What are the reasons behind the lower supporter base?

[supersaints]

I think you have to go way back on footy history as to why there is a large gap between clubs.
Basically some clubs in eay history has very wealthy supporters. If you think about it all the suburban grounds were quite small.
The wealthy clubs read the "big power clubs, got bigger by thwarting and sytematically cheating the country zones.

"Rural Victoria and the Riverina of NSW was originally not a part of the zoning system, allowing the rich clubs to poach the best country talent. As a result, country zones were implemented in 1967. 

From the mid-1960s, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond (and to a lesser extent Geelong) perennially dominated the competition because their greater wealth allowed them to monopolise top country players and build up greater playing strength than was previously possible, while Footscray, North Melbourne and Fitzroy were in grave danger of folding."

In the old days the rich clubs bribed parents of. Young country players with gifts such as cars, furniture, rent assistance etc.

I can remember Our own richest member and president wad actually a member of the Carlton dirty dozen, who donated exreeemly large donations outside any salary. Who could blame him on a business sense because he was given all of CUB's and Coca colas logistics, that's one he'll of a contract.

I'm not trying to drop names but a Carlton premiership player I kniw was given a solid gold Rollex when they won the flag engraved by Big John... In fact ive worn it and every player got an identical watch.
The brown paper bags were not exaggerated, the amount of money Elliot would hand out after games would astound most.

I do ponder if we could have had a larger supporter base when we moved to Morrabin to get the mornington peninsula , the VFL being so miffed we would not stay at the junction they handed it over to hawthorn.

That being said the big clubs get the big games, the big stadium deals and the big favors.

Is anyone really naive enough to think Eddie wants new academy's to help us?? It's because they have put a tax on their huge spending on coaching etc and this way he can go along his merry way.

There has never been a fair and balanced playing field and there never will be.

[bergholt]

Why would anyone go for Liverpool if they want success?

I'll bite.

Because they were very successful.

Yeah, I know all that, was really just being a smart-arse based on their last fifteen years containing very little (with the notable exception of that Champions League title).

But I'm an Arsenal supporter so the same could be said of us. (I don't rate the FA Cup.)

[Locals322]

TL;DR

Truth be told we have a lot of Supporters - but not a lot of Members

There are a lot of St Kilda barrackers in the Frankston/Carrum Downs/Seaford area - just not a lot of paid up members.

But our crowds don't represent this...It does for say Carlton who don't have that many members but if they were flying could fill the G but uhh not for us.

[Pleasing]

Core support is passed down in families from one generation to the next usually based on some historical link to the area the club represents, to grow beyond that you have to reach the non alligned families (migrants etc) and the few black sheep turncoats who reject their family faith. Our History of being rubbish for the first 80 odd years of our existence is the main reason our supporter numbers haven't grown beyond this core.

We basically survived on the support of those with a link to our geographical area as their local club but didn't win any new fans anywhere else. There was a brief spurt in the 60's where we picked up non alligned fans and there will be a bump as a result of our almost success in the 2000's but the bump takes 10-15 years to show up in membership got to wait for the kids to grow up.

This is shown in how isolated to the South East bayside area of Melbourne our support is. I live in the North East having grown up in the South East and I would be more likely to run into a West Coast or Freo fan in my town than a St Kilda supporter. The Dogs are the only other metropolitan Melbourne team that have as pronounced a geographical cluster of their supporters and they are the second least successful side in VFL/AFL history.

Only success can change this.

[Locals322]

I am not sure it's all to do with sucess tbh. Melbourne has more members than us. Were last relevant in the 60s and have had 7-8 very poor seasons end on end.

[JimmyOne]

It has to be largely to do with success.
The way I see it...
No recent success = less new supporters.
Very little historic success = less parents influencing kids to be supporters.
I'm from SA and saints supporters over here are rare as hens teeth. The few I know barrack for them because there parents did on the most part. There will always be exceptions obviously

[JimmyOne]

I am not sure it's all to do with sucess tbh. Melbourne has more members than us. Were last relevant in the 60s and have had 7-8 very poor seasons end on end.

