AFL talking the wrong language to Sydney
Roar Guru By The Roar, 13 Feb 2011
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- AFL, AFL expansion, Greater Western Sydney, Greater Western Sydney Giants, GWS Giants, Israel Folau, Sydney FC, Sydney Swans
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The AFL’s approach to selling the game in New South Wales, in my eyes, is wrong. The bright lights, big names and bells and whistles approach that we have seen in the development of the 18th franchise, Greater Western Sydney Giants, is not the correct way to sell the code in the long-term.
Instead, work should be done to grow the game from the grassroots and develop an AFL culture.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says: “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, he eats for a life time.”
The approach the AFL has taken relies heavily on glitz, glam and clever marketing. The signings of NRL superstars, Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt, are designed to attract NRL fans over to the AFL to have a look, with the hope that they may enjoy the experience and return for more.
However, the AFL should be working to instill an AFL culture, by building the game from the grassroots. The Sydney AFL competition is ignored by the AFL, and its presence is miniscule on the sporting radar in Sydney.
As a former player in this competition, I have seen firsthand its effectiveness in showcasing the game to those unfamiliar. I have heard of instances where people have stumbled upon their local park to find a game taking place, and having watched on, they have become intrigued and returned for more, as either a player or spectator.
At the same time I have witnessed the backhanded approach given to the competition by the AFL. Newspaper space is only given by way of results listed in the logjam that is Monday’s sports results, whilst television coverage is on the Main Event channel (Foxtel). But its lack of advertising ensures only those who feature in the league are aware of its presence.
If the AFL put more emphasis into the Sydney AFL competition, the casual fan may be more likely to give the game a go, given it is played in various Sydney suburbs, in close proximity to all, and is at no cost to the spectator. But they need to know it’s there.
It was only last week that I had a conversation with a colleague who had been sent a membership form for GWS. His reply: “Why would I go to a game when I don’t even understand it.”
He is not going to part with his $20-$30, regardless what names grace the field. But it’s more likely he will give the game a go if it’s a short stroll from home and doesn’t cost a cent.
If a casual AFL fan is exposed to the game regularly, they will come to appreciate the skills, speed and the nuances of the game, and then not only do you have fans watching Swans and GWS games, but every game of the round.
I liken the AFL’s method of selling GWS to that of Sydney FC. When Sydney FC was created they were attributed the tag of “Bling FC” – the team had the stars, the bright lights and the bells and whistles. And fans came in their thousands.
But what happens when the bright lights fade? Sydney FC now finds themselves with regular poor crowd attendances, as casual fans have deserted them once the “glam marketing” approach has been lost.
I fear a similar thing will happen to GWS. If casual fans attend a game and GWS get badly beaten, I fear many fans will be burnt.
As the Sydney Swans and Sydney FC have found, Sydney sporting fans can be quite fickle, and are happy to jump on the bandwagon when things are rosy. But where are they when the results aren’t there?
I continue to attend Sydney FC games, not because I am a fan of Sydney FC but because I am a “football fan” and a lover of the game, and it’s the same reason my family and I would trek to the SCG in the years that the Swans couldn’t even win a quarter.
The most important currency the AFL has to sell is the game itself, not the players, not the names, not the glitz and the glam. The Swans tried that once and failed miserably.
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February 13th 2011 @ 7:16am
Jay said | February 13th 2011 @ 7:16am | Report comment
Also from Sydney.. I would disagree that the afl doesn’t get good coverage in the media.. Not only are Swans games shown prime time, but so are Saturday day and Sunday day games irrespective of whether they feature the swans on FTV..
AFLs approach is headline stuff, but I think you’ll find they are doing alot at grass roots.. In Western Sydney especially. They get almost exclusive coverage in the local Blacktown papers – even more than rugby league when it’s certainly not justified..
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February 13th 2011 @ 8:54am
Koops said | February 13th 2011 @ 8:54am | Report comment
I dont really agree with your article, i think a team needs both shiny lights and hard work.
