GWS is the AFL's biggest problem - not North, GC, or Tassie

[PenrithGWS]

Looked less

of course it did

 

[mchal4]

New Team Name : West Sydney Spirit

New Gear : (building on "Klims" work from previously)

 

[Perry Pie]

I agree the whole Giants strategy needs constant re-assessment. Don't forget though that the Giants coming into the AFL has significantly helped the Swans.

The Swans from 2000 were playing 8 matches SCG, 3 at Homebush (AFL had a mix of games in Canberra). Since 2012 the Swans have had 11 home games at the SCG and 1 game at Homebush....and their membership reflects this. I don't disagree with your point about inner west Sydney. Maybe the Giants should play a couple of home games there and see how the crowds are.

I still think the AFL should keep a critical presence in G. Western Sydney and Canberra. 3 home grounds may seem clunky but in my view the Giants and AFL need to be promoted everywhere as much as possible in NSW. Being fixtured to play North was not a great promotional move but a win is a win to the fans.

Re the Hawks, Princes Park was always awkward for most Hawk fans to get to and the irony was that the Hawks being a top side the opposition didn't want to go either as their team would often get hammered. ? Maybe the Giants are having the same problem ??

I think re-assessment is right.

The premise that GWS can have 2 homes is something that I dont think has worked for the Giants. I think it must take focus away from Sydney for the club and it undermines its ties to its home city, which is Sydney. The club is riding two horses. I suggest GWS stops playing Canberra and plays all home games in Sydney. (playing some high draw games at the SCG might work, but not against Swans.

Playing part time in a city shows a lack of commitment, the fans know it and dont commit either. I suggest this because of the North/Hawthorn experience in Tassie. North could play 3/4 games a year in Hobart for 30 years and they will only ever get a handful of fans there.
Giants need commit to 100% to Sydney to really grow roots there. Its time to make that commitment as a club.

If the AFL think that national capital might be worth it, they should commit to a team in Canberra...

 

[Angus Young]

Time for North to merge or go.

 

[gerry101101]

Time for North to merge or go.

Yep, each team who has a poor run for a few years should merge or go.

Then, by 2040, we’ll be down to about three teams, who should all have enormous memberships and make the top four every year.

Genius stuff really.

 

[Angus Young]

Yep, each team who has a poor run for a few years should merge or go.

Then, by 2040, we’ll be down to about three teams, who should all have enormous memberships and make the top four every year.

Genius stuff really.

yeah we need more victorian teams and north have a bad run for a few years.

a few multiplied by 10. genius stuff really.

 

[gerry101101]

yeah we need more victorian teams and north have a bad run for a few years.

a few multiplied by 10. genius stuff really.

Someone’s up and about now they’ve rocketed to ….

14th on the ladder.

 

[Walshawk]

I wonder if the GWS AFLW fixture is a hint of things to come. No games in Blacktown - all Sydney games at Hensen Park (in Swans territory). Finally fishing where the fish are?

 

[Bjo187]

I wonder if the GWS AFLW fixture is a hint of things to come. No games in Blacktown - all Sydney games at Hensen Park (in Swans territory). Finally fishing where the fish are?

You would hope so, but I dunno if they're smart enough to put any men's games there.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

You would hope so, but I dunno if they're smart enough to put any men's games there.

It doesn't quite have the facilities for men's footy, irrespective of capacity. Upgraded broadcast standards being the main one

 

[Run n Spread]

Very disappointing crowd this week considering last weeks big crowd and good win against the Pies.

If GWS keep on winning and end up in the top 4 as many are suggesting a 12,000 home match average should be expected even if they have to give away freebees to do it.

I'm saying not that it will be easy it clearly won't be as the large western Sydney migrant demographic did not grow up with our game and don't now much about Australian football so it is their kids that have to be concentrated on and be converted starting with Auskick and the school system backed up by junior comps.

The AFL also must concentrate on getting the anti AFL anything Victorian Sydney sports media on side like having the Season Launch this year there and have it every second year in Sydney and also spread it around the other state capitals to prove to those supporters it is a truly national sport and not appear to be favouring everything Melbourne/Victorian all the time.

This is a at least a 20 -25 year program until it will show the type of support that the Sydney Swans have now.

Don't disagree. But when the Giants were launched we were told it's a 25 year project.
Well we're half way there and no meaningful progress has been made. And we're asked to wait again.
Nearly any other region outside of NSW would've established more crowds by now

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Well we're half way there and no meaningful progress has been made. And we're asked to wait again.

Nonsense, they get 10 000 people to games and have grown interest in the sport in an area where there was little of it before.

Nearly any other region outside of NSW would've established more crowds by now

Prove it.

 

[Run n Spread]

Nonsense, they get 10 000 people to games and have grown interest in the sport in an area where there was little of it before.


Prove it.

Look at how Tassie will go gang busters from the get go.
Impossible to.prove a negative.

