GEELONG chief executive Brian Cook has defended the club's decision to charge non-members to attend its open training sessions at Simonds Stadium next year.
The Cats announced on Wednesday evening that adults and children who are not members will have to pay $5 and $2 respectively to attend the sessions.
The first two sessions will take place on January 13 and 20.
"We always give members some sort of privilege – entry to grounds or magazines or whatever," Cook said after Geelong's annual general meeting on Wednesday night.
"This is a different privilege, and it's going to raise the eyebrows of a few people, but I think it makes a fair bit of sense."
The decision to charge non-members to attend training is part of a renewed drive to build the club's membership from almost 43,000 this year to 50,000 next year.
The push is being spearheaded by Geelong's new head of commercial operations, Steve Hocking.
"We're increasing the number of sessions open from one to five, we're trying to promote membership as best we can," Cook explained.
"Members who pay around $200 a head (per year) … will be let in free and others will pay $5 and $2.
"And that money will go into our community programs, which we are spending three quarters of a million on next year.
"So I think it's a pretty good message. Members are important, the community is really important.
"Anyone can still come in, but you might be charged a very small fee. The price of an icy pole.
"You know what the message is: become a member."
During his speech at the AGM, Cook left the attendees in no doubt that the club needs to dramatically lift its membership to remain profitable and competitive.
Despite winning three premierships in the past seven seasons, Geelong had only the ninth-highest membership in the AFL in 2013.
The Cats' tally was 42,884, placing them behind Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, West Coast, Essendon, Carlton, Adelaide and Fremantle.
The low number contributed to the fact the club recorded an operating profit of just $148,000 this year.
"(Membership) really needs to improve, there's no doubt about that," Cook said.
"I think I've said here for a dozen years, I can't really pinpoint why people don't become members, why we haven't got more members.
"My gut-feel is that we need more games here at Simonds Stadium, but I can't prove that.
"We're the only club in the AFL, in my opinion, who has the structure of fixtures that we currently have. We have seven real home games and we have 15 away.
"There's no doubt more reasons that that. But we're making a concerted effort, and Steve Hocking is in charge of it with his team, to improve and increase our membership.
"And we'll be doing things … we'll be giving things to members and not to supporters to try and just promote the need to become a member.
"Because at the end of the day we need more membership."
Geelong currently has 23,799 members signed up for 2014. It is aiming to push that figure up to 30,000 by the end of this year.
