Western Bulldogs Membership 2018 - Operation 50,000

[bornadog]

I've just pulled some numbers.

Our membership has only dropped off twice in the 2000's. Once was in 2000, itself, when we dipped 12% from 1999. We had a second dip in 2004 of 9%. Our biggest increase was 2017 when a premiership brought a 19% increase.

Compare this to St Kilda, who dropped a whopping 20% between 2001 & 02. They then increased an incredible 34% in 2003 and followed it up with another 29% increase the following year... now THAT's fickle!

We've increased our membership by 412% since 1992. Richmond have managed 791%, Essendon 575%, Norf 563%, Swans 1,848%...

I am looking at pure numbers not percentages. We should have a membership base of at least 50k plus, but we will struggle to match last year. I hope I am wrong.

[Eastdog]

Time will tell. There might be a surge at some point and that could accelerate it and give us a chance for 50K.

[GVGjr]

Not really Eastie, down on last year or around about the same. If we are going to hit 50k, we need to be rending up.

It all depends on how we start the season and we will sway anyone sitting on the fence.
To me 45K plus is a good outcome. If it takes until 2019 to hit the 50K mark then that is OK with me but obviously I'd like to see that happen this year. Match attendances are the better measure.

[Webby]

I am looking at pure numbers not percentages. We should have a membership base of at least 50k plus, but we will struggle to match last year. I hope I am wrong.

But I just don't quite get what you base your numbers on. Is it simply a gut feel?
We only cracked the 40k barrier for the first time last year, and we nudged 48k with a 22% membership surge on the back of a flag.

St Kilda and Melbourne also cracked 40k for the first time, whilst all three of us went past Norf - who dropped close to 5k. Go back 30 years to 1987 and you'll see that we had 3,452 members, Norf 3,430, Dees 3,122 & Aints 3,924. You could always have thrown a blanket over those four clubs. Nothing has changed. Then, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon had between 8,200 and 9,500 between them in '87.

So, let's say roughly 3.5k average for us and our peers back then and about 8.8k average for the big three.

Fast forward to today, and you'd call it about 43k average for our group and a 74k average for the big three (who are now Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond.)

If anything, the smaller clubs have bridged the proportional gap to the bigger clubs. 30 years ago we had about 40% of the membership levels of the biggest clubs, whilst today it's about 60%.

But if these figures prove anything, we've never had big numbers, we've slightly outperformed our peers, we're not that big, we're not fickle, and our supporters aren't hiding anywhere.

[bornadog]

Webby, mine is a gut feel based on the number of people that attended the grandfinal parade. The unofficial attendance was something like 180,000 (according to the Lord Major), from what I could see, RWB dominated the day. Where are these people?

[Webby]

Webby, mine is a gut feel based on the number of people that attended the grandfinal parade. The unofficial attendance was something like 180,000 (according to the Lord Major), from what I could see, RWB dominated the day. Where are these people?

Absolutely every non-Swans supporter in the game was a Dogs fan for a week in 2016. I know of a couple of Hawthorn fans who actually bought and dressed in Bulldogs polos and hats for the GF. I kid you not.

Also, a lot of emigrated Dogs fans flew in from overseas and interstate. We've always hovered between 7th and 11th in Vic for membership and attendance numbers. Mostly between 9th & 11th.

It's nothing be be ashamed of. We're simply a smaller (albeit growing) club. I'm wary of this kind of frustrated self-loathing about us not being bigger. Although I admire the care and ambition, it's akin to a short guy hanging upside down in ankle stirrups, cursing himself for not being taller.

Our supporter base is what it is. Keep working hard as a club and performing on field and the opportunity to grow is there. It took Hawthorn 35 years of consistent success for them to make their way from the "small three" and into the "big three."

We've hopefully just begun.

[Twodogs]

Absolutely every non-Swans supporter in the game was a Dogs fan for a week in 2016. I know of a couple of Hawthorn fans who actually bought and dressed in Bulldogs polos and hats for the GF. I kid you not.

Also, a lot of emigrated Dogs fans flew in from overseas and interstate. We've always hovered between 7th and 11th in Vic for membership and attendance numbers. Mostly between 9th & 11th.

It's nothing be be ashamed of. We're simply a smaller (albeit growing) club. I'm wary of this kind of frustrated self-loathing about us not being bigger. Although I admire the care and ambition, it's akin to a short guy hanging upside down in ankle stirrups, cursing himself for not being taller.

Our supporter base is what it is. Keep working hard as a club and performing on field and the opportunity to grow is there. It took Hawthorn 35 years of consistent success for them to make their way from the "small three" and into the "big three."

We've hopefully just begun.

And even then it took a near death experience for them to start taking things seriously and organise themselves as a well organised, professional sporting club.

[bornadog]

Absolutely every non-Swans supporter in the game was a Dogs fan for a week in 2016. I know of a couple of Hawthorn fans who actually bought and dressed in Bulldogs polos and hats for the GF. I kid you not.

