IIt’s been suggested that 1/3rd of Swans members are based in Melbourne by some in the Rugby league fraternity,
The Age reported that Swans memberships in 2013 were approaching 10,000 (on a then current figure of 8,000 before Round 1 that year) – a record for them in the Victorian capital. The same year they had a membership total of over 36,358, which suggests that the proportion is closer to a quarter than a third.
Swans team of the century player Tony Morwood, who runs the club’s Victorian office, said membership was more than 8000 four weeks before the round-one clash with Greater Western Sydney, compared to 5700 for the same time last year, and was on track to exceed 10,000. The previous high was 9500 Victorian members after the 2006 grand final.
The previous record of 9,500 was set in a year where membership reached 30,382, and making the perception of a third a reality. at the time.
In September 2016, The Age reported that there were more than 12,000 paid up Melbourne based members out of the clubs reported total of 56,000.
Sydney Swans team of the century player Tony Morwood, who runs the club’s Victorian office, says local membership is steadily growing.
“We have over 12,000 paid-up members in Victoria. It is the strongest of any [interstate] club,” Mr Morwood says. “And it comes back to our history. There are generations of families who have stuck to the red and white colours.”