I can tell you that plenty of hard work at grass roots level has and will be put into Western Sydney, at the ned of the day GWS will rise and fall on grass roots support.
February 13th 2011 @ 10:05am
Roarchild said | February 13th 2011 @ 10:05am | Report comment
I agree with Koops.
You need some profile or a lot of your hard work gets ignored. I know the Roar do a lot of community work but they don’t get anywhere near as much as attention as say the Broncos for doing it because they don’t have the profile. At least Folau and Sheedy give the GWS a chance that their initiatives are “news”.
February 13th 2011 @ 10:35am
betamax said | February 13th 2011 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Roarchild, there is a fine line, no wait, there is a huge gap between gaining a profile and shameless media stunts. I’ll let you decide which approach the GWS Giants have taken.
By the way, I think the Roar are taking the right approach. Give it time.
February 14th 2011 @ 5:20pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 5:20pm | Report comment
betamax said I’ll let you decide which approach the GWS Giants have taken.
He already did, hence his post !.
February 13th 2011 @ 9:00am
Albert said | February 13th 2011 @ 9:00am | Report comment
The AFL will ensure that GWS gets the on field results it needs.
The FFA didn’t give Sydney FC any advantages over other clubs so sooner or later is going to spend time at the bottom of the table.
The AFL will make sure that doesn’t happen to GWS and Suns.
Is that a fair way to run a competition?
If the people in Melbourne are prepared to let the AFL do it then I suppose it is.
In the meantime their Melbourne, SA & WA AFL clubs will not be winning flags.
February 13th 2011 @ 9:06am
Titus said | February 13th 2011 @ 9:06am | Report comment
I don’t think the Bling approach was the problem with Sydney FC, I think the problem was they were claiming to be bling but they clearly weren’t. In the world of football, Sydney FC were not rich and they weren;t playing a glamorous brand of football. They should have been a bit more humble and shown that they were about putting the foundations down to become one of the regions pre-eminent teams, instead they threw money at star players in a poor squad and made poor decision after poor decision. But for a team based in central Sydney bling/glamour and international brand recognition is important.
As for the AFL, bling won’t work in Western Sydney and the AFL doesn’t really have any star players that would constitute bling. But what they do have is lots of money, so they will spend it on media exposure and putting into player recruitment. In society the TV tells us how to live and for a kid growing up, he will see lots of AFL, Rugby League on Telly and no Sydney FC, unless things change.
February 13th 2011 @ 10:27am
macavity said | February 13th 2011 @ 10:27am | Report comment
I think GWS approach has been highly insulting to the people of Western Sydney.
Their message is effectively “your culture is deficient, here, accept our manifestly superior culture”.
I don’t think they are winning many over.
February 13th 2011 @ 11:31am
Ricardo Jones said | February 13th 2011 @ 11:31am | Report comment
I have to agree with you, the way the GWS Giants are approaching the people of Western Sydney is done with complete arrogance, to the point were I feel they are looking down on the people of West Sydney. When people complained that the entire Blacktown City Council’s sporting budget was spent on the AFL teams training ground, there was some quote going around saying something like “it’s money well spent for the biggest and best show in town.” How arrogant is that, from that moment on I looked at them with contempt, it’s not exactly the way to win over fans.
February 13th 2011 @ 11:41am
The_Wookie said | February 13th 2011 @ 11:41am | Report comment
Its not the AFL’s fault that it was able to marshal local, state and federal government support for its baby. Its not the AFL’s fault that its able to present a slick and professional approach to the establishment of a new team with the full co-operation – sometimes begrudgingly – of the rest of the AFL establishment. I dont think its them being arrogant, I think its the AFL turning up and showing people what can be done with a competent administration. Major sponsors, coaches, stadium deals, national exposure, 100 million dollar and 20 year guarantee….and its still 12 months away from playing a senior game at the elite level. Years of planning is coming to fruition as we speak.