 

[Walshawk]

Nonsense, they get 10 000 people to games and have grown interest in the sport in an area where there was little of it before.


Prove it.

Well, we are told that Sydney people won’t travel across town and they used to get 30k - 70k three times a year for Swans games at Homebush, so perhaps there already was some interest out west, and the Giants have not grown the game at all.

Disprove it.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Well, we are told that Sydney people won’t travel across town

Probably by people who have no clue.

and they used to get 30k - 70k three times a year for Swans games at Homebush, so perhaps there already was some interest out west, and the Giants have not grown the game at all.

"Perhaps". Why would these people suddenly switch team allegiance from the Swans to a rival?

Disprove it.

I didn't make the claim, I don't have to disprove anything.

 

[Fletched]

Don't disagree. But when the Giants were launched we were told it's a 25 year project.
Well we're half way there and no meaningful progress has been made. And we're asked to wait again.
Nearly any other region outside of NSW would've established more crowds by now

AFL Tables - Crowds - S.C.G.

The Swans declined for like their first 14 years when they moved into sydney

Giants do need to play more games in Sydney though and Canberra get it own team

 

[MelbourneGWS]

AFL Tables - Crowds - S.C.G.

The Swans declined for like their first 14 years when they moved into sydney

Giants do need to play more games in Sydney though and Canberra get it own team

It’s a Catch 22 situation - Giants and the AFL have no incentive to play more games in Sydney till they get consistent sold out games in Sydney! Currently we have 4 sold out games at our home grounds this year - the Collingwood and Swans matches at Giants (Engie) stadium and both the Manuka games.

 

[Bjo187]

Well they'll have to play in Sydney more often when Canberra comes into the competition.

Demetriou said the other day he thinks they're ahead of schedule, but was using membership numbers compared to NRL clubs.

The perfect balance, 8 engie, 3 Henson park.

Current circumstances:
7 engie, 1 Henson, 3 Canberra.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

AFL Tables - Crowds - S.C.G.

The Swans declined for like their first 14 years when they moved into sydney

Giants do need to play more games in Sydney though and Canberra get it own team

You can overlay the first years of the Swans' crowds direclty with their on-field success and entertainment though. They rose when they had Capper and Lockett.

Even if they didn't reach their heights, both the first two years average of 15-17k, and the Capper years of 20+k playing attacking, entertaining football proved that the was an potential capacity for this crowd, they just needed another marketable forward and to win games again.

The issue is that GWS have played finals, put together good wins, and haven't increased their crowds. They're not winning only a handful of games a season ten years in like the Swans are, and even if they were, they didn't have double crowds five years ago to hang their hat on.

Hardly, hardly the same comparison at all.

 

[mchal4]

The branding is horrible, weird name, weird bright looking jerseys, shitty mascot etc.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Forget about Henson Park. Think big.

Giants target SCG for big games​

21 June 2024
The Giants could soon play “blockbuster games” at the SCG, the home ground of their bitter rivals, with club officials couching the idea with the AFL and powerbrokers to grow the franchise’s fanbase.

The Weekend Australian understands members of the Giants hierarchy have also sounded out Venues NSW about the possibility of accommodating big matches at the SCG.

Regardless of whether NSW ends up getting (a) Gather Round, plans for GWS to play a home game in Sydney during Easter per news earlier this year (laughed at by fools who can't put 2 and 2 together) isn't going away.

 

[Teen Wolf]

The issue is that GWS have played finals, put together good wins, and haven't increased their crowds.

They're averaging 13k this year. They averaged 9k ten years ago.

They'll be averaging 19k ten years from now (same 45% growth as the past decade), and you'll still be saying they haven't increased their crowds.

 

[Cmarsh]

Well they'll have to play in Sydney more often when Canberra comes into the competition.

Demetriou said the other day he thinks they're ahead of schedule, but was using membership numbers compared to NRL clubs.

The perfect balance, 8 engie, 3 Henson park.

Current circumstances:
7 engie, 1 Henson, 3 Canberra.

Henson Park is not even remotely AFL standard.

 

[Bjo187]

Henson Park is not even remotely AFL standard.

It's ok for W games, no different to playing a couple of games at regional locations which teams do, but with a bigger capacity.

 

[errant bounce]

Jesus, looking to play at the SCG? one of the most stupid expansion ideas ever, the half-committal approach with Canberra getting a third of matches said enough but considering going to their rivals' homeground, on the other side of the city, is pretty much a foregoing of 'this isn't and won't be working.'

That Olympic Park precinct is pretty bad though. takes ages to get to; nothing there. I'd never heard the Henson Park noise but that's a much better idea. always thought they should've pandered more to the inner west than the expanses. you're going to adopt the children of yuppies and trendies in their 20s far more than you are multi-generational working class, already attached people in Penrith, Parramatta, and Liverpool.