AFL Power Index: How every club compares on fans, social media and cash

Where does your team rank when it comes to membership, social following, crowds, celebrities and money in the bank? All 18 teams compared.

Bobby Hill of the Magpies. Picture: Michael Klein

They have always been the loudest in real life and the Collingwood fans remain the loudest in the digital world, too.

No AFL club outside of the black and white army can boast a social media following of more than one million.

And the gap is only getting bigger as the Magpies boast more than 200,000 more followers across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and TikTok than nearest rival Richmond.

That gap between first-ranked Magpies and second-ranked Tigers is bigger than the gap between Richmond and 10th-placed Sydney.

Long seen as a power club, the numbers prove Collingwood is ahead of all others.

But so much of social media these days is run by the players, not the clubs, with Christian Petracca one of Australia’s most watched cooks thanks to a runaway success TikTok channel and names like Lance Franklin and Dustin Martin outweighing even the most popular clubs for followers.

And it’s not all about social media, either. We have pulled together financial numbers, crowd figures, celebrity fans and the hefty player contracts so you can compare how your club’s power ranks across the league.

The Pies and their fans top the league. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

*All finance numbers from 2022 club statements

**All social media numbers correct as of Sept 20

*** Club membership is for 2023 season AFL season, crowd average for 2023 home-and-away

Crows fan Lleyton Hewitt catches up with Taylor Walker.

Deven Robertson’s followers went through the roof. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Michael Voss and Dylan Alcott catch up. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Rusted on Collingwood fan Rob Lowe sings the song in 2003.

Kevin Parker bleeds purple.

Guy Pearce hung out with the Cats in 2022. Picture: Alan Barber

Wonder what Snoop thinks about the Damien Hardwick appointment?

NSW Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres, cricketer Mitchell Starc, Giants Board Member Melissa Doyle and former head coach Kevin Sheedy in 2019.

1D gets behind the Hawks.

Christian Petracca is the AFL’s king foodie. Picture: David Crosling

Ricky Ponting gets a view into Kangaroos pre-season in 2007.

Kochie gives ScoMo a tour of Alberton in 2021. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Ash Barty hands over the cup to Trent Cotchin in 2020. Picture : Michael Klein

Not only did Chris Rock get a Swans jumper, he also got to meet Tom Derickx.

Who wore the No.1 better: Michael Gardiner, Liam Ryan or Barack Obama?

Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth get behind the Dogs.

Originally published as AFL Power Index: How every club compares on fans, social media and cash