george_on_the_outer

Membership numbers are ALL about sponsorship. Companies who do sponsorship are only interested in the number of eyes that are looking at their product. It costs us nothing to "sell" cheap $1 memberships, as the fixed costs of opening the stadium etc are already covered by everyone else. Membership income in 2025 it was $11.5M down from $12.5 M the previous year. $12.5 in 2023. Sponsorship was $11.2 M, almost the same as 2024. $12.1M in 2023 Membership numbers 59K in 2025, 65K in 2024. , 70K in 2023 So membership down 15%, membership income down 8%, sponsorship down 7.5%.... since 2023. So $$$'s down 15.5% since 2023...about the same as membership numbers. Collingwood doesn't break down their accounts into sponsorship income, it looks like it is called commercial activities. 112K members, $43M from membership and match day, $25M from commercial activities. So double the membership numbers...double the sponsorship, and almost 4 times the membership income! P.S. the membership numbers are shady across the whole AFL. Dogs, cats, $1 memberships, free memberships, kids, membership of AFLW, are all counted

Based on previous years ( see page 1 for membership updates and actual numbers from past years), we will max out at 60,000. Whatever margin we have over the previous year at this point is the same come year end. So we will be about 3k up in total on last year.

All of the above, and NRL doesn't require facilities of any great measure. Just a gym with the biggest weights possible ( when we first moved into AAMI, I was told the AFL players don't use the biggest barbells, but Storm do). If you have ever seen a NRL side train, it is nothing more than a throw the ball around session, which can be done on a basketball court.

Waverley is a better option than the utter backward stuff we have at the moment. Shared facilities with 2 other sporting codes at AAMI, training on a public oval, or 1 hours drive to the outer fringes, where the ovals are great, but the facilities are still below par. And our current arrangements have the admin in broom closets located in multiple locations in the MCG, far away from the football department. So tick for Waverley, as it is superior to what we have at the moment. But it cannot be a long term solution. 1 ground with time and lighting restrictions due to housing build arround it, right up to the edges. The facility is the old grand-stand, it was never designed to house a football club, with gyms, pools and admin sectors. It is cobbled together, and that is why Hawthorn moved out. It is simply not fit for purpose for 2026. It might have been OK 10 years ago. But Hawthorn have had the foresight to realise that and did something. Caulfield better go ahead.

....but not only in Melbourne......the AFL owns Docklands stadium. Just use it for every game in Melbourne. No wind, no rain, with lighting for night games, which makes the game for AFLW so much better to watch and execute. 1 location for broadcasters who don't have to shuffle staff and equipment from Casey, to Victoria Park, to Arden st, to Princes park, Dingley etc. Won't have to open the whole stadium, but until the AFL gets serious about the womens game, rather than blaming them for the lack of attendances rather than themselves, we will continue to see the game fail to attract spectators and interest.

Only guessing, but the Collingwood ground would be used as overflow from the AO, and with Big screens set up, similar to across the road. Collingwood then move to Gosch's for their training sessions.

Salary cap is irrelevant, as has been pointed out. You have to pay certain percentages regardless of circumstances. Our problem is we are not using it to pay footballers to play football, or to pay the current players what they are worth. We will be forced to pay 100% just to pay our actual players, and then the ones who aren't playing for many years to come. Retiring players has next to zero effect, as you bring on new players, and others further down the pecking order seek to get increased salary when they come off the low paid rates. We won't be able to "bank" like St.Kilda did. Or to pay "market rates" to those current footballers who are actually on the field. Those players will then go looking for better offers, when the time comes.

Caroline Wilson writes an article criticising Richmond….

But your opinion is absolutely correct! If we go to Waverley and Caulfield is not locked in, then we wil be stuck with the facilities that were rejected by Hawthorn, because they are not up to the standard required in 2026. Collingwood and TA will move fast to fill the space to their advantage.

Gee, there are some really ordinary players filling up the Casey side. Not going to do much for the development of the AFL listed players, when their "team-mates" cannot execute simple football skills.

Toiyges are live streaming: https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1960887/live-stream-vfl-tigers-face-demons-in-practice-match

https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/afl/afl-news-2026-luker-kentfield-cops-a-knock-melbourne-demons/cmm4gghxx000d0hjphxlatis5

Effectively YES. The gym is shared with Storm, who need it more than we do ( since their game is all about grunt), so we have to book in.

Easy solution, because like Shannon Neale last night, there will be more PCL injuries. The AFL obviously forgot why they altered the rules the last time. Simply move the dividing line in the centre circle 90 degrees..... That way the ruckman go for the tap alongside each other, not crashing into each other, which causes these knee injuries.

The Dutch can do it in 48 hours! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVGRQW1DgbC/