2010 Membership Thread

[agent_orange 0]

Pies on track to smash record

an excerpt from this article

Current club membership figures

Club .................Current figure(as of Feb 1).This time last year ...2009 total (as of June 30)

Adelaide .....................N/A............//................... N/A....................... 46,472

Brisbane Lions .........18,572 .............................17,286........//......... 24,873

Carlton ......................22,889 .............................22,272...../.............42,408

Collingwood...............41,762............................. 26,978 ..................45,954

Essendon ..................29,289 ............................. N/........................39,206

Geelong.....................25,233 ............................. 24,077..................37,160

Hawthorn.................. 40,661............................. 32,269*.................52,496

Melbourne ................20,797 ............................. 19,598..................31,508

North Melbourne ......14,309 ............................. 13,309 ..................28,340

Port Adelaide ...........18,682 ............................. 17,552..................30,605

Richmond .................20,810 ............................. 23,500*................ 36,981

St Kilda......................26,054............................. 17,852 ..................31,906

Sydney Swans...........19,659............................. 19,750*................ 26,269

West Coast ..................N/A ............................. ....N/A....................43,927

Western Bulldogs......21,9211............................ 17,636................. 28,215

*Approximate figures only

Some clubs obviously fairing better than others. Is interesting to note the increase of Pups...dont underestimate the pulling power of players. Hall etc. Geez North are struggling but still better than last year, I wonder how that will pan out as they slide ( and they will ).. Richmond look to be in for a filthy year on and OFF the field.

Dees are 21,448

Slowed a fair bit.

[beelzebub 23,382]

Undoubtedly more will join as the NAB starts . I presume MFC will have the opportunity to sign up members at all these events. And then of course as the season proper starts..theres are those that wait for that first game. ( god knows why)...then there are the fence sitters who may fal leither way depending upon the outcome of those first handful of games.

I really wouldnt want to be at Richmond and counting on membership revenue this year. No hype ( ala Cuz ) limited aspirations..looking at the 2010 spoon. We all know how that hurts !!

[Whispering_Jack 30,605]

Some clubs obviously fairing better than others. Is interesting to note the increase of Pups...dont underestimate the pulling power of players. Hall etc. Geez North are struggling but still better than last year, I wonder how that will pan out as they slide ( and they will ).. Richmond look to be in for a filthy year on and OFF the field.

Some clubs are more advanced in their marketing than others and a few have already had their first intra club games and radio promotions. Carlton's figures are remarkably low which might reflect low expectations or the fact that their fans are disillusioned by the events of the last 6 months.

[beelzebub 23,382]

Some clubs are more advanced in their marketing than others and a few have already had their first intra club games and radio promotions. Carlton's figures are remarkably low which might reflect low expectations or the fact that their fans are disillusioned by the events of the last 6 months.

I think many just took a whiff of what they were cooking !!! and ran ...............................:lol:

[H_T 3,049]

Dees are 21,448

Slowed a fair bit.

It does seem to have slowed a little. However as WJ has said some clubs have played intraclub matches and will open with NAB Cup matches this week. In the next fortnight I think we'll see a somewhat small surge. It's just unfortunate our first NAB Cup match is in Perth. If we can beat Freo, surely the next will be in Melbourne against Geel or North. It will also be a good opportunity for the club to promote and sell memberships and for supporters to see them play at home.

[AndrewD 0]

Some clubs are more advanced in their marketing than others

You also can't expect the marketing surge we've undertaken in the last year or so to bear all of its fruit now. We might want it to but that's unrealistic. What we've seen to date, with 21K members signing up, is what we should have always been getting every year with our committed supporters. That's Stage 1. Stage 2 is getting the less committed to join up and Stage 3 is to bring in new supporters.

While I'll be disappointed if we don't break all records this year I will, at least, be comforted in knowing that our marketing department is on the right track.