Also, a lot of emigrated Dogs fans flew in from overseas and interstate. We've always hovered between 7th and 11th in Vic for membership and attendance numbers. Mostly between 9th & 11th.

It's nothing be be ashamed of. We're simply a smaller (albeit growing) club. I'm wary of this kind of frustrated self-loathing about us not being bigger. Although I admire the care and ambition, it's akin to a short guy hanging upside down in ankle stirrups, cursing himself for not being taller.

Our supporter base is what it is. Keep working hard as a club and performing on field and the opportunity to grow is there. It took Hawthorn 35 years of consistent success for them to make their way from the "small three" and into the "big three."

We've hopefully just begun.

I am happy to be a small boutique club, but just find supporters frustrating, especially when you hear " well let's see how they go before I buy a membership".

Richmond are already sitting on 70,000 and will probably hit 90k this year. All I want is 50k before the season starts, but that won't happen.

PS: I could never wear the colours of another club. I remember my Hawks mate got tickets to one of their prelims a few years ago, and his daughter brought an extra scarf for me. I refused to wear it.

[Webby]

And even then it took a near death experience for them to start taking things seriously and organise themselves as a well organised, professional sporting club.

Yep, I think the biggest ever year-on-year jump in membership numbers was Hawthorn from 1996 to 1997. Something like 113% in a year!

[GVGjr]

I am happy to be a small boutique club, but just find supporters frustrating, especially when you hear " well let's see how they go before I buy a membership".

Richmond are already sitting on 70,000 and will probably hit 90k this year. All I want is 50k before the season starts, but that won't happen.

It's been that way for years and probably won't change much. The thing that could win them over is backing up good years consistently. I tend to think that had we made a decent run at it last year, as we should have, then the desperation to make sure members could get finals tickets would have us exceeding targets.

While the numbers might be down on ideal expectations I think coterie memberships are particularly strong and could max out quickly which is a good outcome for the club.

Yes it's a bit frustrating but if our membership levels hold and we keep making profits like the last two years we will be in good shape.

[bornadog]

It's been that way for years and probably won't change much. The thing that could win them over is backing up good years consistently. I tend to think that had we made a decent run at it last year, as we should have, then the desperation to make sure members could get finals tickets would have us exceeding targets.

While the numbers might be down on ideal expectations I think coterie memberships are particularly strong and could max out quickly which is a good outcome for the club.

Yes it's a bit frustrating but if our membership levels hold and we keep making profits like the last two years we will be in good shape.

I think you are spot on with the earlier comment about attendance as well as above. The most important thing is to stay cash positive and continue thriving as a boutique club of the West. The work the club does with communities will reap big benefits in the future with young refugees and migrants from non-traditional nations beginning to take interest. #africangangs.

[Twodogs]

I think you are spot on with the earlier comment about attendance as well as above. The most important thing is to stay cash positive and continue thriving as a boutique club of the West. The work the club does with communities will reap big benefits in the future with young refugees and migrants from non-traditional nations beginning to take interest. #africangangs.

Spot on with your African idea but I think North may have stolen a march with their leadership programs they are reaching out to multicultural groups with. It's a bit like China's soft diplomacy in Africa and the South Pacific North realised there was a potential to grow their membership amongst the Sudanese community and asked community leaders what they could do. The leaders said "show our boys positive role models and teach them how to interact socially please." North came up with this leadership program for youth and now I see lots of Sudanese kids wandering around Footscray wearing North caps. It breaks my heart, we won a flag less than two years and kids are wearing cow *!*!*!*!er caps in the streets of Footscray.

[bornadog]

Spot on with your African idea but I think North may have stolen a march with their leadership programs they are reaching out to multicultural groups with. It's a bit like China's soft diplomacy in Africa and the South Pacific North realised there was a potential to grow their membership amongst the Sudanese community and asked community leaders what they could do. The leaders said "show our boys positive role models and teach them how to interact socially please." North came up with this leadership program for youth and now I see lots of Sudanese kids wandering around Footscray wearing North caps. It breaks my heart, we won a flag less than two years and kids are wearing cow *!*!*!*!er caps in the streets of Footscray.

We need to get on the front foot and start converting these guys.

Alot of the Sudanese kids are also into basketball, so there is a good start to, they play on our doorstep at VUWO:



When this comp started there were 4 teams, 14 years later there are 62 teams.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

I am happy to be a small boutique club, but just find supporters frustrating, especially when you hear " well let's see how they go before I buy a membership".

Richmond are already sitting on 70,000 and will probably hit 90k this year. All I want is 50k before the season starts, but that won't happen.

PS: I could never wear the colours of another club. I remember my Hawks mate got tickets to one of their prelims a few years ago, and his daughter brought an extra scarf for me. I refused to wear it.

Love your opinions BAD but please, please don't refer to us a a 'boutique' club.

Well done on refusing to wear the hawk scarf. Their offspring really need to be educated on more appropriate uses for their brown and yellow attire.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

membership 32700.