Collingwood chief executive officer, Mark Anderson, has described the club’s strong financial performance in 2019 as one driven by outstanding membership and match day support.

With a year-on-year membership lift of almost 10,000 and an average home match attendance increase of more than 9000, Collingwood has recorded a net profit of $3,875,111 for the 2019 financial year.

“A number of ingredients are in the result, such as the AFL team finishing in the top four, excellent corporate support from the likes of our major partners Emirates Airline, CGU, Holden and La Trobe Financial and a tight control on expenditure,” Anderson said.

“And in keeping with our strategic exit from gaming twelve months ago we were able to find new revenue streams but much of the result is attributable to the support of the Collingwood faithful.

““We hear the voice of our members and fans on match day and know they count for something but when they turn out in big numbers, and belong as members, they also count for so much. Our financial performance in 2019 is proof of this.

“It is not a cliché to say that Collingwood’s robust financial health has been built on, and continues to build on, the support of the people who so passionately follow the club.”

Highlights of Collingwood’s 2019 financial year include:

*Total club revenue of $72,558,512

*Net profit of $3,875,111

*Membership figure of 85,226 (75,736 in 2018)

*Average Home attendance for the year of 58,975 (49,898 in 2018)

*Collingwood’s net asset position is $44,723,579

Anderson said the result would enable Collingwood to continue in 2020 to invest in four key areas: high performance, fans, facilities and the club’s responsibilities to the wider community.

“We must continue to provide our athletes with elite facilities and programs in order to chase excellence on and off the fields and courts our many teams play on. We are a diverse, modern sports organisation of seven teams housing male and female football, wheelchair football and netball.

“We have had prioritised the connection between our fans, players and staff and we want to use the power of sport to make a difference in the community.

“We announced this year the Victoria Sport medical and sports research centre in partnership with Monash University and we intend to continue to find vital housing and support for Melbourne’s homeless through the Magpie Nest program.

“The 2019 financial result, and more like it, are required to turn ambitions into outcomes and we know that if we realise those ambitions Collingwood people, all of them, will continue to be proud of what we are creating together.”

The Collingwood annual general meeting for the 2019 season will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, in the Glasshouse at the Holden Centre. Full details of the AGM will be communicated to members before Christmas.

The 2019 annual report is available to download here.