distribution. The AFL committed $1 million to the club in 2009, with the MCC matching the AFL contribution. By the midpoint of the 2009 season, things had improved off field for Melbourne. They had secured a record number of members, remerged with the MCC, and knocked off more debt. On-field matters, however, worsened, and allegations of tanking in the latter part of the season tarnished the club. Midway through the 2010 season, Melbourne chairman Jim Stynes announced that Melbourne had paid off all debts, which, along with a record club membership, secured Melbourne's short-term future as a stand-alone club. In 2021, Melbourne reached the Grand Final for the second time since the failed merger, where they ended their 57-year premiership drought with a defeat of the . Hawthorn Hawthorn has managed to grow in strength on and off the field since the merger. Membership jumped from 12,484 to 27,000 in 1997 and has continued to increase every year. One of the proposed advantages of merging was playing on the MCG, and Hawthorn moved its home games there in 2000 after the AFL closed Waverley Park. The Hawks moved from their home base at Glenferrie. They relocated to the old Waverley Park, which was being carved into lucrative real estate by Mirvac. Under the terms of the deal, the oval and immediate surrounds were to remain for sporting purposes. Mirvac needed a club to occupy the oval. Hawthorn paid $1 and, in return, received the freehold on the entire oval and a portion of what is now the administrative buildings. The club began playing a few home games each year in Launceston in 2001, predominantly against the non-Victorian clubs, which earns it a hefty sponsorship from the Tasmanian government. In 2015, Hawthorn signed a five-year, $19 million deal with the Tasmanian State Government to continue to play four home and away games and a pre-season game in Launceston until the end of 2021; this agreement was later extended an additional year through 2022. The club now boasts one of the highest memberships among Victorian clubs, and was a dominant club on-field in the early 21st century with four premierships between 2008 and 2015. References External links Demon Wiki merger page Proposed VFL/AFL clubs Hawthorn Football Club Melbourne Football Club 1996 in Australian rules football