Members - AFL Official

[ace]

Club Access Members
Collingwood 71,271
Hawthorn 56,224
Adelaide 44,719
Carlton 43,791
West Coast 43,216
Fremantle 42,762
Essendon 42,559
Richmond 40,184
Geelong 39,343
St Kilda 39,276
Melbourne 36,937
Port Adelaide 32,581
Western Bulldogs 29,710
North Melbourne 28,761
Sydney Swans 27,106
Brisbane Lions 20,792
Gold Coast Suns 11,141

Hawthorn gets to count Tasmanian game members as members so their numbers are over inflated..
St Kilda 7th out 10 in Victoria.

[dcstkfc]

Target 45 000= MASSIVE FAIL

[Batnoe]

But another 3000 and we would be 4th in Vic...

The media at the start of the year plus the slow start hasnt helped...

We're not that far from the 3 directly in front of us (Ess, Rich, Geel)

[degruch]

Doggies would/should be nervous...a potential premiership can't get them over 30k! North should have gone North too. If Port can be openly painted as an ALF cot case, what are these two?

[plugger66]

Target 45 000= MASSIVE FAIL

45K was always unrealistic. We are a middle of the road supported club and it always look like we will be. Look how many the Tigers have got and we are only 3k ahead of the Demons. And the Hawks figure is amazing even with the tassy people in those figures. Yes we know it doesnt give the breakdown but still a little disappointing coming off 2 GF's.

[saint66au]

Didnt Essendon brag about 50,000 Members on its banner on Friday night?

[stinger]

Club Access Members
Collingwood 71,271
Hawthorn 56,224
Adelaide 44,719
Carlton 43,791
West Coast 43,216
Fremantle 42,762
Essendon 42,559
Richmond 40,184
Geelong 39,343
St Kilda 39,276
Melbourne 36,937
Port Adelaide 32,581
Western Bulldogs 29,710
North Melbourne 28,761
Sydney Swans 27,106
Brisbane Lions 20,792
Gold Coast Suns 11,141

Hawthorn gets to count Tasmanian game members as members so their numbers are over inflated..
St Kilda 7th out 10 in Victoria.

can't just count the heads for the tassie members......have to divide by two....

[plugger66]

Didnt Essendon brag about 50,000 Members on its banner on Friday night?

It seems they did what the Tigers did and counted either one game or no game memberships which the AFL dont count. We have done that the last 2 years but it seems we may not have this year which is good.

[HSVKing]

Didnt Essendon brag about 50,000 Members on its banner on Friday night?

It seems they did what the Tigers did and counted either one game or no game memberships which the AFL dont count. We have done that the last 2 years but it seems we may not have this year which is good.

Neither should they be counted.

It was like Port Adelaide counting their pet members a few years ago.

[mr six o'clock]

Hawks figures are due to success in 70s - 80s , kids jumping on as supporters , who have now become members , when they become adults . I work with a guy who knows nothing about footy but follows the hawks cos when he emigrated to the country in the 80s they were one of the best teams .
when I played footy as a kid , there was me and 1 other kid who were saints supporters, now when I walk the dog at the local park on footy training night , i am pleased to see the majority of the kids wearing saints guernsey's.
I would like to think that these kids will one day become members !!!!

[Sainternist]

Hawks figures are due to success in 70s - 80s , kids jumping on as supporters , who have now become members , when they become adults . I work with a guy who knows nothing about footy but follows the hawks cos when he emigrated to the country in the 80s they were one of the best teams .
when I played footy as a kid , there was me and 1 other kid who were saints supporters, now when I walk the dog at the local park on footy training night , i am pleased to see the majority of the kids wearing saints guernsey's.
I would like to think that these kids will one day become members !!!!

Yep, I can definitely relate to your story.

Every supported the Bummers or Poos&Wees when I was growing up in the 80's.

Hopefully the kids of today can put their money where their mouths are in their adulthood if they to continue following the Saints.

[saintbrat]

so we know our excuses.........
what are Geelongs?

at least ours went up fractionally.

[plugger66]

Hawks figures are due to success in 70s - 80s , kids jumping on as supporters , who have now become members , when they become adults . I work with a guy who knows nothing about footy but follows the hawks cos when he emigrated to the country in the 80s they were one of the best teams .
when I played footy as a kid , there was me and 1 other kid who were saints supporters, now when I walk the dog at the local park on footy training night , i am pleased to see the majority of the kids wearing saints guernsey's.
I would like to think that these kids will one day become members !!!!

I dont it has much to do with the 70's and 80's. They didnt suddenly join in 2002. It was due to them nearly folding and the hard work of the hawthorn club. Moving to Tassie also helped plus they have really worked their new area out Glen Waverley way.

[Austinnn]

Forgive me for banging a very familiar drum, but this point is something I believe passionately in:

If we supporters are serious about increasing membership, then it is up to us to do something about it, not just sit on our arses and wait for the club to do it all.

We have to create a proud supporter culture that outsiders want to buy into and marginals get more involved in.