This isnt the AFL saying your culture is deficient so much as saying, this is how it can be done when you put your mind to it.
February 13th 2011 @ 11:58am
Albert said | February 13th 2011 @ 11:58am | Report comment
All good logic Wookie but it is the perception that matters.
February 13th 2011 @ 4:01pm
amused said | February 13th 2011 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
you’ve just proved and said exactly what ricardo put across.
ergo, we manifestly organise better than anyone else
February 13th 2011 @ 9:16pm
mick h said | February 13th 2011 @ 9:16pm | Report comment
but at the next council elections the councillor who supported the building of the training facility got voted out as people didn’t agree with the way the money was spent as other more popular sports eg league union soccer netball recieved little funding with poor facilities
February 14th 2011 @ 9:29am
slickwilly said | February 14th 2011 @ 9:29am | Report comment
for a global city supposedly built on the principles of entrepreneurialship and free market endeavour, sydney doesnt appear to like competition all that much
February 14th 2011 @ 2:23pm
BennO said | February 14th 2011 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
That’s because it’s not what Sydney is built on. It’s a city that started as a prison and grew from people being basically given land for free.
February 14th 2011 @ 10:21am
JVGO said | February 14th 2011 @ 10:21am | Report comment
People at Sydney Basketball have told me they were upset tha the 40 million went to the AFL ground when they have been trying for ten years to get a new stadium approved for half that from the NSW Government. You say it is not the AFL’s fault that they come in with big money and flash and woo the politicians, but it is poor public relations. These polticians are immensely unpopular and will all be gone within weeks but the bitterness from grass roots Sydney sporting organisatiions will remain.
February 14th 2011 @ 10:39am
MyLeftFoot said | February 14th 2011 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Are we talking about the showgrounds re-development, where the annual Easter show is staged? Potential home to a Twenty20 team? The AFL put in one quarter of the cost, with zero ownership rights – rather than complaining, it sounds like a model for all future infrastructure projects.
February 14th 2011 @ 10:49am
punter said | February 14th 2011 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Don’t be fooled by the spin doctors.
February 14th 2011 @ 7:06pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:06pm | Report comment
Dont be fooled by the haters !.
February 17th 2011 @ 6:28am
Crosscoder said | February 17th 2011 @ 6:28am | Report comment
A model for all future bankrupt state govts it would appear.
February 14th 2011 @ 7:24pm
JVGO said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:24pm | Report comment
The question is how much has the NSW government spent accomodating the AFL at Blacktown and the showgrounds. $40 million is the figure I have heard bandied about, but someone prbably knows the real figure. There is no reason for the NSW govt to spend any money on AFL. Simple fact is that the demand for the AFL infrastructure is touted to be in twenty years time after the spend 200 million to woo juniors etc, even the AFL admits that. The demand isn’t there now. The demand for the other established sports is there already and they are crying out for money. Sydney basketball has two courts built in the 50′s and for ten years has been working toward a new 8 court facility that would be in demand 7 days a week by many different sports. NSW Sports and Recreation has spent the money elsewhere however, on the AFL. This simply isn’t justified. These are the sort of decisions that the NSW govt will very shortly pay for at the ballot box.
February 14th 2011 @ 7:35pm
MyLeftFoot said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:35pm | Report comment
The blacktown oval was a partnership between the AFL, Cricket NSW and the NSW Govt. In other words, the coin that the AFL puts in subsidises cricket in the Summer.
Similarly with the Showgrounds, a facility that needed redevelopment anyway.
So:
1. it’s entirely incorrect to say NSW is spending money on the AFL; and
2. NSW citizens should be thanking the AFL for subsidising their sporting infrastructure.
There ain’t too many others that put private money into publicly owned facilities.
