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AFL shines in tough times

By Mr Dandalooa

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has declared the football being played in the 11 rounds so far this season is the most exciting seen in along time.

The comments come on the back of AFL’s mid-year review which surprisingly found that the global economic downturn has not severely impacted the number of spectators attending games.

The mid-season review found that AFL clubs continue to average more than 35,000 financial members, which is up 1 per cent from last year despite the downturn in the economy.

The most significant increase was reigning premier Hawthorn with 12,000 more attendance.
Demetriou reckons the new rules and interpretations introduced this season had been an overwhelming success, contributing to the slight increase in attendances.
However, the downturn in the economy has taken the edge off attendance in Sydney, with the mid-season review showing the sport has lost ground in the battlefield of New South Wales.

Demetriou said it was no surprise that Sydney remained a challenge.

Sydney Swans have the least number of members in the AFL, with about 22,580.
That’s 15 per cent less than last season.

The average attendance of Swans matches has fallen behind games watched of the Brisbane Lions which average 36,386 spectators in the first 11 rounds of season 2009.

That figure, however, is down from the 38,534 last year.

The AFL, as expected, is well and truly cemented in the Melbourne market with club memberships tracking above the record levels reached last season, defying expectations and suggesting supporters remain committed to their clubs even though fewer occasional spectators are attending games.

The Fremantle Football Club has about 43,000 members, of which 38,000 are reserve seat members.

The club’s chief Steve Rosich said the Dockers had been lucky to enjoy six years of membership growth but was challenged to secure another record this year given capacity constraints.

“In terms of the business of and AFL club, membership is the most vital,” he said.

“It not only defines the club but it provides a framework where your other commercial aspects can be built upon.

“The more members you have the more vibrant your home games, which means the more attractive it is for corporate hospitality, which in turn provides attractiveness for sponsors which are looking to talk to your members.

“But at this point in time we’re tracking pretty well in respect to last year; we have availability for reserve seat membership which is the largest component of our 43,000 members.”

The West Coast Eagles sold out membership last year and this year but is fighting a similar battle to adequately cater for its growing membership, which at 52,000, is about 9,000 more than Subiaco Oval can currently accommodate.

Eagles chief operating officer Richard Godfrey said despite the downturn in the economy the club needed a bigger stadium to cater for its

“From a West Coast Eagles point of view, the stadium at the moment isn’t big enough for us; we’d obviously like a bigger stadium but we also understand the economic environment at the moment,” he said.

“And we know we’re not immune to what’s going on, we’re very wary of things are we are not taking anything for granted at the moment.

“At the moment in these economic times, the key is to not take too many risks.”