One in 25 Australians is an AFL club member, with the AFL today celebrating AFL club membership numbers surpassing one million members for season 2023.
A total of 1,002,635 members have so far signed up to support their favourite club, surpassing the one-million membership milestone three weeks ahead of the same time last year, in a season which saw the League achieve an all-time club membership record.
Over three quarters of clubs are up on their 2022 member number, compared to the same time last year, with Richmond and West Coast leading the way on the membership tally.
The all-time industry membership record is 1,190,671 which was set in 2022.
Three clubs – Richmond, West Coast, Collingwood – achieved 100k members in 2022 and Carlton last week announced a membership target of 100,000 members in 2023.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the continued support for the game from fans across the country was a sign of football's strong return in 2022.
"Footy is well and truly back across the country. The first two rounds have delivered in spades – no restrictions, all-time record crowds, price freeze GA ticketing at MCG and Marvel, physical membership cards are back, and now more than one-million club members well ahead of the record breaking 2022 season, we couldn't be prouder of our start to the year,” Mr McLachlan said.
"On behalf of the AFL, I'd like to thank all 18 clubs for their hard work in engaging with our fans across the country and to every club member whose passion and support makes footy the greatest game in the world.”
The final AFL club membership numbers for all clubs will be released later this year.
AFL club membership has increased 29 times in the past 31 years, with the exceptions being in the year 2000, when the AFL season was moved forward by a month to accommodate the Sydney Olympics, and 2020's heavily impacted Covid-19 season.
Fourteen of the 18 AFL clubs broke their all-time records in 2022 - Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong Cats, Gold Coast SUNS, GWS Giants, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, and Western Bulldogs all setting a new membership benchmark.
Membership numbers last five years.
- 2022 1,190,671 (All-time record)
- 2021 1,113,441
- 2020 992,854* (Covid pandemic)
- 2019 1,057,572
- 2018 1,008,494 (First time one million mark was reached)
AFL club memberships are still available, with fans able to sign up to their chosen club via https://www.afl.com.au/tickets/membership/clubs