February 14th 2011 @ 7:54pm
GoGWS said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:54pm | Report comment
I don’ know why some RL fans keep whinging about the money the money spent on upgrading the showgrounds ….it is money well spent on a lasting legacy – it is about getting more use from what is otherwise an even bigger white elephant, and other sports/entertainment organisations will benefit as well…..it’s win-win…
in any event, at the same time it committed to stadium upgrades, the NSW govt came out and gave the NRL exactly the same amount – and it gave this to the NRL in cold hard cash….why?… well the stated reason was to keep the NRL as a Sydney hosted event (rather than moving to QLD)…… the real reason?…well it was effectively ‘hush money’ so cry babies from the RL community didn’t get their noses out of joint and try to harm the NSW govt politically….
February 14th 2011 @ 11:33pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 11:33pm | Report comment
The only people against it are jealous RL people, dont see anyone from the cricket community complaining, if RL and cricket got together with the Government (local,state and federal) and all put money into a facility which was used by both, i would say good on em, but then again i am not a whinger.
February 15th 2011 @ 4:55am
OzFootballSherrin said | February 15th 2011 @ 4:55am | Report comment
and a few tens of millions pales into insignificance compared to the over quarter of a billion spent on the 20,000 empty seats that watch every Storm match at AAMI park – - oh, but, that is a venue that also caters for soccer and now, finally RU – - – this is the normal comeback of people who are unable to recognise the cricket input into Blacktown nor able to recognise that niether of the NRL, HAL/FFA or ARU contributed funds to AAMI park whereas BOTH cricket and AFL contributed funds to Blacktown.
Talk about insular though. A region that is ‘dominated’ by rectangular fields and sport finally get’s some decent oval facilities and the response is what??
February 15th 2011 @ 1:55pm
JVGO said | February 15th 2011 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
I was talking from a basketball perspective actually and reporting their viewpoint as they stated it to me. Basketball is growing rapidly in Sydney and is being held back by lack of facilities, as it has been for years. For the first time in 30 years NSW Metro 16men and 18men are Australian champions yet there are two antiquated courts catering to the entire eastern suburbs and inner west of Sydney. It is not a matter of jealousy, it is a matter of priorities and how NSW Sport and Recreation spends its money. Whtever it spends on the AFL it cannot spend elsewhere, simple as that. They have got it wrong and will pay dearly at the ballot box for these type of ridiculous decisions. As I say it is not jealousy but real world thinking. Meanwhile good luck to the AFL wasting even more of its money out in dreamland on a futile attempt to proselytise Sydney’s west.
February 13th 2011 @ 1:59pm
slickwilly said | February 13th 2011 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
and what say you on the long standing promotion of rugby league as “the greatest game of all” – going on your logic all those who dont follow your code should find this rhetorical grandstanding highly offensive – get over yourself
February 14th 2011 @ 7:35am
Ken said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:35am | Report comment
Can you actually highlight any promotion where that line has been used? I’m fairly certain it’s never been used in a promotion, at least not in living memory. It’s just a saying, like Union’s ‘the game they play in heaven’ or soccer’s ‘the world game’.
February 14th 2011 @ 4:51pm
macavity said | February 14th 2011 @ 4:51pm | Report comment
or AFL – “the indigenous game”
when in reality it is no more native than RL.
February 14th 2011 @ 6:27pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 6:27pm | Report comment
Unbelievable. i guess a game where the actual rules were framed here is a good start !!.
February 14th 2011 @ 8:10pm
macavity said | February 14th 2011 @ 8:10pm | Report comment
so were the rules of modern RL.
February 14th 2011 @ 11:45pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 11:45pm | Report comment
RL is a English game, IMPORTED to this country, no if’s, no buts, no maybe’s, so is soccer, hockey, cricket, tennis and a whole myriad of sports, there is no shame in that.
Australian football is Australian, no if’s, no but’s, no maybe’s, Australian born and made.
February 17th 2011 @ 12:38pm
Jaredsbro said | February 17th 2011 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
LOL I always love these arguments. Because it all comes down to personal perspective on how you view indigenous. Certainly not invented by the Aborigines, nor even made in Australia as Eton, Harrow and Rugby all contributed to Australian football. The rules were codified here, but so were the NSWRL’s rules which eventually (other than the interchange rule) has become the universal rules of the game.
