Expansion How the West will be won

[Professor Knowall]

Very good. Fair enough then.

Now, lets leave 'The Australian' and Patrick Smith diversion behind us. The topic here is 'How the West will be Won'. The one certainty is that it won't be 'won' (and by that, I don't mean any rubbish like "take-over rugby league" or anything like that, but to just get an AFL club with a reasonable to good following established in West Sydney) in a day, or a year. Probably more like 20 years, and aligned with grass roots investment in junior participation. It would also require a lot of community involvement and a name and identity that somehow reflects the diverse area of the greater Sydney West.

And finally, a healthy rivalry with the Swans, and with a more diverse demographic mix than the mainly middle class Swans supporters.

 

[littleduck]

Monday because it's footy coverage is superior to the SMH.

The Australian has saturation coverage of AFL on Monday... no surprises you buy it for that reason !!!!

The Weekend Australian because it has stories from all over Australia including more footy stories.

Yes, more AFL stories.

The thing I like about the Oz is that if you read it you have no idea which city it is published in as it doesn't have a particular city bias which you would expect from a local newspaper. Nothing wrong with that.

It has better national and international news, but its sport coverage is hugely AFL-biased.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Typical, Southerners telling people from NSW and QLD what paper they read and who writes for them.

Arrogant tossers.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

seriously i cant believe people still listen to smith. undeniably the biggest idiot in the land.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

If he's not so Pro AFL, why does he win an award from the AFL every bloody year with his AFL propaganda?

 

[Azzballz Deluxe]

The Australian has saturation coverage of AFL on Monday... no surprises you buy it for that reason !!!!

Yes, more AFL stories.

It has better national and international news, but its sport coverage is hugely AFL-biased.

You mean...The Australian seems to be more biased towards Australian Football...?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Australian has saturation coverage of AFL on Monday... no surprises you buy it for that reason !!!!

Yes, more AFL stories.

It has better national and international news, but its sport coverage is hugely AFL-biased.

I wouldn't say it is saturation coverage.

Last weekend 12-13 April, front page 2 AFL stories vs 1 NRL with a big NRL picture of Billy Slater passing the ball. Then 2 pages of international sports, then 2 of NRL, then 2 of AFL, then a full page on Union, 3 pages of racing form guide with the final page being on international sports inc story on Stuart O'Grady with the For the Record results. That's pretty standard in the 6 months of the football codes season.

On Monday the sports front page varies. This week, 3 AFL stories (thanks to Barry) and the main picture and an NRL story. Last weeks 2 each with an NRL picture. Then its is standard with both weeks having 1 page of international sports, 1 NRL, 2 AFL, 1 Union, 1 page of sports results and 2 pages on Thoroughbreds and racing and 1 page of mainly public notice ads. Hardly saturation.

 

[genghiskhan]

The Australian has saturation coverage of AFL on Monday... no surprises you buy it for that reason !!!!

Yes, more AFL stories.

It has better national and international news, but its sport coverage is hugely AFL-biased.

The AFL has teams in the five mainland Australian states. Of course its coverage of sport is going to reflect that. It doesn't mean it is biased. It just means it is more reflective of the current national situation.

 

[Sebastian Balboa]

If he's not so Pro AFL, why does he win an award from the AFL every bloody year with his AFL propaganda?

ParraNOID, you make me laugh.

Your mate Patrick Smith could be mistaken for an NRL stooge, such is the vitriol he pours on the AFL, AFL clubs and AFL individuals of late.

 

[Ancient and Loyal]

The AFL has teams in the five mainland Australian states. Of course its coverage of sport is going to reflect that. It doesn't mean it is biased. It just means it is more reflective of the current national situation.

Except for those 2 million people in Regional Queensland with NRL sides and 3 Million people in Regional NSW with NRL sides, bang on assessment.

It's not reflective of any national situation.

 

[littleduck]

The AFL has teams in the five mainland Australian states. Of course its coverage of sport is going to reflect that. It doesn't mean it is biased. It just means it is more reflective of the current national situation.

If you are suggesting the target market for The Australian are residents of metropolitan capital cities, then you have a good point. However, if the target market is Australians nationally, then your point fails miserably.

 

[Professor Knowall]

Except for those 2 million people in Regional Queensland with NRL sides and 3 Million people in Regional NSW with NRL sides, bang on assessment...

NSW has more like 2 million in regional areas. I lived in the largest inland city in NSW (Albury). Its a city devoted to Australian Football, and rugby league a very, very minor sport. People there don't have an NRL side.

If you are suggesting the target market for The Australian are residents of metropolitan capital cities, then you have a good point. However, if the target market is Australians nationally, then your point fails miserably.

But if he is suggesting that the target audience are Australians regardless of where they live, and as Australian Football is overall the most popular code of football in Australia, than his point succeeds admirably.

 

[genghiskhan]

Except for those 2 million people in Regional Queensland with NRL sides and 3 Million people in Regional NSW with NRL sides, bang on assessment.

It's not reflective of any national situation.

Stupid thing to say. The AFL is the closest thing there is to a national code and for that reason it has a legitimate claim to the title of national code. Likewise, media that want to build their national credentials should be covering it.

By your argument, the NSWRL should never have said they had a Sydney league because, although they have teams spread throughout Sydney, there were many suburbs such as Blacktown, Auburn, Northbridge, Blaxland, Richmond etc etc that were not represented.

 

[jpdixon]

Very good. Fair enough then.

