Melbourne has set a bold target of reaching 70,000 members in 2019.

Chief executive Gary Pert laid down the challenge to Dees supporters in a one-on-one interview with foxfooty.com.au, declaring the ambition is achievable if performances remain strong.

We've signed up the wifey this year as a first year member (after the finals excitement last year, including the GF guarantee helped get her over the line). 69,997 to go!

 

can't see it happening

55-60k would be a great outcome and could move us past Carlton

I would be wrapped if we made it to 70,000. So far, I am working on converting two long-time barrackers into ‘supporters’. I now might have a crack at another two! ?

The headline is a tad misleading.  Pert says “We’d like to be approaching towards 60,000 members this year and if we are performing well we want to see it tick towards and up near 70,000,”

Well, Pert has put in the resources to help make it happen:  " It’s understood Melbourne has hired five new faces in its membership department in recent months in a bid to sign new members and re-sign lapsed ones". With that investment 60,000 is doable.

For those that follow the 2019 Membership thread we are excited if we click over 50,000.  60,000 would be sensational.  70,000 - the stuff of dreams.

Hope Pert can pull it off.  How good would it be to be thought of as a Big Melbourne club ala Pies, Carlton, Rich, Ess and Hawks.  (Carlton aren't deserving of the label by the way). 

Edited March 8, 20196 yr by Lucifer's Hero

well lets hope they update the tally figure on the web site more frequently

Both us and the Dogs had 35k members is 2015.

The Dogs won the flag in 16 and had 47k in 2017 that dropped back to 43k last year. That tells me they didn't really have a big latent fan base available to scale up.

The Tigers won a flag and went from 70k to 100k.

I'd hope we turn 44k in to 50k, but unless they are doing wonderful work or finding some other way to fudge the numbers I think 60k might require and premiership and 70k is a pipe dream.

 

We would need a couple of Flags in a row, and offer a $10 option for dual MCC/MFC membership to make 70k within 2 years.

Its probably unrealistic to expect a 50% increase in membership that quickly. Thats one of his jobs though. Talk it up and you never know. This goal would need the team to perform better than last year more than anything. A major announcement on a home base and social club would also help.

Doesnt hurt to dream.

 

22 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The headline is a tad misleading.  Pert says “We’d like to be approaching towards 60,000 members this year and if we are performing well we want to see it tick towards and up near 70,000,”

Well, Pert has put in the resources to help make it happen:  " It’s understood Melbourne has hired five new faces in its membership department in recent months in a bid to sign new members and re-sign lapsed ones". With that investment 60,000 is doable.

For those that follow the 2019 Membership thread we are excited if we click over 50,000.  60,000 would be sensational.  70,000 - the stuff of dreams.

Hope Pert can pull it off.  How good would it be to be thought of as a Big Melbourne club ala Pies, Carlton, Rich, Ess and Hawks.  (Carlton aren't deserving of the label by the way). 

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces"? They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

Edited March 8, 20196 yr by La Dee-vina Comedia
Fixed a crime against punctuation

5 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces". They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

Thankfully, I didn't write that!  Direct quote (hence itallics) form: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/melbourne-has-set-a-bold-target-for-2019/news-story/3b0549358694f0a908f9f668b9458a32

I enjoy posters, of which you are one, who use English correctly - such a shame that journo's can't!

Edited March 8, 20196 yr by Lucifer's Hero

Not only just the number, but the type of membership is critical. A three game membership costs much less than a Trident or Redleg

52 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Melbourne has set a bold target of reaching 70,000 members in 2019.

Chief executive Gary Pert laid down the challenge to Dees supporters in a one-on-one interview with foxfooty.com.au, declaring the ambition is achievable if performances remain strong.

Now we are talking. We must aim to be a big club, not dream it

good stuff Gary

i have been hoping for this attitude for years

The Footy Dept have got to get on field results..

Go Demons...

32 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Both us and the Dogs had 35k members is 2015.

The Dogs won the flag in 16 and had 47k in 2017 that dropped back to 43k last year. That tells me they didn't really have a big latent fan base available to scale up.

The Tigers won a flag and went from 70k to 100k.

I'd hope we turn 44k in to 50k, but unless they are doing wonderful work or finding some other way to fudge the numbers I think 60k might require and premiership and 70k is a pipe dream.

 

You are not factoring in the massive population growth of Melbourne and Victoria

We can grow our supporter base with solid onfield performances. 

I want to see more kids in a Melbourne Jumper as well as Financial MCC Members

46 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces"? They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

agh,  2  B normal,  'LDvC'. ?