There is nothing about Australian Football that was invented exclusively in Australia…other than the oval thing, which doesn’t REALLY warrant the made in Australia tag. It is however unquestionably the biggest spectator football code in Australia and for Australians. This is TRUTH…I’m afraid!
February 14th 2011 @ 7:15am
Redb said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:15am | Report comment
That’s obviously how some people take it, perhaps more to do with the defensive mindset fueled by the Sydney media (DT) with self interest at heart.
GWS is no different to the Melb Storm.
February 14th 2011 @ 1:58pm
Albert said | February 14th 2011 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
But Redb the DT and other media never say “the greatest game of all” Just went and did a google search and the first results page has one league reference to bush footy, one to creationists and one to Big Footy.
February 14th 2011 @ 2:22pm
Redb said | February 14th 2011 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
I was replying to macavity’s comment.
February 14th 2011 @ 4:52pm
macavity said | February 14th 2011 @ 4:52pm | Report comment
Storm didn’t import a muppet like Kelvin Shoddy to preach to the locals from on high – for one.]\
February 14th 2011 @ 5:02pm
betamax said | February 14th 2011 @ 5:02pm | Report comment
Or wrangle in a controversy-bait like Folau. There is no comparison between the Storms approach and GWS Giants, and you guys know it.
February 14th 2011 @ 5:18pm
Koops said | February 14th 2011 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
The Storm continually cheated to stay relevant, ina city that is largely ambivalent to them.
February 17th 2011 @ 6:20am
Crosscoder said | February 17th 2011 @ 6:20am | Report comment
Cheated from when exactly,you made the accusation.They started in 97,now spell out the date they cheated conitnually.
Yet the AFL is relevant to Sydney when they dropped the Swans in,and the AFL Tv ratings suggest ambivalence is high on the Sydney radar.
BTW it is interesting to note the NRL have appointed two new directors.One who happens to be the former GWS development mgr Andrew Hill .he is now Director of NRL League integration and Game development
http://nrl.com.nrl-appoint-two-new-directors/tabid/10874/newsid/61375/default.aspx?
Mr Hill was only with GWS for a short period of time,maybe he came back to his first love,or maybe he thought the Sheedy over the top arrogance was too much to bear.I guess we will never know.
As far as the money the state govt gave to the NRL(which GoGWS prattles on about) about the same as GWS.I suggest there are a few more rl teams in sydney than there are AFL ones,and the formers facilities in some cases leave a lot to be desired.Hardly a question of balance.And an underutilised ANZ stadium near teh showground.No wonder this current state govt will get the flickerooni.
The Storm stadium is shared between 4 teams and 3 codes.The Storm would not have secured a new stadium if they were to be , the only tenants.
February 14th 2011 @ 7:56pm
Redb said | February 14th 2011 @ 7:56pm | Report comment
Oh yes they did, his name was John Ribot.
February 14th 2011 @ 11:26pm
The_Wookie said | February 14th 2011 @ 11:26pm | Report comment
man they forget quickly
February 15th 2011 @ 8:50am
betamax said | February 15th 2011 @ 8:50am | Report comment
I’m sorry Redb and Wookie, but you can’t compare Ribot(I guy who I loathe BTW) and the recruiting of Folau and Hunt. Ribot was a suit who brought in to head a franchise. Hunt/Folau are ex RL players brought in specifically to use their RL profile to attract attention to AFL. No comparison.
February 15th 2011 @ 9:39am
Redb said | February 15th 2011 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Betamax,
I’m not comparing Ribot with Folau. Read the thread.