Think of all the supporters they would of gathered in the 50s with their success who now have children and grandchildren that are melbourne supporters because they're parents were.

[Teflon]

its not just success its sustained success.
1 flag wont turn us into Collingwood
10 years and 2 or 3 and that rise in littlies loving all things rbw would become a reality for mine
Im sick of Hawks to death - their shityy colors but the whole club screams success cause they've been in our face since 08 and won the bloody thing multiple times.
I live in the North, my kids the only kid at auskick in a saints jumper and the others look at him like his novelty (that too has a fair bit to do with his mother but that's a side issue).

[Locals322]

The Doggies pip us by 100 people a game. Considerring they are top 4 we can legitimately claim to be bigger than them IMO.
The Roos beat us by 300 once again a better team than us.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-pre ... 1440033738

[Locals322]

A historically low crowd and member return that spikes in times of good teams.





I honestly think this literally smacks on the head with a sledgehammer we are some 'dormant' huge power.

[spert]

Most of us on these forums are die-hard Saints supporters and in my case, have been for a long time. We will sign up for memberships, and some will lapse, but it is the next generation who we need to net. Since the last GF appearances, many older Saints I speak to seemed to have lost interest, and other than that, the club has looked unattractive to the outside world in most things it has done since then..the move to Seaford (though not a major issue it still diluted the club's marketing attractiveness), losing GFs, coach goes elsewhere after presiding over a lacklustre season, club stupidly puts itself out of pocket to remove a coach, and even last week's pathetic showing against the Swans, doesn't make it a very marketable product if you want to look at is a business example. The test is for the club to market like they have never marketed before over summer, and ultimately, we need to win games to get more members, sponsors and general interest. I don't think I could market a product where I keep telling the public that the manufacturer should be able to get it right in 5 years time, especially if my targetted buyer is looking at more attractive products that are working now. The challenge for the club is get success as early as possible, put the right people in place to get it happening.

[supersaints]

I am not sure it's all to do with sucess tbh. Melbourne has more members than us. Were last relevant in the 60s and have had 7-8 very poor seasons end on end.

Melbourne has more supporters than us because when you are a MCC member you actually get a AFL Melbourne football club membership with it , hence the skiing jokes in winter.

[plugger66]

I am not sure it's all to do with sucess tbh. Melbourne has more members than us. Were last relevant in the 60s and have had 7-8 very poor seasons end on end.

Melbourne has more supporters than us because when you are a MCC member you actually get a AFL Melbourne football club membership with it , hence the skiing jokes in winter.

Well you may get a membership form with your membership but you still have to pay money to be a Melbourne member. If what you said was the case then they would have 130k members. All MCC members say who you follow and if you say Melbourne you then pay extra to get a Melbourne membership.

[prwilkinson]

When I was at the game on Sunday Dad and I were just talking about how many fair weather fans St.Kilda have. Lots of supporters, not many members. When there's a sniff of success they all come out of the wood work hence the huge finals crowd numbers.

It still baffles me how the club managed to squander a decade of success albeit without a flag and be in a worse position than we were 2000-2001. Anyway, thank goodness we APPEAR to have some decent people in the right positions at the moment. Any announcements about Moorabbin due shortly? I'm guessing all of that will be unveiled over the off season to promote the club.

[sunsaint]

....... And im 53 years of age.

..... By the way I have lived on the Frankston train line service for 53 years.

Stkilda

Ormond

....Daddy

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -

[plugger66]

....... And im 53 years of age.

..... By the way I have lived on the Frankston train line service for 53 years.

Stkilda

Ormond

....Daddy

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -

I'm lost but that isn't unusual.

[sunsaint]

....... And im 53 years of age.

..... By the way I have lived on the Frankston train line service for 53 years.

Stkilda

Ormond

....Daddy

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -

I'm lost but that isn't unusual.

I know you were - but now Ive found you

[samuraisaint]

Because we didn't win in 1997 and 2009 when we should've, and we didn't steal one in 2010 when we could've.