Ultimately, I'll be happy when I see that the club has worked/is working to change people's perception of membership as being a seasonal thing to an annual event. That might seem minor but it really is a huge shift in attitude and behaviour - by the supporters and the club.

[1858 285]

When all the clubs do their membership drives on TFS have there historically been any significant gains there?

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

Membership numbers are currently at 27,595. I would suggest, after our initial momentum and the opportunity to kick it along at the "G for our first and home game of the season, this is a disappointing result.

As I said on another thread, whether people agree with the heat being put on DB or not, we compete in a very tough business. DB, given our membership numbers currently and the performances thus far in 2010, surely you can appreciate that every proud and passionate Melbourne supporter has an inherent right to put the the acid on you. Anything less would not be suitable.

Our future membership base depends on it.

[45HG 1,559]

This is last year's membership thread for people to refer to.

On this date last year our membership tally was 27,128.

[Deeoldfart 8,061]

This is last year's membership thread for people to refer to.

On this date last year our membership tally was 27,128.

Thanks 45. So at this point our membership is a few hundred up on the same time last year. Not too bad given our spate of injuries to key (both good and attractive to watch) players and disappointing form. I'd say we are currently on track to achieve our target of 31k, but we could easily fall behind with a few repeat performances like last Saturday.

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

Thanks 45. So at this point our membership is a few hundred up on the same time last year. Not too bad given our spate of injuries to key (both good and attractive to watch) players and disappointing form. I'd say we are currently on track to achieve our target of 31k, but we could easily fall behind with a few repeat performances like last Saturday.

I would suggest we are on very thin ice, in term of the business model and if we have too many repeat performances, as last Saturday, the affect on Membership would not be sustainable.

[Inner Demon 1]

To still be ahead of the 2009 numbers despite the horrifying start to the year is very encouraging.

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

To still be ahead of the 2009 numbers despite the horrifying start to the year is very encouraging.

I disagree. The increase is marginal and I would think, given the hype of priority and first draft picks, the slight increase would have had to come naturally. Memberships, at this point in our building phase, need to be optimised, not simply maintaining the status quo. My point, after our "horrifying start, all the good work done off the field can quickly unravel, if we keep putting in performances like that. Simply a business reality.

[Inner Demon 1]

You disagree that despite losing all pre-season games and being humiliated in Rnd 1 in front of 45K that it is encouraging there are more members signed up than at the same point last year????

It's discouraging that something that by all rights should be going backwards is in fact improving???

Well I'll be....

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

You disagree that despite losing all pre-season games and being humiliated in Rnd 1 in front of 45K that it is encouraging there are more members signed up than at the same point last year????

It's discouraging that something that by all rights should be going backwards is in fact improving???

Well I'll be....

If you rejoice in that then you are easily pleased. But again, I will make my my main point, if this continues, we will go backwards, against the relative growth of most of our competitors. Whether we like it or not, we are in a business environment and a bloody competitive one at that.

[Inner Demon 1]

I'm not rejoicing in our membership numbers. I didn't say that this is cause for great celebration because we have broken the back of all our problems and reached the promised land.

I said it is encouraging.

You must learn not to think in extremes only.

And this improvement, albeit slight, is still improvement and has occured despite the prognostications of doom by many that after a winless pre-season we could not possibly repeat our record membership levels of last year. Here we are, in a near worst-case scenario following Rnd 1 yet we are ahead of record pace.

As for looking at membership as a competitive market place. We are not competing for members with the other 15 clubs. Our potential members are not currently weighing up their choice between a Hawthorn, Collingwood or Melbourne membership.

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

I'm not rejoicing in our membership numbers. I didn't say that this is cause for great celebration because we have broken the back of all our problems and reached the promised land.

I said it is encouraging.

You must learn not to think in extremes only.

And this improvement, albeit slight, is still improvement and has occured despite the prognostications of doom by many that after a winless pre-season we could not possibly repeat our record membership levels of last year. Here we are, in a near worst-case scenario following Rnd 1 yet we are ahead of record pace.