“Storm didn’t import a muppet like Kelvin Shoddy to preach to the locals from on high – for one”
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Going back to the top, the original line of comments I replied to was:
macavity said “Their message is effectively “your culture is deficient, here, accept our manifestly superior culture”
What was deficient in Melbourne that Storm needed to come here? Rugby union was the established rugby code. Melb Storm came into Melbourne with zero grass roots it was imposed on the populace, if you take same attitude to GWS as expressed here.
Too many people are feigning victimisation by the AFL via GWS, its just an excuse to express some code bias nothing more.
Further, the Sydney market particularly diehard RL fans are overtly insular and derogatory towards the AFL – its a mindset that is hard to understand. AFL is a sport not an invading army.
The source of angst should be directed at RL admin not the AFL re Folau and Hunt. At the end of the day they haved failed to adequately pay their best players and as such this leaves them open to look at alternatives.
The story around a code conversion especially as unique as Hunt & Folau (likely one-offs) was a chance to create something new and give publicity to the AFL”s new teams.
It is telliing, that Hunt signs more Gold Coast jumpers than the other AFL players in the GC Suns team when visiting schools,etc. Its hard to argue the interest and use of a RL player in what is considered RL heartland has not drawn attention to a brand new club.
There is a significant marketing component in Hunt & Folau’s contracts tht caters for this publicity. However, despite the simplistic protestations of some diehard RL fans they’re not the highest paid AFL players, that is actually Garry Ablett Jnr.
Strip the marketing component out of Hunt & Folua’s contracts and they are paid an average AFL players wage. This component is not included in the salary cap and is a once off for them.
February 17th 2011 @ 6:24am
Crosscoder said | February 17th 2011 @ 6:24am | Report comment
And how much column space did he(Ribot) get in the Age?. Searching,looking,seeking.
February 17th 2011 @ 6:22am
Crosscoder said | February 17th 2011 @ 6:22am | Report comment
That is why the DT promotes Swans with ambassadors such as rebecca wilson,and devoted nearly as much coverage .Please.
GWS is a hell of a lot different.There is no 2nd NRL team being introduced in Melbourne for starters.
February 19th 2011 @ 8:03am
GoGWS said | February 19th 2011 @ 8:03am | Report comment
Crosscoder
Was I prattling on the NRL being gifted taxpayer money supposedly in order to retain the NRL GF in Sydney?….firstly I mentioned it briefly in one post which is hardly what I’d describe ‘prattlingly’…and I mentioned it as a ver relevant response to the tired old moan that the NSW government gifted money to the AFL for the show grounds redevelopment…..if you’re going to bring up weathered old misunderstanding then let’s get all the relevant facts on the table
1. the NRL was gifted exactly the same amount of money that the NSW govt committed to the showgrounds upgrade
2. the NRL didn’t even ask for the money!!… they were summoned and just said they’re getting it, provide the NRL GF stayed in Sydney rather than move to Brisbane… it was a clear case of politicians anticipating cry babies like you Crosscoder – ‘let’s give RL something otherwise there’ll be tears – the GF excuse is as good a reason as any’
3. Historically the ARL/NRL GFs have been played in NSW with no payment from the state, just as the AFL is played at the MCG with no tax payer funding.
4.The NSW government, and taxpayer, is getting precisely nothing for its equivalent ‘investment’ in the NRL – precisely nothing..no facilities, no stadium upgrades. Squat. In the showgrounds case the AFL is tipping its own money in as well and NSW ends up with an upgraded stadium able to be used by other sports like cricket, and other events (concerts etc). Some events, most events, don’t need an 80K capacity stadium so to have a smaller stadium is something of lasting value.
Now that was prattling… I tell you what – I’ll stop my prattling if you stop your blubbering about the money the NSW government put into the showgrounds upgrade…
February 13th 2011 @ 11:55am
Republican said | February 13th 2011 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Firstly, this sort of hard sell is hardly peculiar to the AFL but yes, I don’t like the approach myself.
Secondly, the AFL do not need to sell the game to NSW but to Western Sydney since much of NSW are well entrenched and versed in the culture of the indigenous code.
