Pro's & Con's of AFL vs Saints Membership

[Seaford_Saint]

Hi Everyone,

I was hoping to get your feedback / thoughts to the following query...

Do to family / work constraints, I let my Saints membership lapse around 5 years ago, but we are now very excited to be in a position to hit the Saints matches with gusto again!

Ideally, I would like to get a Saints Social Club & Reserved Seat package for the family, but with the cap on Social Club membership and no resolution of availability in the forseeable future, that doesn't seem to be an option. My theory is, Saints Social Club won't open up again until we take our turn at the bottom of the ladder for rebuilding at some stage in the next few years.

So now I'm wondering if AFL membership with a Saints club-support package might be our best option.

Can I have:
- your thoughts on this?
- does anyone know where AFL members get seated at Ethiad?
- how does access to finals tickets compare?
- how does access to GF tickets compare?
- are there any less obvious advantages?
- are there any less obvious disadvantages?

Appreciate your feedback, thanks!!

[saint66au]

Great value if you go to a pile of other games during the year.

AFL Members sit L1 on the Wing near interchange at ES

Finals: You cant buy with St Kilda allocation you have to buy AFL Members area

You'll be a Silver member for a few years which should get you a GF ticket if Saints play but no chance if they arent unless Freo play Gold Coast

[Seaford_Saint]

many thanks S66au.... as always - you're right on the mark

[Royston]

The AFL seating at ES is at ground level on the wing. There is approx 3000 seats available per game in this area - tix can either be booked through the booking agency or on game day can be accessed via the ticket box at the ground (if any are still available).
Great position to see the game - there is also a newly designated bar area for AFL members directly behind the allocated seating area - less crowded than other areas.
There is also walk up access available on level 3 if seats are all sold on level 1 (ground level)
Initially you would be a Silver member - you can access finals tickets for the first 3 week, including the Prelim's - no GF tickets unless all the allocation is not taken by Full members, tickets will then be offered to club support for the competing teams.
Eventually you will upgrade to Full membership whereupon GF tickets will be available (approx 7 years for the upgrade currently I think).

Pros:
Great seats, new bar area a bonus. Includes access to finals up until the GF. Overall entry to 40 home & away games at the 'G' & ES....also some interstate venues but you will need to check which ones. Saints also receive money from the AFL for you being a 'nominated' Saints AFL member. Will still get your members pack from the club/AFL. Can purchase guest passes for your family / friends to attend games - great if you like to go with different mates from opposition teams!

Cons:
- Joining fee of approx $250. If your mates aren't AFL you may not be able to sit with them.
- Waiting period to become a full member
- Annual cost is dearer than just a Saints specific footy membership.


I reckon it is good value, the facilities at the 'G' need to be improved and I believe they will be with the planned refurb of the Southern Stand...a pity the Saints don't play at the 'G' a little more.

Hope this helps....

[Milan Faletic]

More money goes to the club if you join as a St Kilda Member whereas only a small percentage goes directly to the Saints if you become an AFL member and you can't vote on club issues I believe. However if the option of Social Club membership is not available, you have to do what's best for you. I suspect that not all 11,500 Social Club members will not confirm by the 18th so I would keep an ear on the situation.

[Seaford_Saint]

thanks alot everyone!! very helpful!

[Saint Bev]

Isn't there a waiting list to join the AFL, pretty sure you can't just join. Thats what I was told a few years back when we were looking at different options.

Either way you are not going to get a GF ticket. If I was you I would just put my name of the Saints list. At least they have the Sept Saint option.

[PLUGGER14]

I am an existing SC member & have been able to this year become an AFL member & keep my SC status. Only reason I have done this is to enable me to go to other matches when I am down in Melbourne at various times of the year. Also gives me access to good seats for the cricket at the "G". Unfortunate change in family status for me in 2010 will see 3 SC members not being renewed.

[Spinner]

Great value if you go to a pile of other games during the year.

AFL Members sit L1 on the Wing near interchange at ES

Finals: You cant buy with St Kilda allocation you have to buy AFL Members area

You'll be a Silver member for a few years which should get you a GF ticket if Saints play but no chance if they arent unless Freo play Gold Coast

No chance of GF tickets if St kilda play..... Priority goes to saints supporters if tickets are available to silver members....This will never be the case except for Freo V GC GF.

