The Sydney Swans are on the move. They have packed their bags for the 20 kilometer hike from Homebush (ANZ Stadium) to the SCG. The contract, set to start in 2017, has set the venue for all of the Swan’s home games for the next 30 years. This has been met with a resounding Hurrah by Bigfooty’s Swan fans.
The SCG has always been the spiritual heart of sporting activity in Sydney and this deal has made for a homecoming for the Swans. The Swans started their tenure as the first AFL team in Sydney at the SCG and moved to Homebush stadium in 2001, riding a wave of optimism. Seating capacity at ANZ stadium is roughly double that of the SCG and it was hoped that AFL games would fill it to capacity. This was not to be.
Attendance at Swan’s games had dropped in 2014 to barely half of the stadiums capacity. This made for some very empty looking game days and we can’t help thinking it was part of the reason for the change in venue.
The general feeling among the Swan’s fans is that a packed stadium will ramp up the on-ground atmosphere and will make for better viewing on TV. It would seem that the AFL and the Sydney Swan’s management have finally agreed with this sentiment. Swans chairman Andrew Pridham said
“It was clear our members and fans located in Sydney, broader New South Wales and in fact Australia, wanted the SCG to be our one and only home.”
The move is apparently very popular with the coaching and player groups. Coach John Longmire has been quoted as saying
“We just love playing here – we had 41,500 here against Port Adelaide this year”
The only question now is. Will ANZ stadium become the new home of the GWS Giants?
