The Melbourne Cricket Club is proposing changes to its membership structure in order to slash a waiting list for admission that has stretched out to over 40 years.

The new provisional category will allow more people to use the MCC reserved seating area for AFL matches and other sporting events, with the MCC membership to increase by up to 50,000 members.

Under the proposed rule change, provisional members would have access to every AFL match during the season, apart from the Collingwood-Essendon ANZAC Day match and the finals series.

"The club has long been concerned, that unless action is taken now, a person who joins the waiting list today will wait at least 41 years before receiving a membership offer," the MCC said in a letter to members on Thursday.

Of the 45 regular season matches played at the MCG last season, the MCC reserve was more than half full for only 15 games.

The proposal will be voted on at the annual general meeting next month and would take effect from September 1.

The capacity of the MCC reserve is 22,791.