I....can’t see it

In terms of supporter base we have one of the smallest in the AFL 

To double membership base from 35k to 70k in the space of four years (2015-19) is unlikely and in some respects I fear Pert is setting himself - and the club, by extension - to fail

I compiled the table of historical membership numbers on the membership thread and I follow it each year for trends. To me the membership numbers are the best gauge of the Club's health. On the current membership growth rate compared to other years on the table we are heading towards just under or just over 50,000. 

We had a pre Christmas jump of about 4000 compared to last year but since then it is increasing at about the same rate. For some reason most of the membership growth year on year seems to happen pre Christmas not around round 1 which is what I would have expected. 

The Club will have to do something very different to previous years to make a 15,000 to 20,000 jump on last year which would represent a 24% at 60,000 to 35% increase at 70,000. So far the numbers show about an 8% growth which is well ahead of the past few years which is around 5-6% increase. 

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

I'd hope we turn 44k in to 50k, but unless they are doing wonderful work or finding some other way to fudge the numbers I think 60k might require and premiership and 70k is a pipe dream.

 

 

10 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

I....can’t see it

In terms of supporter base we have one of the smallest in the AFL 

To double membership base from 35k to 70k in the space of four years (2015-19) is unlikely and in some respects I fear Pert is setting himself - and the club, by extension - to fail

People laughed at Gale when he targeted 75k membership and premierships.

Who's laughing now.

Dream big, but also do the work required to make it a reality.

Happy to see us not content to remain a small club, we were once big and can be again....

34 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

I....can’t see it

In terms of supporter base we have one of the smallest in the AFL 

To double membership base from 35k to 70k in the space of four years (2015-19) is unlikely and in some respects I fear Pert is setting himself - and the club, by extension - to fail

Failure is not an option. 

It was. But not anymore

To fail is completely unacceptable, you work hard then harder to achieve the goal. 

So Perts getting paid a fortune for delusional comments like this

Fair dinkum, let’s try and get 50k for the first time

Bring back PJ

4 minutes ago, Billy said:

So Perts getting paid a fortune for delusional comments like this

Fair dinkum, let’s try and get 50k for the first time

Bring back PJ

is your name Billy Or Silly, the latter appears more appropriate.

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces"? They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

What have we here? A grammar Nazi, (with apologies to Seinfeld). Wrong on more than one count unfortunately Dee-Vina. People in glass houses etc. 

Firstly, 'crimes against English' might be understood as the UK having to front at the war crimes tribunal. I'm sure you meant to write' the English language'. Benefit of the doubt.

"Completely unnecessary' ...'completely' is redundant. Look it up in your Funk and Wagnells.

Your punctuation is an absolute mess. A question mark indicates the end of any sentence and requires a capital letter to follow. And a full stop is the customary way to finish any sentence or post.

Next time you apply for a job I'll be happy to review your resume.

35 minutes ago, rjay said:

 

People laughed at Gale when he targeted 75k membership and premierships.

Who's laughing now.

Dream big, but also do the work required to make it a reality.

Happy to see us not content to remain a small club, we were once big and can be again....

Happy to target premierships and growth, I'm just not sure where the numbers will come from. There was a huge base of latent Tiger supporters, the children of the people who were there in the 60's, 70's and 1980. As well as a boost from Tasmania the Hawks dominated the outer east to grow with success for decades.

The MFC was powerful but was it ever big? I'd love to be wrong and get 60k and be well on the way to 70+ but in the mean time let's get over 50k this year which will be a huge step then go for a flag!

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces"? They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

Write to deadline and word-count and 'it's understood' is a valuable journalistic loophole.

Although the available resources and second-hand reports suggest that Melbourne have hired or intend to hire five new people in its membership department, it can't yet be confirmed if there are already five new people employed or if one of the positions is still being interviewed for. Further, one of the new people shares a name with an employee who has previously worked in the club canteen, and as such may be an internally transferred employee rather than new one. The Melbourne Football has not replied to a request for comment.

In our heyday our crowds were boosted by the MCG affect.

Every opposition supporter looked forward to a day of relative comfort at the MCG by comparison to standing on the terraces at their local ground. It was also the day that the family came along with the traditional male supporter.

As our tenancy became less exclusive so went the competitive advantage at the same time we absolutely stank on the field. The perfect storm.

We have a very long way back.

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two crimes against English here. "It's understood" is completely unnecessary and who describes people as "faces"? They don't have bodies? minds? souls? Ugh

Its pure speculation that the faces have bodies, i call fake news