AFL takes big strides into Western Sydney

 
Ben Somerford Columnist

By , 19 Feb 2010 Ben Somerford is a Roar Expert

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Sydney coach Paul Roos discusses tactics with assistant coach John Longmire at the three-quarter time break during the AFL Round 08 match between the Sydney Swans and the Essendon Bombers at ANZ Stadium. Slattery Images

When Sydney and Carlton meet in Saturday’s NAB Cup match the AFL will take a significant stride in it’s push into west Sydney with the first ever elite-level match at the GWS headquarters in Blacktown. And with the match already sold out, it could be quite the debut.

On the official Team GWS website yesterday it was revealed the game had ‘SOLD OUT’ despite not involving the new franchise, so there’s no doubt this fixture is all about making inroads into western Sydney in anticipation of their entrance into the AFL in 2012.

The AFL will be delighted with the response to Saturday’s game, although it should be noted the Blacktown Olympic Park only has a capacity of around 10,000.

Nevertheless, it is a response which will ensure other codes in the region take some serious notice of the AFL’s expansion into western Sydney.

And curiously the Swans-Blues NAB Cup clash has been scheduled on the same night as the NRL’s pre-season ‘Battle of the West’ between western Sydney-based pair Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels.

NRL Chief Executive David Gallop recently laughed the scheduling clash off as a coincidence, despite the NRL having set their date a long time before the AFL.

And a Team GWS spokesperson echoed Gallop’s sentiment in the local Blacktown Advocate last week.

Still, the clash in schedules means the ‘war of the codes’ could begin this Saturday night. So the NAB Cup sell-out will certainly enthuse the AFL.

But Geelong two-time premiership-winning coach Mark Thompson believes a battle of the codes isn’t necessary.

Thompson and the Cats spent three days in Holroyd and Parramatta last week, and the Geelong mentor told the Parramatta Advertiser there’s room for all.

“I don’t think we have to compete against rugby league,’’ he said.

“We have the Melbourne Storm, and they’re a great football team. They are my team and I support them even though they are in a different code.

“This is the biggest city in Australia and I see no reason why two AFL sides can’t survive with everything else.”

But Thompson’s view is typical of an AFL perspective, while NRL fans may feel Aussie Rules is intruding on their turf.

Whichever way you are inclined, the proof will be in the pudding, and Saturday’s NAB Cup sell-out at Blacktown appears to be a good starting-point for the AFL.

That response certainly exceeded my modest expectations of the region’s interest in AFL footy at this point, although the involvement of the Swans will have had an effect too.

Still, that latter point shouldn’t be overemphasised as this is only a pre-season game where large, parochial support is rarely forthcoming and the Swans are hardly a hot ticket right now, as they are in a re-building phase and haven’t won a NAB Cup game for years.

And if you look back to the 2004 Wizard Home Loans Cup, Sydney (in the year before they won the AFL premiership) played Carlton out at Homebush Bay at the-then-titled Telstra Stadium in front of just over 6,000 fans. This latest figure is certainly an improvement which symbolises progress in the region.

It was also revealed this week the Swans will definitely play another pre-season game at Blacktown on March 6 and possibly another there next weekend should they lose on Saturday. The success of these games will be monitored.

But it is, of course, early days with the Team GWS franchise entering the AFL in 2012, so we shouldn’t get too carried away especially considering these are pre-season matches.

Nevertheless, the pre-season offers the AFL a good insight into how much existing support there is for Aussie Rules in the region and this is their first real chance to gauge that out at Blacktown.

Obviously, the AFL need to generate and stimulate interest in Aussie Rules footy in the region prior to Team GWS’s entrance into the competition and Kevin Sheedy’s appointment as coach has a lot to do with just that.

But I’m sure the AFL will feel it is nice to know what they’re working with and I dare say a lot of those who pre-purchased for this Saturday already have an interest in AFL footy. Most won’t need to be converted.

Indeed, more than anything, Saturday’s sell-out is a strong and encouraging message for the AFL as they strive to make inroads into western Sydney. But there’s still plenty of work to be done.

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