The one certainty is that it won't be 'won' (and by that, I don't mean any rubbish like "take-over rugby league" or anything like that, but to just get an AFL club with a reasonable to good following established in West Sydney) in a day, or a year. Probably more like 20 years, and aligned with grass roots investment in junior participation. It would also require a lot of community involvement and a name and identity that somehow reflects the diverse area of the greater Sydney West.

Exactly. The grass roots, community involvement and general local presence are going to be the positive factors that do it, and they all involve a lot of time. Things like name and so on have more potential to put people off than bring them in.

 

[nescri]

Stupid thing to say. The AFL is the closest thing there is to a national code and for that reason it has a legitimate claim to the title of national code. Likewise, media that want to build their national credentials should be covering it.

By your argument, the NSWRL should never have said they had a Sydney league because, although they have teams spread throughout Sydney, there were many suburbs such as Blacktown, Auburn, Northbridge, Blaxland, Richmond etc etc that were not represented.

Auburn= Wests
Blacktown= Panthers

 

[genghiskhan]

Auburn= Wests
Blacktown= Panthers

What about Waverton, Colloroy, Wollonstoncraft. North Sydney is a distinct region so does not cover them.

Since Eastern suburbs and Cronulla technically no longer exist, plenty of suburbs are not being represented now.

Anyway, this is silly. A national competition doesn't need to include every single city and town in Australia to be called a national competition. Likewise, a world cup doesn't need to include every single country in the world.

 

[nescri]

Since Eastern suburbs and Cronulla technically no longer exist, plenty of suburbs are not being represented now.

Right, we dont hear the 'Eastern Suburbs' name pop up anymore, do we?
&
Every Sharks fan knows the Area their team represents.

 

[genghiskhan]

Right, we dont hear the 'Eastern Suburbs' name pop up anymore, do we?
&
Every Sharks fan knows the Area their team represents.

Makes you wonder why they dropped the suburb from their name. I can't understand these football clubs sometimes. In the AFL, the Kangaroos tried the same thing and just made themselves look like phoneys. Now Melbourne has dropped the demon logo. I appreciate they want to broaden their support base, but the more generic they become, the less of an image there is to latch onto.

Anyway, this is besides the point. You don't need every single suburb represented to refer to city competition, every town represented to refer to it as a national competition, or every country represented to refer to something as a world cup. If the majority of people in the area are represented by a team, then that is sufficient.

 

[Eel_storm]

The South is being won as we speak, rugby league is growing and more and more Victorian juniors are taking up the sport. Cop that AFL.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Another graphic in the article was a list of players who were recruited from NSW and their junior club. I have put the area/league that club is in to give you an idea how many players come from the Sydney area and how many come from south of a straight line between Broken Hill, Wagga Wagga and the Coast ie a traditional Aussie rules country area.

SYDNEY

Paul Bevan Western Suburbs (Inner West Sydney AFL) His great uncle Brian Bevan was an Aussie who ended up in England because of WWII and played RL test matches for England and is the world record try scorer. (Editted as was his great uncle not uncle)

Paul Bevan's great uncle made the ARL/NRL team of the century despite playing most of his career in England. What a great record he had. What a great player he was. What a surprise that with all this hertiage his great nephew chose Aussie rules and is slowly making a name for himself.

Rugby League Team of the Century

Brian BEVAN

Clubs: Eastern Suburbs 1942–46; Warrington 1945–62; Blackpool Borough 1962–64
Club landmarks: Won Challenge Cups with Warrington 1950 and 1954; scored world record 796 career tries
Representative landmarks: Played 16 times for Other Nationalities (1949–55)

Brian Bevan is the only member of the side not to represent Australia. He played just seven games for Easts before heading to England – ironically his only points in Australia came from a goal.

In the UK a legend was born as Bevan set a still unbeaten world record for the most tries scored in a career, 796 in 688 first class appearances; he topped the English try-scoring lists five times and seven times scored more than 50 tries in a season as he and fellow Australian Harry Bath inspired Warrington to trophy-winning feats in the 1940s-50s.

Brian Bevan scored 500+ more tries than the other winger in the Team of the Century Ken Irvine (His tally of 212 premiership tries is almost 50 tries more than second-best and his final count of 33 tries in 31 Test matches is another record that is likely to stand the test of time). Irvine's career started as Bevan's was in his twilight, they played 1 Test against each other and Irvine's try record is way out in front of any player in the last 20 to 30 years.

A bit like Bradman's great nephew deciding to take up baseball instead of cricket.

 

[Ronin]

A bit like Bradman's great nephew deciding to take up baseball instead of cricket.

Do you mean taking up a crap sport?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Do you mean taking up a crap sport?

yeah but rejecting one going nowhere.

 

[Azzballz Deluxe]

The South is being won as we speak, rugby league is growing and more and more Victorian juniors are taking up the sport. Cop that AFL.

Is that you Jacmack?

 

[RUNVS]

The South is being won as we speak, rugby league is growing and more and more Victorian juniors are taking up the sport. Cop that AFL.

Remind me again, how many Victorians (thats raised in Victoria) are there in the NRL?

 

[nescri]

Remind me again, how many Victorians (thats raised in Victoria) are there in the NRL?

Quite a few, in Melbournes under 20's side. One would think they will actually play for Melbourne when they reach top grade, as they are from Melbourne.

How many Collingwood players play for Collingwood?
Richmond players for Richmond?
St Kilda etc......

?