Essendon Football Club will start the New Year with more than 46,000 members signed up to be part of Our Comeback Story.

On Christmas Eve the official membership tally stands at 46,133, surpassing the previous Club record at this time of the year by 7,833.

CEO, Xavier Campbell, thanked the Club's loyal and passionate members for their ongoing support.

"Our members are the backbone of our Club," Campbell said.

"As a Club we head into the upcoming season with plenty of optimism, and it's evident our members share the same optimism about what we can achieve on field in 2017.

"We know there is still plenty of hard work ahead of us, both for the football team and administration, but to see such a strong membership base at this side of the New Year is incredibly motivating for the players, coaches and staff.

"With the positive momentum to date, we remain confident we can reach record membership this season."

To be part of the Comeback Story, click here.