The Bulldogs had the least membership earnings of all Victorian clubs ($2.3 million), just behind North ($2.6 million) and then Melbourne ($3 million). St Kilda fared better than those clubs, netting $4 million, but the Saints are understood to have had the least of those clubs in sponsorship dollars in 2013 – a fact that club officials concede was influenced by the raft of scandals the club endured in recent years.

West Coast’s membership earnings include an estimated 8000 on their waiting list for members, known as "In The Wings" members, who pay $65 to be on the waiting list and have first dibs on seats when members inform the club they will not attend a particular game. The $16 million figure also counts reserve seat income, with the vast majority of Eagles members buying seasonal reserve seats, boosting the club’s return at a limited capacity (44,000) Pattersons Stadium.

Collingwood’s membership earnings would be greater if the club included "walk-up" reserve seat sales – this would boost the Pies to about $13.5 million in earnings on membership/reserve seats and this does not include gate receipts, which are also a factor for most MCG tenants and clubs that play in blockbusters at the G.

There is a significant difference between membership numbers – in which Collingwood (68,955 game-day members) leads the big Victorian clubs, with Hawthorn (63,353 access memberships), Richmond (52,488) and Carlton (45,613) next, followed by Adelaide (44,436), West Coast (43,945), Essendon (42,614) – and what the various clubs earn from their members.

The Perth teams have a business model that reaps more from membership and reserve seats, due to the demand for a membership and seat often exceeding supply. Unlike the bigger Victorian clubs, they make virtually nothing from the casual walk-up fan – so their massive advantage in membership money is somewhat negated by the lack of gate receipts and "walk-up" reserve seats.