AFL membership ladder 2022: Where does your club rank?

The Tigers are set to roar past 100k members but, at the other end of the membership ladder, a number of clubs are struggling. Is there cause for alarm?

Richmond is leading the charge to be this year’s first club to roar past 100,000 members as the countdown to the AFL season intensifies.

In the Year of the Tiger, Richmond fans are backing the yellow and black to strike back in 2022 after missing the finals last year.

A month out from the season kick-off, the Tigers have already signed up 84,948 members as they aim to crack the 106,000 mark for the first time this year.

Despite missing the top-eight, the Tigers finished second on the AFL’s 2021 membership ladder last year – with a club record 105,084 – passing the 100,000 mark for the fourth year in a row.

Richmond was the first club to break the 100,000-member mark in 2018.

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The Tiger Army will be back at the MCG in 2022. Picture: Michael Klein

In a pre-season analysis of club members, the Tigers came out well in front of Collingwood, which was second with 70,000 members.

But West Coast, which topped the league’s membership ladder for the second consecutive year last season with 106,422 members, chose not to divulge its pre-season figures but hoped to build on last year’s club record total.

Richmond said its membership drive centred around getting the Tiger Army back together at the MCG.

“We have just launched our 2022 membership campaign ‘Year of the Tiger Army’,” the club said.

“This year is all about getting back together for our home games at the MCG and recognising the incredible support we have received from our members over the last two years in particular.”

Under new president Jeff Browne, the Magpies are aiming to break through the 100,000 member barrier for the first time this year.

After taking over the club leadership, Browne said one of his top priorities was to grow the club’s membership base.

“We have 82,000 members (in 2021), we need to pile that on and get above 100,000 members and then we can rightly move around town and argue our case with a lot more weight,” Browne said late last year.

“That is a key immediate objective to get those membership numbers up.”

Carlton have 67,928 members in the bank already this year and the Blues are aiming for 85,000 after signing up 81,302 last season.

Essendon is also setting its sights on swelling its membership base.

The Bombers have 60,678 members signed up so far and are aiming to increase last year’s number (81,662) to 90,000 in 2022.

With new coach Sam Mitchell at the helm, Hawthorn has 60,100 members signed up and is setting its sights on 80,000, an increase on the Hawks’ 77,079 last year.

Collingwood wants to hit 100,000 members for the first time in its history. Picture: AAP Images

Premier Melbourne is hoping to ride the wave from its breakthrough flag to a target of 65,000 members this year, having already signed up 43,000.

The Kangaroos and the Western Bulldogs both reported an increase in pre-season numbers as they aim for 50,000-plus members, while the Saints have 43,500 on their way to a target of 60,000-plus.

Port Adelaide is leading the interstate charge with 52,164 members this pre-season while in the smaller Gold Coast market, the Suns hope to improve on its 20 per cent growth last year to achieve another club membership record.

Last year, the AFL defied another Covid complicated season to surpass 1.1 million total members for the first time as 10 clubs smashed membership records.

The Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda and the Eagles all set membership records last year.

The AFL tallies its official membership figures following a July 31 deadline.

Originally published as AFL membership ladder 2022: Where does your club rank?