Fremantle’s record-breaking season is on the brink of another historic landmark, with the club set to achieve a sell-out of every home game at Domain Stadium this year for the first time, The West Australian reported on Friday.
The game against Melbourne on Sunday is due to be sold out by bouncedown, meaning every available ticket will have been purchased for all 11 Freo Dockers home matches in 2015.
Fewer than 300 tickets were still available yesterday.
The historic level of interest in Fremantle fixtures has capped off a season in which the league leaders are just two wins away from securing the minor premiership for the first time in the club’s 21-year history.
Membership this week peaked at a record 51,526 for the season — an increase of 5.3 per cent on last year’s mark of 48,777.
Membership moves up
The Fremantle Dockers had never broken through the 50,000-membership mark before 2015.
And supporters are still to be treated to two home finals, as long as Fremantle win one of their final two regular-season matches against Melbourne and Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval tomorrow week.
The run of sell-outs have included home games against lesser-supported clubs Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane.
Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich labelled the season-long success with ticket sales as a great achievement.
“Our membership story has been a terrific one,” Rosich told The West Australian.
“We’ve grown it steadily over the last seven to eight years in particular and have now passed the 50,000 mark, maintaining our position in the top eight in membership.
“That’s in turn being reflected into home attendances.
“Clearly on-field performance is a key factor. I think there’s been other factors this year such as an appealing home draw given we finished in the top six last year that translated to a somewhat challenging fixture in some respects, but also an eagerly anticipated one from a fan perspective.”
Fremantle attracted a season-high home crowd for the round-20 western derby of 41,959, with an average attendance at the Subiaco venue of 36,478 this year.
Domain Stadium has a maximum capacity of 43,500.
Those figures come as the team enters a fourth consecutive finals series next month and is guaranteed a third consecutive top-four finish.
The unprecedented interest in Fremantle matches comes at an ideal point for WA football. Seats will become available for new members when the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium opens in time for the 2018 season.
West Coast’s guaranteed top-four finish has also translated to a record year in terms of membership, having last month become the fifth AFL club to reach the 60,000 mark.
Rosich said the surge in membership boded well for the opening of Perth Stadium.
“We’re certainly hopeful (of filling our membership capacity), but you can’t take that for granted,” he told the paper.
“Our focus will continue to be on ensuring we’re performing really well on the field and also portraying a brand that the people of Western Australia want to be involved with.”