As for looking at membership as a competitive market place. We are not competing for members with the other 15 clubs. Our potential members are not currently weighing up their choice between a Hawthorn, Collingwood or Melbourne membership.

No, but kids may well be - the future. Look at this way. Our first Saturday "home" game for ages, weather fine, no real shot fired in anger at that point, membership marquees set up all over the place and as as you say, a crowd of 45K, our top 2 draft picks making their debut and the best we can manage is less than a thousand sign ups. At that stage, we were thought of a realistic chance of pinching a win. I would think the club had budgeted for a better result than that, given the circumstances, before the first bounce. I am not looking at "extremes" I am looking at the cold, hard facts and we cannot simply accept future performances like that of last Saturday, if we want to optimise our membership base. I am not "encouraged" by that result at all.

[Sir Why You Little 37,121]

No, but kids may well be - the future. Look at this way. Our first Saturday "home" game for ages, weather fine, no real shot fired in anger at that point, membership marquees set up all over the place and as as you say, a crowd of 45K, our top 2 draft picks making their debut and the best we can manage is less than a thousand sign ups. At that stage, we were thought of a realistic chance of pinching a win. I would think the club had budgeted for a better result than that, given the circumstances, before the first bounce. I am not looking at "extremes" I am looking at the cold, hard facts and we cannot simply accept future performances like that of last Saturday, if we want to optimise our membership base. I am not "encouraged" by that result at all.

Did we only sign up around 1,000 Members last Saturday Before The Bounce? With all that Hype & Promise. That is not a good Result.

Should have at least doubled that. This Club needs 2-3 wins very badly. Promises of the Future only go so far-and the bills have to be paid so we can make it to the Future.

[45HG 1,559]

Correct me if I am wrong, but we budgeted for 31,000 members. We will get that. Far out, a few people here need to take a few days off from footy.

[melbournefc18 4]

Anyone know what our tally was at this time last year?

[45HG 1,559]

We had 28,174 members on this date last year.

28,099 today. Possibly the first time we've been behind in the membership comparison this campaign.

Some benchmarks from last year (some of the dates are a few days off because people often posted the tracker which his moved onto the debt demolition):

March 16: 24,200

March 23: 25,006

March 30: 27,128 27,595 (+467)

April 6: 28,174 28,099 (-75)

April 13: 28,601

April 20: 29,035

April 27: 29,815

April 29: 30,000

May 4: 30,275

May 11: 30,479

May 18: 30,630

May 25: 30,855

June 1: 31,000

June 8: 31,094

June 15: 31,294

July 1 (finale): 31,508

Edited April 6, 2010 by 45HG16

[jayceebee31 761]

It's on again. What's your prediction. Furthest from the pin buys a Demon's Heartland Membership.

I'm going with 33,897

Still a bloody long way to go -just went over 28 k.

[Felix 92]

hopefully a win this weekend will have some people renew their memberships.

[pringle 42]

Massive weekend this round in terms of membership. Many people buy their membership at early home games. Round one (and an appalling 2nd straight year of NO pre-season wins) probably hurt us in terms of fans who will only get on the bandwagon if the going is good. Could have cost us 500+ members in the last week (if not more). But this Sunday's pre-game sales and then the subsequent performance out on the field will have a BIIIIGGGG say in whether we get over 31K this year. A win this week and next (we really SHOULD beat Richmond) could see us top 32K. But an insipid performance this week coupled with a loss to Richmond could leave us struggling to break even. That's how footy is. Look at Hawthorn. Peopple want to back successful teams. Two years in a row our membership has grown despite horrific on-field performances due only to good will. But people eventually get sick of perennial losers.

We could have said this before round 1, but NOW more than EVER, our performance is VITAL to our membership numbers this year (and beyond).

[Inner Demon 1]

We did actually have a pre-season win last year.

So it's more like an appalling first straight year of NO pre-season wins.