all to themselves. False comparison.

In a state where RL is absolutely entrenched in the hearts of many and where Australian Football has been viewed as a ****s game for decades. It wouldn't matter if there were 10 million people in Sydney, it'd just mean more people who love RL more than aussie rules.

Shit argument.

 

[morgoth]

Nice sentiment but not the solution.

From the age article:

They note the money North earned from memberships has fallen in the past two seasons, from $4.65 million in 2009 to $4.41 million last year.

Compare that to the 9,000 legends members at Collingwood who pay $800 a year, generating $7.2m. Its high end membership that matters, on average North are pulling $150 a member. Its too low, either they need more members or they need them to buy higher end packages.

Buying sympathy memberships is a waste of time.

 

[morgoth]

In a state where RL is absolutely entrenched in the hearts of many and where Australian Football has been viewed as a ****s game for decades. It wouldn't matter if there were 10 million people in Sydney, it'd just mean more people who love RL more than aussie rules.

Shit argument.

Yes but if you can get 1% of that 4 million to take up membership, thats 40,000.

Paying to develop a business/brand in an massive market like Sydney makes sense. GWS will take a long, long time but the potential pay off is huge for all stake holders.

North in Victoria has no market to penetrate. They would need a period of sustained success like Hawthorn enjoyed but also have highly marketable players to ensure success was turned to support.

The Vic market is saturated.

 

[Fastback]

Nice sentiment but not the solution.

From the age article:



Compare that to the 9,000 legends members at Collingwood who pay $800 a year, generating $7.2m. Its high end membership that matters, on average North are pulling $150 a member. Its too low, either they need more members or they need them to buy higher end packages.

Buying sympathy memberships is a waste of time.

supply vs less demand and not playing most weeks at the G might have something to with that.

 

[morgoth]

supply vs less demand and not playing most weeks at the G might have something to with that.

Huh? Having a large supporter base and membership has everything to do with it. Its just the way it is.

 

[arkie]

Yes but if you can get 1% of that 4 million to take up membership, thats 40,000.

Paying to develop a business/brand in an massive market like Sydney makes sense. GWS will take a long, long time but the potential pay off is huge for all stake holders.

North in Victoria has no market to penetrate. They would need a period of sustained success like Hawthorn enjoyed but also have highly marketable players to ensure success was turned to support.

The Vic market is saturated.

Will it be saturated forever though considering Melbourne's population boom?

So there might be potential for growth?

 

[morgoth]

Will it be saturated forever though considering Melbourne's population boom?

So there might be potential for growth?

And how are they centered re population growth?

Its why I think the dogs will be OK, they are well positioned to trap the growth corridor out west with Geelong and to a lesser extent Essendon. It will still take a long time and kids will need a reason to engage with the club. School clinics dont do it.

Still it is nothing like the potential of the GWS or GC markets. Its why the AFL overlooked Tassie, its a mature AFL market but not large enough to put big numbers on future TV contracts.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Yes but if you can get 1% of that 4 million to take up membership, thats 40,000.

Yeah, if you can, but you most likely can't. That doesn't make it a failure.

If 0.1% of India's population played aussie rules they might be the most successful AFL team ever seen. If 1% of the United States' population played cricket they might be one of the top 2 test nations in the world.

The thing is that would never happen and the Swans are doing an amazing job in Sydney as it is, no Rugby League side had as many members as the Swans in 2010.

You have to also take into account the relationship between Sydney-siders and sport in general. Melbourne is sport crazy, but Sydney isn't. The Kings are a decent example, first and only NBL team to complete a threepeat and no one gave a ****.

 

[invinciBlues]

Happy to be poor but talent rich like the Roos than rich and talent poor like Essendon. Maybe that is part of the reason you finished 3rd last in 2010 and more than likely again in 2011. Rich does not = success which is unfortuate for a team with lots of money but no talent.

Excellent point. Let me follow it to its logical conclusion: Scrap the salary cap and lets start paying players what they're really worth and by extension relegating north back to "feeder club" status.

You happy with this outcome?

 

[Dont be a lemon]

It would be a travesty if one of the "traditional sides" in North Melbourne we're to go under. I don't know about you, but I would much rather have North Melbourne in the competition, than some AFL franchsie team in another state.

