AFL flag boosts Bulldogs' bottom line

AFL premiers the Western Bulldogs have also enjoyed great success off the field, biting nearly $6.5 million out of their debt.

The Bulldogs have announced a net profit of $3.6 million for the past 12 months, the third-straight year they have been in the black.

They said their statutory profit was $1.77 million, owing to a $1.9 million impairment charge against gaming entitlements for the discontinued Edgewater project.

The Bulldogs have been more than $10 million in debt, but they said on Wednesday that in the last year, they had slashed that figure from $8.3 million to $1.9 million.

Their membership rose above 40,000 and revenue rocketed to more than $48 million, which are club records.

"We're really proud of the progress our club has made over the past few years, in all areas both on and off the field," Kent said.

"Winning the premiership was a significant contributor to our financial results, but we are also pleased that the club's underlying business showed strong growth," said chief executive Gary Kent.

"Commercial partnerships, membership, merchandise, fundraising and hospitality venues all performed strongly throughout the whole year.

"The club also saw record growth in game attendance, digital platforms and with 23.5m TV viewers the Western Bulldogs were the most watched sporting team in Australia."

Winning their second flag broke a 62-year drought for the Bulldogs, which had been the longest current premiership wait in the AFL.