Lastly, the ACT rep side had a win over GWS at Ainslie Footy oval last night in Canberra. GWS’s kicking for goal left much to be desired and they paid the price for this. The contest around the ground was fairly even however this indicates that the current GWS line up are a long way off from being a realistic competitor at the elite AFL tier.
February 14th 2011 @ 10:00am
PG said | February 14th 2011 @ 10:00am | Report comment
The Rest of NSW Republican? Maybe on the Vic border but from the gong to the tweed you can cant be serious making claims like that
February 14th 2011 @ 12:30pm
Ken said | February 14th 2011 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
If Western Sydney is one of the few places in NSW that isn’t entrenched in AFL (a ridiculous claim but let’s stick with it for the moment), then why is that where they are plonking a team? NSW is home to more than a third of Australia’s population, surely you could spend those millions putting a team somewhere else in AFL-loving NSW where they would appreciate it…
February 17th 2011 @ 6:27am
Crosscoder said | February 17th 2011 @ 6:27am | Report comment
Well entrenched in Sydney!!! Now that smacks of the very arrogance we are debating about the Sheedy and GWS approach.Is it any wonder.
February 13th 2011 @ 12:46pm
Westcoast929406 said | February 13th 2011 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
GWS has at its disposal currently no less than 15 development officers at the last count to cover the various districts outlined on the GWS site plus various other people engaged in promo work from the local clubs.
Whether 15 is enough I would not know not living there.
How many times do we have to point out Sheedy, Folau are for the Bling etc. The behind the scenes stuff does not get any publicity so it appears to some people nothing is happening.
The crowd figure of 2503 for the GWS match in Canberra was official (Counted) Not bad for a tryout game but it was played over 4 normal quarters.
February 13th 2011 @ 1:37pm
Republican said | February 13th 2011 @ 1:37pm | Report comment
Westcoast
Yes, the gate was acceptable considering the time of year as well as the threatening thunderstorms and rain that hung around all day and evening.
The Brumbies played a pre season warm up against the Wellington Hurricanes one evening last week at Viking Park in Tuggeranong and attracted a similar gate if not less I believe.
February 13th 2011 @ 1:41pm
Republican said | February 13th 2011 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
macavitiy
So is the Storms inroads into Melbourne, the Force into Perth and the Warriors into NZ also insulting to those respective sub cultures?
February 13th 2011 @ 5:29pm
Sean said | February 13th 2011 @ 5:29pm | Report comment
The AFL is currently (finally, belatedly) outspending rival codes at a youth level in Western Sydney. There are apparently more kids in Auskick programs there than in the league, union or soccer equivalents now.
I’m sure the Swans have been screaming for more youth development resourcing for years. Although they’re towards the top end in terms of revenue, they also have possibly the highest costs of any club (running operations in 3 cities, marketing in the country’s toughest sport market, being the only AFL club in an expensive and sometimes hostile city and therefore shouldering the development and promotion burden alone), usually run at a loss, and therefore haven’t had the resources to do the youth development thing at any scale.
If it took GWS to make that sort of investment happen, then so be it, it should benefit the Swans too. The establishment of new Swans and Giants academies in Sydney is, I think, a very positive development in terms of grabbing the kids and keeping them.
You’re exactly right that spending and work at the grassroots level is necessary – I just think it’s actually happening already. The AFL aren’t idiots, they’re in this for the long term and have been planning this for ages.
February 13th 2011 @ 8:13pm
Hutch said | February 13th 2011 @ 8:13pm | Report comment
Sean if you truly believe that there are more kids in auskick programs than the other sports equivalent than you have serious problems! How do you people continue to get away with posting such rubbish?
February 13th 2011 @ 8:53pm
mick h said | February 13th 2011 @ 8:53pm | Report comment
sean what absolute crap you can only give out so many development spots. 8,000 + junior rl players are currently training in preparation for this season in the pdrl. the harold mathews u 16 and sg ball u18 competitions