Why would a person become a member of a football club? What does it mean to be a member, rather than just go to the games? Do people really give a stuff about the 2nd rate merch that you get with your membership card? Or the external sponsor-related benefits?

IMO, the people that matter most to St Kilda Football Club right now, the people who have the potential to change our history for the better, are the folks sat in the membership sections of our home and away games. They are the people who can create a movement, be something that others want to be.

How? I would say the way to create this infectious fan movement is by being a strong unified vibrant presence at the ground. That means standing/sitting together, singing home-made songs, making impressive banners, holding up your scarves, representing your club with pride and being inherently positive, win or lose.

It means a bit (not too much) of organisation, which is half done for us now that the internet and fan forums exist, and it takes cooperation, it means stop bickering like children, forget your grudges and stand together as Saints. It means actually doing something, not just typing in Saintsational or BigFooty. It means truly investing in the club. Not necessarily money, but effort.

If our actions in the stands can get attention, we will not only create a culture that people want to be part of, we will also create a favourable atmostphere at games that makes the difference between a flat team and and a fired up team, the difference between winning and losing. If players don't respond to this increased support, their position will be under threat. Players and coaches get inspired by supporters too. If we create a wall of noise and scarves and the players and coaches and staff see that, they will lift their game, either through inspiration or fear. Faced with an army of support, they would want to do their best because they know what happens when you disappoint support like that. So then the standard of play will increase, our results will improve and we will get more bandwagon members as well. This is the way that our actions RIGHT NOW can have a double positive effect on the club's membership.

The club? They players and coaches? The professionals? They are all waiting for us to lift our game, to join them in the modern era. They've created a consisitently strong team, a new home, They've made memberships possible for $75, they can't do more for us. It hasn't been faultless, but things never are. They've made the effort. What have we done? Fan forums and blogs aren't enough. We have to become an army of supporters that outsiders are weary of, not aggressive or idiotic like the Pies or the Crows, but positive, powerful, inspiring. Our history isn't, our song isn't (though I love them both), but our colours are the strongest - hands down - in the league. We have a soul, we have humour, we have the building blocks for a great modern AFL crowd. The song has potential - we need to make it slower, less jolly, more menacing. We need to create other songs, about players, about the coach, about Club legends. We don't need to be Lennon & McCartney, just pinch a tune that everyone knows and put some easy-to-learn/sing lyrics on it, post it on Saintsational, get a consensus and sing it with pride. If we do it right, others will join in. If you see any Saints sitting alone or looking glum, engage them, not in a freaky Born-Again Christian way, just in comradeship, let them know they're not alone and they're part of something great. Don't fracture, just like Leigh Montagna said last year (and if they can stick fat after the pre-season they had, surely a few of us niggly posters here can bury our differences and remember why they are here), be unified at the grounds especially. Don't just rock up, sit on your erse drinking crap expensive beer and eating pies, get things happening. Don't get derailed by smartarse opposition supporters who want St Kilda to go back to the bad old days. Sing louder, laugh louder, hold your colours longer, higher. If we can BE that 23rd Man, that 6-Goal Wind, we can complete the transformation of St Kilda football Club into a true powerhouse.

Don't wait for the club to do it. It absolutely must NOT be official. It MUST be grass-roots and authentic. Don't focus on the organisation, no official titles or groups. Put the focus on participation and inclusion. Convince people that they want to participate by enjoying it yourself. Win or lose, go to that game and have fun. If we win, don't carry on like we've won the GF, there will be more games, (unless it is the GF!). If we lose, don't tear up your membership card, there will be other games. Don't moan about umpires, or AFL bias or whatever. Represent St Kilda with respect, don't be that idiot in the paper or that tosser in the crowd, don't let the club down with your behaviour. Don't be desperate. Be something that other people want to be. That is how WE can make our club great.

[Toy Saint]

Well said Austinn, a very impressive French Letter

[Austinnn]

Well said Austinn, a very impressive French Letter

[saintspremiers]

Disagree Mr Powers, I reckon it needs to come from the club.

Where is The Fly? We need a Saints personality to drive the club marketing wise, give it back it's soul.

A Saints home game feels very generic, no connection.

Our Facebook page is ok, but could be better if slightly more edgy perhaps not banal as it often is.

The club needs to stay in touch with the 15 to 30 yr olds that can turn away from buying memberships quickly once they buy a house/have kids etc etc, this is the market we have to not churn.

Oh, and to improve the average number of goals per game above 10 would help also

[bigred]

You win only one game out of the first two months of the season and your membership is always, ALWAYS going to suffer.

Full Stop.


The end.

[Thinline]

You win only one game out of the first two months of the season and your membership is always, ALWAYS going to suffer.

Full Stop.


The end.

Maybe we just don't have that many latent fans.

[The OtherThommo]

The 2 numbers that matter are revenue per member and total revenue from members. Just quoting numbers of members allows the fog of membership deals to hide the financial impact.

