2014 Membership Tally

[Ozza]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Spot on.

If an independent observer looked at our club's lack of success over such an incredible length of time, and then saw we still can manage to sign up 30,000 paid members in a city of 4 million people that has 9 competing teams that have all been more successful, they would consider us a miracle.

I'm surprised there hasn't academic studies conducted to see if we have the most loyal support/unsuccessful history in world sport. We would be right up there.

The Boston Red Sox had 86 years without winning the World Series (Curse of the Bambino) - they'd have to be number 1 wouldn't they! (All the while remaining with an enormous fan base world wide!).

[Greystache]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

The Boston Red Sox had 86 years without winning the World Series (Curse of the Bambino) - they'd have to be number 1 wouldn't they! (All the while remaining with an enormous fan base world wide!).

Didn't they at least win their league title 4 times during that period but then lose the big dance?

86 years is a long time but we've not even been on the dance floor for 53 years.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

They have a city that supports the team though.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Has anyone ever compiled a study in relation to supporters/barrackers as opposed to members? Membership is obviously very easy to gauge as it is measurable, but much more difficult to ascertain is the number of barrackers a team has and hence work out the ratios of which clubs have the highest correlation between support and membership.

It is clear that support is pretty stoic and will very rarely change once someone has decided upon a team, membership for a majority is also steadfast, but for a bracket rather volatile, going to grow and waiver with performance as a rule, and this is the case for every club in the league.

Based on this premise, if the correlation between support /membership stays the same with the added propensity to variation dependent uponperformance. The only true way to increase our membership base is to increase our supporter base, i.e we are only ever going to get a certain percentage ofour supporter pie, so we need to make the whole pie bigger.

Sounds pretty simplistic but it seems that all our efforts in recruiting membership is based around getting current Doggies barrackers tobecome members, stray dogs, etc. I don’t see this as the solution, I think we need to shift our mindset and start to recruit barrackers, who a percentage of,as we’ve discovered will become members by default. Hawthorn have executed thismagnificently well with their foray into Tasmania

Harder than it sounds? You bet! An overwhelming majority of Victorian residents already support an AFL team, and for most support cascadesdown the family tree, couple this with fact the larger clubs are those who get the majority of exposure is the reason weak clubs have and will continue to become perpetually weaker.

So where are our opportunities to increase the number ofbarrackers we have?

My view is it needs to be a consolidated relentless effortif the following areas;

Kids – As I said most will end up supporting their parent’s team, but every school in Western Melbourne, Ballarat, Stawell, Ararat, SwanHill, every year need to be visited by a couple of players, give them footycards, balls. Amazing from the “How did you barrack for the Dogs” thread howmany came through this avenue, put it on steroids, we’ve got 40 players on ourlist who get 4 months off a year!

Transients- Melbourne has more people move to it than anyother city in the world. Most of these nomads coming from northern states and all coming from overseas will not have a team they initially barrack for. I don’t know how we would do it whether we could do a deal with removalists, realestate agents, etc. But as many as we can get info for, send them a welcome toMelbourne pack complete with a rulebook, scarf, and a ticket to attend a homegame, would cost us bugger all but we would be the first exposure these guys get to footy, the early bird gets the worm.

Interstate Support – Been thinking about this and we need togrow and become a more national brand. Don’t know maybe we could do deals with complimentary brands, say the Canterbury Bulldogs, like a ‘bulldogs through and through’ campaign with reciprocal members rights on certain days, exposure oneach other websites, forums, etc.

I’m sure there are copious avenues to exposure out there butmy main point is that I don’t see that flogging the dead horse on the every barracker needs to be a member campaign ever being more than moderately successful (we’ve been doing it for years!)

Let’s get in the faces of the people who are yet to realise the pure heroin that is AFL football and bolt them on to the loyal base we already enjoy and build the mighty club we’ve always dreamt of………it won’t happen overnight, but with a concerted effort over a sustained period....maybe!

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Kids – As I said most will end up supporting their parent’s team, but every school in Western Melbourne, Ballarat, Stawell, Ararat, SwanHill, every year need to be visited by a couple of players, give them footycards, balls. Amazing from the “How did you barrack for the Dogs” thread howmany came through this avenue, put it on steroids, we’ve got 40 players on ourlist who get 4 months off a year!

Kids don't always follow what their parents follow, they are influenced by a number of factors:

1. Success on the field
2. Team their mates follow at school - so peer pressure
3. TV Exposure - I have no doubt in my mind, the ANZC day clash has swayed thousands of kids to follow Essendon and Collingwood. Then you have Friday night and other blockbusters and general free to air.
4. Team Colours - I know people in the Eastern suburbs that picked the dogs because of the colours - (this is low)
5. Theme Song - Tigers - kids love it

Agree the constant visiting schools, and being amongst the kids is a big factor as well.

I grew up in the Western Suburbs in the 60's in a brand new area called West Sunshine, and the club sent around free tickets for home games. When the teacher asked who wants a ticket, I would be the only one with my hand up. Its been happening for a long time. It was a golden opportunity to get all those new migrant fans to follow the dogs, but it just didn't happen.

On the other hand, the 2006 Finals against Collingwood, in front of 80,000 fans, the sea of Red White and Blue was amazing that day. Supporters are out there - hiding under rocks I guess

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

I live out in the eastern suburbs and taking the train in on game day it's always good to see quite a few Dogs fans coming to and from the game. When you went to school in Sunshine BAD was a lot of the class Dogs fans or were other teams more well supported.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

I live out in the eastern suburbs and taking the train in on game day it's always good to see quite a few Dogs fans coming to and from the game. When you went to school in Sunshine BAD was a lot of the class Dogs fans or were other teams more well supported.

Hardly a dogs fan in site

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Hardly a dogs fan in site

I'm betting Collingwood was the most supported in your school in Sunshine.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

I'm betting Collingwood was the most supported in your school in Sunshine.

Probably - I was in West Sunshine, those days it was the outskirts of Melbourne. After our road was just paddocks.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Probably - I was in West Sunshine, those days it was the outskirts of Melbourne. After our road was just paddocks.

Do you think the Bulldogs Blitz that was done was a success or it didn't make much of a difference.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

28,744

That's a considerable leap compared to when I last updated.

[Webby]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

The Boston Red Sox had 86 years without winning the World Series (Curse of the Bambino) - they'd have to be number 1 wouldn't they! (All the while remaining with an enormous fan base world wide!).

The Boston-Cambridge-Newton area is the tenth largest metropolitan area in the United States. About the same size as Melbourne, and the Sox have it all to themselves. At least they have since the Braves left a lifetime ago. Not only that, but they made World Series throughout their drought and were perennially strong. Also, although I can't stand them, Boston have benefitted from being the NY Yankees big rival. So not quite the right comparison for the Dogs... And believe me, I've followed both clubs very closely for many years.

[Webby]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

Oh, and just to follow up the above, Doggies = Chicago Cubs.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

28,744

That's a considerable leap compared to when I last updated.

In the circumstances it's a fair number.

Well done to the club, and we should all give ourselves a pat on the back too.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: 2014 Membership Tally

In the circumstances it's a fair number.

Well done to the club, and we should all give ourselves a pat on the back too.

Less than 30,000 is still no where it needs to be.
We suffer badly with poor scheduling of games by the AFL.
There is far too many Sunday twilight games.
Our lack of success in the past 3 years isn't helping. On field success over a sustained period still remains our biggest hope of building membership to a satisfactory level.