Brace yourself for more war games between AFL and NRL
Columnist By Melanie Dinjaski, 29 Sep 2011 Melanie Dinjaski is a Roar Expert
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AFL GWS Giants - Kevin Sheedy with Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation Mr Andrew Barr. Slattery Images.
In a gutsy challenge against the NRL, Greater Western Sydney Giants have unofficially booked a date with inter-city rivals Sydney Swans at ANZ on the same weekend as the first round of the 2012 NRL season. As brave as this move is, it could well go against the new franchisee.
March 24, 2012.
That’s the date for the showdown that was accidentally ear-marked by Giants CEO Dale Holmes at a grand final luncheon yesterday.
Right after the NAB Cup wraps up, no other AFL team is expected to play that weekend except GWS and Sydney. Why? To put the NRL and AFL in direct competition for crowds.
It’s not good for either team for physical and mental recuperation before the new season. Especially if one of them (or both of them) make the NAB grand final, which though unlikely, is not impossible.
The Giants, led by key signings of NRL-product Israel Folau, as well as Callan Ward, Tom Scully and more recently former Brisbane Lion stalwart Luke Power, have certainly been a controversial addition to the AFL.
The fight for fans in Sydney’s west has been well publicized in the media and has clearly ruffled a few feathers on both sides.
To add to the drama of the west being seen as rugby league heartland, the AFL in true AFL style appear determined to establish the newest team by splitting code allegiances of the fans by pitting them directly against NRL teams.
The announcement of this Round One clash at ANZ Stadium shows just how determined they are to make their presence known.
Honing in on the 11,000 member mark GWS have a solid club foundation considering they are yet to take the field in the top competition. They’ve been tirelessly promoting the club in every which-way possible, around the entire area Greater-Western Sydney encompasses.
Better still, they had a pretty darn good season in the NEAFL. So why the compulsion to war with NRL?
These tactics to try and get two codes waring is nothing new, but it does leave an icky feeling in the hearts and minds of both AFL and NRL supporters.
If I was living in western Sydney I’d be pretty annoyed that I’m being fought over like this.
Credit to GWS for wanting to kick off the season with a bang, but surely this is not the best method to draw crowds when the feeling towards Aussie Rules in the west is already so tense.
How do they think they will appeal to dual-code appreciators if they go about it this way?
The strategy from GWS goes by the horribly incorrect assumption that Sydney-siders can only love one code -rugby league- and that to get numbers into the stadium they have to break that up.
How wrong they are.
A quick look at the Sydney Swans membership numbers proves there is support for AFL, and with a thriving population, larger than melbourne might I add, there’s absolutely no reason another AFL team in Sydney can’t be accommodated and grow alongside other codes.
There are numerous Aussie Rules clubs in Sydney, from Aus-kick to semi-professional ranks, from young to old. I went to a sports high school in Sydney where AFL was one of the larger elite sporting programs, so the love of the game is there.
I just don’t understand why, when there is a clear market for GWS to build off, why they insist on garnering support in this confrontational way.
If the fans want to come, they will come.
This approach is not fair on the players, on the support staff and most of all on the fans. It is not a positive way to bring in supporters.
The Giants have issued the challenge to Sydney’s west.
Whether or not they’ll accept that challenge however, is another story.
No-one likes being the piece of meat in a dog fight.
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You can follow Melanie Dinjaski on Twitter @MelanieDinjaski.
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September 29th 2011 @ 3:35pm
Johnno said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
Gutsy. Especially when most predict GWS will be annihilated.
September 29th 2011 @ 5:18pm
Titus said | September 29th 2011 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
This can’t be the real Johnno, he used punctuation.
September 29th 2011 @ 9:40pm
Johnno said | September 29th 2011 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
Im the real john titus not the frost comment above.
September 29th 2011 @ 10:07pm
Titus said | September 29th 2011 @ 10:07pm | Report comment
Indeed you are Johnno.
September 29th 2011 @ 3:41pm
voodoo people said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
“the feeling towards Aussie Rules in the west is already so tense.”
Thats one way to describe it…
September 29th 2011 @ 3:42pm
Johnno said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
There seems to be 2 johnnos on here now
September 29th 2011 @ 3:45pm
Mark Young said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:45pm | Report comment
I’m Johnno! No! I’m Spartacus!!
September 29th 2011 @ 3:45pm
Titus said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:45pm | Report comment
Scary
September 29th 2011 @ 3:51pm
hutch said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:51pm | Report comment
i dont think the whole ‘war’ approach is going to win the hearts and minds of people, more the opposite.
September 30th 2011 @ 2:11pm
me, I like football said | September 30th 2011 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
lucky the AFL has not gone down that path then
September 29th 2011 @ 3:53pm
NF said | September 29th 2011 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
Who cares about ‘war games’ GWS will carve it’s niche, the other codes will got there own way end of story. I do expect a few classic or crazy Kevin Sheedy quotables throughout 2012 though based on a few interviews I seen of him. Honestly, I haven’t heard of Kevin Sheedy until last year bare in mind I’m a QLDer and leaguie to boot.
What more scary that two johnno’s, two oikees that be a nightmare lol.
September 29th 2011 @ 4:48pm
David said | September 29th 2011 @ 4:48pm | Report comment
I dont get it. So if GWS and Sydney play the following week they wont go up against NRL crowds? Whats the diff?
September 30th 2011 @ 2:13pm
me, I like football said | September 30th 2011 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
exactly right! this whole war thing is BS to sell papers and I can’t believe people actually fall for it including Melanie, or is she just after more views and replys.
September 29th 2011 @ 5:23pm
Jay said | September 29th 2011 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
The two had to play sometime, so who gives a rats?
September 29th 2011 @ 5:28pm
TW said | September 29th 2011 @ 5:28pm | Report comment
This move has the feel of AFL boss Andrew Demitriou about it who is fairly aggressive in some of his approaches.
The only guy at the Giants admin who has been involved with NSW AFL footy and administration for a reasonable period at the grassroots is their CEO Dale Holmes. One would think he would know by now how the land lies up there in GWS.
September 30th 2011 @ 7:07am
The_Wookie said | September 30th 2011 @ 7:07am | Report comment
its not really a lot different to any number of NRL inititatives this year that went up against the Gold Coast schedule. The season opener is a request by GWS, not an AFL HQ initiative, although they may receive it, the AFL draw is not yet out.
September 29th 2011 @ 9:30pm
Ozman said | September 29th 2011 @ 9:30pm | Report comment
I cant see any problem with this scenario,the Melbourne Storm played their final the other week up against the AFL final at the same time,so whats the difference.
September 29th 2011 @ 10:27pm
Football United said | September 29th 2011 @ 10:27pm | Report comment
Storm had no say in when the final was played for the qualifying final. Mcintyre system requires the minor premier to play on a Sunday and Channel Nine demand sunday games to be played as a lead in to the 6pm news.