[Moods]

I can speak from experience as a bloke who loves his footy but formerly supported a different club - until they went under

I wanted to be part of the club. Not so that I could go to club functions, or meet players, (that's never been my go) I wanted to be a member of a Victorian Club. A club that NEEDED my support, a club that when they finally succeeded I could be proudly say, I contributed to their success in a very tiny way. Supporting a club in the past that had a poor fan base, I wanted to be part of a group of passionate fans who flocked to games in numbers, and when I roared for that team it felt like I had at least half the stadium roaring with me, rather than the cheer squad and a couple of nanny's on the fence clapping politely. My fondest memories of supporting the Roys was sitting in The Kevin Murray Stand at The Junction Oval and yelling as a collective for our team. I recall going to Moorabbin and watching the Roys play the saints. I was always fascinated with the saints supporters. they always seemed as passionate as any supporter group we played against. They roared for blood whenever their team got a sniff and that big stand around the inner looked like it would collapse once they got on a roll. I hated them, but I actually loved them.... Wishing that my nomadic team's supporters could rustle up that enthusiasm. By the end of the 80's they were shunted off to various places and we were made fully aware at whatever ground we were at that this wasn't our home ground really, ie princes park, Vic park, western oval.


My point - the supporter group does play a role in my opinion. Get to games and roar for your team, create excitement, don't just politely clap. People go to the footy b/c they want to get involved, to lap up the atmosphere. We all hate the pies, but I'll say this about them - they never die wondering. I reckon saints supporters have lost this passion somewhat since about 2006. They have almost got used to success, and find it hard to get excited. The last game I can say that saints fans were truly up and about was Rd 14 2009. Let's generate that excitement, so that when neutral friends and family go with you to the footy they say, 'I want to be part of that...'

[saintbrat]

Great points moods

ps
did you see the story on Kevin Murray tonight on the news- Lost his home in Flowerdale and is living in a hall ans washing in a creek.

he almost comes across as a flower child of a diffeant era ( and not because he is living in a hall.- walks to a differant step to most ex footballers.

[Austinnn]

Disagree Mr Powers, I reckon it needs to come from the club.

Where is The Fly? We need a Saints personality to drive the club marketing wise, give it back it's soul.

A Saints home game feels very generic, no connection.

Our Facebook page is ok, but could be better if slightly more edgy perhaps not banal as it often is.

The club needs to stay in touch with the 15 to 30 yr olds that can turn away from buying memberships quickly once they buy a house/have kids etc etc, this is the market we have to not churn.

Oh, and to improve the average number of goals per game above 10 would help also

I respect your opinion, and agree with you about the poor marketing, but I absolutely disagree that we should wait for the club, and furthermore I think it's almost reckless to do so.

It pains me to say it but one of the reasons Collingwood is so powerful is because of their support. They have an army of thick-skinned no-necked die-hards who convince people like Eddie and Malthouse and Ball to get involved. Think of how weary people are when they have to go to AAMI park in Adelaide. If the club create it, it will be diluted by corporate rubbish.

It must be pure and real and it must come from us. Furthermore, we as fans can't have any real say in team selection, or coaching strategy. This is one area where we have REAL power, and it's such a vital element of any club that it's almost worth forgetting about essentially useless discussions about teamsheets and players and just focussing on what we as supporters can actually achieve.

We have the potential to get to the top if we stop waiting for others to carry us there.

[Thinline]

I can speak from experience as a bloke who loves his footy but formerly supported a different club - until they went under

I wanted to be part of the club. Not so that I could go to club functions, or meet players, (that's never been my go) I wanted to be a member of a Victorian Club. A club that NEEDED my support, a club that when they finally succeeded I could be proudly say, I contributed to their success in a very tiny way. Supporting a club in the past that had a poor fan base, I wanted to be part of a group of passionate fans who flocked to games in numbers, and when I roared for that team it felt like I had at least half the stadium roaring with me, rather than the cheer squad and a couple of nanny's on the fence clapping politely. My fondest memories of supporting the Roys was sitting in The Kevin Murray Stand at The Junction Oval and yelling as a collective for our team. I recall going to Moorabbin and watching the Roys play the saints. I was always fascinated with the saints supporters. they always seemed as passionate as any supporter group we played against. They roared for blood whenever their team got a sniff and that big stand around the inner looked like it would collapse once they got on a roll. I hated them, but I actually loved them.... Wishing that my nomadic team's supporters could rustle up that enthusiasm. By the end of the 80's they were shunted off to various places and we were made fully aware at whatever ground we were at that this wasn't our home ground really, ie princes park, Vic park, western oval.


My point - the supporter group does play a role in my opinion. Get to games and roar for your team, create excitement, don't just politely clap. People go to the footy b/c they want to get involved, to lap up the atmosphere. We all hate the pies, but I'll say this about them - they never die wondering. I reckon saints supporters have lost this passion somewhat since about 2006. They have almost got used to success, and find it hard to get excited. The last game I can say that saints fans were truly up and about was Rd 14 2009. Let's generate that excitement, so that when neutral friends and family go with you to the footy they say, 'I want to be part of that...'

Must confess from afar and thru the telly speakers on Saturday night I reckon I heard a bit of THAT roar again....