IT ISN'T quite the time of year to be playing games just yet, but football's off-field season is just about to enter the final quarter.
Clubs have been selling 2015 memberships since last October with their plaintive pleas to supporters of hope, belonging and expectation.
It is increasingly difficult for AFL club and marketing types to stay on message and be original. Eighteen clubs, 18 different slogans, year after year after year… you try to walk in their shoes.
Still, there has been some clever word play in recent years. 'Don the Sash' appeals out of Essendon, 'Stand Tall' works well for a team nicknamed the Giants as does 'Pride' for the Brisbane Lions.
Borrowing a line from club songs has been a theme this year. 'My Heart Beats True' at Melbourne, Richmond is 'Strong and Bold' while Carlton reminds us again that 'We Are The Navy Blues'.
It is a safe and sensible effort from the Blues, whose efforts in previous years have been among the more dubious, such as 'They Know We're Coming (2009)' and 'Can You Smell What The Blues Are Cooking? (2010). The Blues finished eighth that year, so whatever was on the stove at Visy Park wasn't all that flash.
Still, Carlton's 2010 effort only wins the bronze medal when it comes to truly questionable membership slogans. Hawthorn's 2005 membership renewal exhorted supporters to become 'Hardcore Hawthorn', a perplexing effort from the same outfit that also liked to call itself 'The Family Club'.
However, when it comes to questionable campaigns, the runaway winner is undoubtedly Essendon and its unfortunate 2013 slogan 'Whatever It Takes' - if only the marketing team had known what was about to unfold.
ADELAIDE
2015 members: 50,000+ (Adelaide was unable to provide the exact membership tally).
This time last year: Approximately 48,000
2014 members: 57,500
Slogan:Unleash 2015
This time last year: 44,956
2014 members: 48,777
Slogan: #ForeverFreo
HAWTHORN
2015 members (so far): 60,650
This time last year: 54,650
2014 members: 68,650
Slogan: Made from brown and gold
MELBOURNE
2015 members (so far): 26,290
This time last year: 26,100
2014 members 35,911
Slogan: My Heart Beats True
NORTH MELBOURNE
2015 members (so far): 27,990
This time last year: 26,789
2014 members: 39,060
Slogan: #getREAL
PORT ADELAIDE
2015 members (so far): 53,728
This time last year: 40,239
2014 members: 55,508
Slogan: Bring the Noise
Check out Port Adelaide's membership packages here
Will Port push deeper into September this year? These fans think so. Picture: AFL Media
RICHMOND
2015 members (so far): 56,329
This time last year: 51,596
2014 members: 66,797
Slogan: Strong and Bold
ST KILDA
2015 members (so far): 27,413
This time last year: 23,264
2014 members: 30,138
Slogan: TBC (The Saints will launch their membership campaign in March).
SYDNEY SWANS
2015 members (so far): 29,707
This time last year: 27,939
2014 members: 40,126
Slogan: Feel it in '15
WEST COAST
2015 members (so far): 50,665
This time last year: 44,097
2014 members: 58,529
Slogan: The West is Ours
WESTERN BULLDOGS
2015 members (so far): 21,666
This time last year: 21,436
2014 members: 31,814
Slogan: #gatherthepack
