Sydney is the most popular club in Australia: Former Swans CEO (SEN)

[one-eyed]

Sydney Swans are Australia's most popular AFL club claims former CEO Andrew Ireland

Written By Lucie Bertoldo
10 Jan 2019

Although Richmond boasts the largest number of memberships thanks to the 100,000 strong Tiger Army, the club apparently aren't the most supported in the AFL.

In fact, none of the founding clubs in Melbourne can claim that status.

According to Roy Morgan's annual AFL supporter poll, the Sydney Swans are well ahead of their rivals with 1,174,000 people believed to be supporting the club.

The figure is well ahead of the three most recent AFL Premiership victors, the Western Bulldogs, Richmond and Hawthorn who respectively boast 351,000, 487,000 and 545,000 fans.

“The club is now the most popular club in Australia, it sort of snuck up on us a bit but all the polling from Morgan, Nielsen and the like, we have close to 1.3 million supporters,” Ireland told SEN SA Breakfast.

“You got clubs like Collingwood who are 800,050.

“One of the things people don’t appreciate in the stronger footy states is the establishment of the Swans Academy has made an incredible difference to footy in Sydney.

“I remember in the early days if you were a young bloke playing school footy in Sydney, you were probably looked down as if you’re playing a second class sport.

“It is seen as mainstream sport now.”

However, the Swans have the lowest percentage of supporters who have memberships at 5.2 per cent.

Overall, the Sydney has the eighth most memberships in the AFL with 60,934 in 2018.

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/afl-sydney-swans-most-supported-club-roy-morgan-poll-richmond-tigers-andrew-ireland/tehl9vy71vs81xe1rq7jh74oa
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/01/08/swans-are-australia's-most-popular-club-says-former-ceo/

[one-eyed]

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7707-afl-premierships-boost-support-for-tigers-dogs-hawks-201808170433

[Assange Tiger 😎]

define supporter

are they counting the 100k muslims who get dumped into NSW every year as new 'supporters'

[Diocletian]

Most of Sydney's "supporters" don't even follow Aussie Rules let alone the Swans....

define supporter

are they counting the 100k muslims who get dumped into NSW every year as new 'supporters'

That's mainly in GWS territory.......

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Maybe they have more followers or barrackers but not supporters......

[Gracie]

The AFL marketing has all non AFL people in NSW fully aware of the Sydney Swans brand. Same thing is happening with GWS but Sydney have had 35 years of marketing to school kids and these people have grown up with the Swans brand in their face.

Now when asked in a survey these people will nominate the Swans as that has been the only AFL club they have ever known.

Now the big difference is how many actually go to a Swans game or buy Swans merchandise ie how many are "engaged" supporters?

Support for the Swans is strong with women here in NSW, which is good as they usually drag the family along and help the AFL entrench their marketing with the new generation.

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Most of Sydney's "supporters" don't even follow Aussie Rules let alone the Swans....

define supporter

are they counting the 100k muslims who get dumped into NSW every year as new 'supporters'

That's mainly in GWS territory.......

Build the wall....

[Slipper]

These figures don't mean much.

FWIW, I think the Eagles supporter numbers look too low (most likely) or the Dockers number is too high.

Those figures suggest that 40% of Western Australians supporters support the Dockers.

Anecdotally on the people I know, I'd say you'd be lucky if it was any more than an 80/20 spilt. Maybe I just associate with a slightly better class of Western Australian than the average.

[yandb]

Maybe the article should read Sydney has the most fair-weather supporters.

[Dougeytherichmondfan]

Hawthorn don't have 15% more supporters than us. This is all rubbish ^^

[the claw]

so the most populated state has 1.7 million footy followers and 1.1 of them follow Sydney !!!!!!  of course they should have more followers  the victorian market of 3.1 millions is divided by 10 teams and is even further diluted by ex fitzroy and south melbourne  supporters.