[philip]

Great value if you go to a pile of other games during the year.

AFL Members sit L1 on the Wing near interchange at ES

Finals: You cant buy with St Kilda allocation you have to buy AFL Members area

You'll be a Silver member for a few years which should get you a GF ticket if Saints play but no chance if they arent unless Freo play Gold Coast

michael

my recollection was if you want to buy as part of saints member allocation you can (but not the social club allocation) however if you chose that option then you forfeit your ability to buy afl members reserve, which theoretically is a safer option.

philip

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

[plugger66]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

[maverick]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

Or if you're team is playing finals, one of the best tickets you can get, happy for you not be in there P66

[plugger66]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

Or if you're team is playing finals, one of the best tickets you can get, happy for you not be in there P66

Sorry mate but I am a member and have been since 1987.

[bobmurray]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

if you are an AFL member with club support then if your club is in the grand final you will get a SEAT at the Grand Final...unlike the Social Club
standing room vs seat raffle that leaves people fuming when they get standing room tickets....

[maverick]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

Or if you're team is playing finals, one of the best tickets you can get, happy for you not be in there P66

Sorry mate but I am a member and have been since 1987.

No, its me that's sorry

[philip]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

got to say plugger this would be the first time in my memory that I disagree with you on something as i actually think the afl club support membership is terrific value for what you get.

especially the way they divvy up GF tickets which I support.

i valued it so much, once my full membership came through i ditched my MCC b/c of the half price entry to cricket games too. Way cheaper than the alternative. Now if the saints only played their home games at the G!

philip

[plugger66]

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

got to say plugger this would be the first time in my memory that I disagree with you on something as i actually think the afl club support membership is terrific value for what you get.

especially the way they divvy up GF tickets which I support.

i valued it so much, once my full membership came through i ditched my MCC b/c of the half price entry to cricket games too. Way cheaper than the alternative. Now if the saints only played their home games at the G!

philip

But if they did that then your MCC membership would have been much better value than the AFL membership.

[Moods]

More money goes to the club if you join as a St Kilda Member whereas only a small percentage goes directly to the Saints if you become an AFL member and you can't vote on club issues I believe. However if the option of Social Club membership is not available, you have to do what's best for you. I suspect that not all 11,500 Social Club members will not confirm by the 18th so I would keep an ear on the situation.

Wrong!

Saints AFL membership means that the AFL will deduct the cost of a standard membership from your AFL fees and give that money to the saints. THis is why you are inclouded as a saints member by our membership department and this is why they send you a membership kit exactly the same as other standard members. It means you can be a saints member and an AFL member combined.

Cons - Many times my daughter has asked why we can't sit on the other side of the ground with all the saints fans at home games. If my whole family supported the saints I would take a SC membership, however my wife is as passionate about the pies as I am about the saints - I have 2 daughters one follows the saints, the other the pies. THerefore a saints AFL support package is a no-brainer for me. Means I can go and watch the pies with my wife on other occasions. It als helps if you have lots of mates who are AFL members. I do and it's a cheap way to watch footy each week.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

I know you are not gauranteed a grand final ticket as such, but i know people who have been Full AFL members for 20 years and they have been to every grand final in that time. The simple fact is that Full AFL members with a club support package get there GF ticket on the sunday after the prelims when your team is playing which is earlier than anyone else and the remaining Full AFL members get there's on the monday morning. All I know is that AFL membership is so much better than a normal club membership and I am rapt that I waited seven years to be upgraded to full. Each to there own though, if you don't like the AFL membership it doesn't matter as long as you are supporting the mighty sainters that's the main thing! Go saints!

There is no comparison, the AFL membership with a club support package is way better. I had a normal saints membership for many years then changed to AFL with club support in 2001. You start off as silver and you can go to any 40 games at the MCG or Docklands. You sit on the wing at both grounds. You also get the chance to get tickets to the first two weeks of the finals in melbourne no matter what team is playing. After about 7 years you get offered Gold, which i did at the start of 2009. Once you are Gold with a saints support package, if we make the grand final you are basically gauranteed a grand final ticket, like i got one this year. Also you get the opportunity to attend to all of the finals in mebourne including prelims and grand finals no matter who is playing when you are Gold. I reckon the AFL full memebership once you get it is even better then the MCC membership, but that's just my opinion.