Speak for yourself

 

[Rob]

Will it be saturated forever though considering Melbourne's population boom?

So there might be potential for growth?

That population growth is still split 10 ways. Melbourne's population went up by about 90k in 2009 - those that do start following the game will be split amongst all the clubs in Victoria. Each individual club doesn't stand to benefit much from that, and those that do are likely to be the ones that are already heavily supported.

 

[invinciBlues]

That population growth is still split 10 ways. Melbourne's population went up by about 90k in 2009 - those that do start following the game will be split amongst all the clubs in Victoria. Each individual club doesn't stand to benefit much from that, and those that do are likely to be the ones that are already heavily supported.

Not just that, it'll be heavily weighted towards to the big clubs any way. People tend to follow others' lead.

Migrants come here and want to fit in, they don't want to be pariahs. And how do you "sell" north to them? "Hey, we may not have the same atmosphere at our games as richmond do, but we've got this massive chip on our shoulder and we need you to justify it"?

Too many clubs in Victoria. By now the AFL *should* be a truly national game with one club in every state/territory by now. Its not. Why? Because we must constantly pander to clubs who want everything handed to them on a platter.

And I'll probably cop it with replies of "But what if it was your club on the chopping block"? Newsflash! My club isn't and will never be on the chopping block so the response means nothing to me.

Its either increase the number of clubs, or cull the weaker of the herd.


And we don't have the talent pool required to have any more new additions to the league.

 

[UrLordUnbeliever]

Not just that, it'll be heavily weighted towards to the big clubs any way. People tend to follow others' lead.

Migrants come here and want to fit in, they don't want to be pariahs. And how do you "sell" north to them? "Hey, we may not have the same atmosphere at our games as richmond do, but we've got this massive chip on our shoulder and we need you to justify it"?

Too many clubs in Victoria. By now the AFL *should* be a truly national game with one club in every state/territory by now. Its not. Why? Because we must constantly pander to clubs who want everything handed to them on a platter.

And I'll probably cop it with replies of "But what if it was your club on the chopping block"? Newsflash! My club isn't and will never be on the chopping block so the response means nothing to me.

Its either increase the number of clubs, or cull the weaker of the herd.


And we don't have the talent pool required to have any more new additions to the league.

Exactly. In Victoria these days the location of new fans means nothing to who they support - unless they're in Geelong. And a lot of these migrants are introduced to the game by people who are already fans.. You take along people unfamiliar with the game to see your team play, and encourage them to support your team. That's what I'm doing with my gf for example (she's from the League states) and if things go well her (and maybe her family) will sign on as Essendon members.
I'm not going to introduce new people to the sport and encourage them to support a team I hate, and with everyone doing that, the most popular clubs are going to be converting more people than the smaller clubs.
I also agree that it can't be a truly national game with such a lopsided count of victorian teams / interstate teams, and thusly most of the clubs in the league are there only because they were attached to the VFL, and these clubs are worthy of a place in a state-based league, but haven't grown to be worthy of a place in a national league. And don't look like they'll ever have the support base or financial smarts to do that.

 

[Consumed]

Everyone in this thread has an economics, business and finance degree!

Smart bunch of folk here!

You don't actually need one.
Just run your own business for a while. You'll realise what you need to do to keep your head above water. It's brutal, but it's not rocket science.

Of course you don't get handouts in the real world. If you don't have a viable product, you will go under.

 

[Royal Flush]

You don't actually need one.
Just run your own business for a while. You'll realise what you need to do to keep your head above water. It's brutal, but it's not rocket science.

Of course you don't get handouts in the real world. If you don't have a viable product, you will go under.

Viable Business.

You can have a great product, it's the viability of your overall buisness that counts.

 

[ttamshadbolt]

If your not actually going to use the membership, it may be better to just donate the $180 to North. That way you can claim that cash back on your tax

Thanks for doing it anyway

 

[stickman11]

You don't actually need one.
Just run your own business for a while. You'll realise what you need to do to keep your head above water. It's brutal, but it's not rocket science.

Of course you don't get handouts in the real world. If you don't have a viable product, you will go under.

Like Hawthorn's handout from the Tasmanian government. Bet you that was a backrood deal between Kennett and his polly friends. Never mind the underfunded hospital system.

 

[stickman11]

If I was a migrant, I'd rather support North than Carlton