THE NUMBER of AFL Members will be capped at 60,000, resulting in the creation of a waiting list once that figure is reached.
Over 56,000 people signed up as AFL members for the 2013 season, and the total has been growing at around one per cent per year.
The growth means that the AFL Members' Reserve at the MCG will eventually become overcrowded on key matchdays.
"Being a member of the league has been available for more than 40 years since the then-VFL built Waverley Park," the AFL's general manager of commercial operations, Darren Birch, explained on Friday..
"But there must be a natural limit at some point to our numbers if we are to provide match-day entry to games."
If the current trend of growth in AFL Membership numbers continues, the cap and waiting list are expected to come into operation within the next three years.
"In listening to our members and their ongoing feedback, as well as our annual survey of how they see AFL membership, members are strongly feeling that their benefits of seating and facilities access are being impacted by the annual increase in numbers," Birch said.
"Further, our clubs are seeking to constantly promote club membership as a key driver for their success in the competition and future large growth in membership numbers should be directed towards clubs, for their ongoing financial health."