You are not guareented a GF ticket unless your club is playing in the game. Overated AFL membership unless you like watching other clubs.

[Moods]

Agreed. I have been a full AFL member since 2004 and haven't missed a GF since that time.

[sainter35]

More money goes to the club if you join as a St Kilda Member whereas only a small percentage goes directly to the Saints if you become an AFL member and you can't vote on club issues I believe. However if the option of Social Club membership is not available, you have to do what's best for you. I suspect that not all 11,500 Social Club members will not confirm by the 18th so I would keep an ear on the situation.

Wrong!

Saints AFL membership means that the AFL will deduct the cost of a standard membership from your AFL fees and give that money to the saints. THis is why you are inclouded as a saints member by our membership department and this is why they send you a membership kit exactly the same as other standard members. It means you can be a saints member and an AFL member combined.

Cons - Many times my daughter has asked why we can't sit on the other side of the ground with all the saints fans at home games. If my whole family supported the saints I would take a SC membership, however my wife is as passionate about the pies as I am about the saints - I have 2 daughters one follows the saints, the other the pies. THerefore a saints AFL support package is a no-brainer for me. Means I can go and watch the pies with my wife on other occasions. It als helps if you have lots of mates who are AFL members. I do and it's a cheap way to watch footy each week.

Good post Moods.

Like you said with a St Kilda club support AFL membership the price of an 11 game membership goes to our club but financially the club are far better off if people buy Social Club memberships and reserved seats.

I'm not an AFL member but personally I'd encourage anybody that wants to go more than just Saints games to buy one. However, I'd equally encourage you to buy a Social Club membership and/or a reserved seat for our home games.

[Saints43]

..with a St Kilda club support AFL membership the price of an 11 game membership goes to our club but financially the club are far better off if people buy Social Club memberships and reserved seats.

That's the reason to become a St Kilda supporter rather than an AFL supporter.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

I am the same as you Moods, in that I have friends who are also AFL members and they have club supports for there various clubs. I am able to go with them when i want to and we can all sit in the AFL members area together. My girlfriend supports the bloody Adelaide Crows of all teams, but having this memberhsip means that I can also go with her when she wants to see them when they play in Melbourne. I never had a reserve seat or social club membership anyway and all i had was a normal adult 11 home game saints membership, so it makes no difference to my financial support of the club whether i am an AFL member because the same amount of money is still going to the club. I would never have become an AFL member if it meant i wasn't supporting the mighty saints. Who wants a reserve seat anyway mate, if you end up near people that give you the sh*ts every week you are stuck with them! I prefer to stand up the back at the footy and drink over priced mid strength beers! Cheers Go saints!

More money goes to the club if you join as a St Kilda Member whereas only a small percentage goes directly to the Saints if you become an AFL member and you can't vote on club issues I believe. However if the option of Social Club membership is not available, you have to do what's best for you. I suspect that not all 11,500 Social Club members will not confirm by the 18th so I would keep an ear on the situation.

Wrong!

Saints AFL membership means that the AFL will deduct the cost of a standard membership from your AFL fees and give that money to the saints. THis is why you are inclouded as a saints member by our membership department and this is why they send you a membership kit exactly the same as other standard members. It means you can be a saints member and an AFL member combined.

Cons - Many times my daughter has asked why we can't sit on the other side of the ground with all the saints fans at home games. If my whole family supported the saints I would take a SC membership, however my wife is as passionate about the pies as I am about the saints - I have 2 daughters one follows the saints, the other the pies. THerefore a saints AFL support package is a no-brainer for me. Means I can go and watch the pies with my wife on other occasions. It als helps if you have lots of mates who are AFL members. I do and it's a cheap way to watch footy each week.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

I am pretty sure as an AFL member with a club support, you also have access to your clubs allocation of finals tickets on the monday, but i just choose to get mine on the tuesday with the afl allocation so i can sit with my friends.

Great value if you go to a pile of other games during the year.

AFL Members sit L1 on the Wing near interchange at ES

Finals: You cant buy with St Kilda allocation you have to buy AFL Members area

You'll be a Silver member for a few years which should get you a GF ticket if Saints play but no chance if they arent unless Freo play Gold Coast