Essendon, Sydney and Melbourne have suffered alarming membership drop-offs but the AFL’s overall club membership numbers remain relatively stable in a season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bombers’ tally dropped from 84,237 in 2019 to 66,686 in 2020 – a reduction of 17,551 – while Sydney’s total fell by 13,590 and Melbourne’s was reduced by 11,850.

Eleven of the AFL’s 18 clubs recorded membership drop-offs, while the league-wide tally dropped 6.1 per cent from 2019’s record total of 1,057,572 to 992,854 members in 2020.

A drop-off had been expected, given the season suspension, minimal games in Victoria and the majority of fixtures being played in front of either no crowd or limited numbers and AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan lauded the high retention rate.

“Footy is about connection and a sense of belonging and this remarkable number demonstrates AFL members are the most passionate and loyal members across all sports,” McLachlan said.

“The commitment members made to their clubs is a key reason why all 18 clubs were able to survive a challenging and unprecedented year.

“We have been blown away by the loyalty and commitment footy fans around the country have demonstrated this season.”

Despite the challenging season, five clubs broke their records – West Coast (100,776 members), Carlton (67,035), St Kilda (48,588), GWS (30,841) and Gold Coast (16,236) – while Brisbane and Fremantle also increased their memberships

The Eagles joined Richmond in passing the 100,000 member mark and leapfrogged the Tigers to reach the top of the standings – and become the first non-Victorian club to achieve that feat.

AFLW membership numbers, which were largely unaffected by COVID-19, increased 48.9 per cent to 20,849 off the back of the league’s expansion.

The official AFL club membership tally was compiled after an August 31 deadline.