GWS Giants lack a true sense of home
Roar Rookie By Keith D Parry, 26 Jan 2012 Keith D Parry is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- AFL, ANZ stadium, Blacktown Olympic Park, Greater Western Sydney Giants, GWS Giants, Manuka Oval, Skoda Stadium
Related coverage
The AFL’s new club Greater Western Sydney Giants will play home games at four home venues in 2012, and three in 2013, meaning they won’t have is the solidity of a single spiritual home for the club.
Their primary home venue is the Sydney Showground (Skoda Stadium), which is operated by the Royal Agricultural Society, yet this ground will also be used for a range of other activities including the Royal Easter Show.
The second home venue in Sydney is ANZ stadium, originally the athletics venue for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and although the capacity is now less than for the Games, it can still hold over eighty thousand spectators.
The established AFL team in Sydney, the Sydney Swans, have an average attendance of just thirty-three thousand spectators for the games that they play at ANZ Stadium. In such a big arena, even that size crowd results in a lack of atmosphere, which lessens the feeling of intimidation for opposition players and encouragement for the home side.
The first GWS first game, a local derby against the Swans, will be played at ANZ. While the Swans have a substantial membership base, GWS have (as of January 2012) only secured around 4000 members, which will result in Giants fans being outnumbered by their counterparts in a half-empty stadium.
While the former Olympic stadium has been the site of historic sporting achievements, it has not yet established a tradition as an Australian football venue, and so the sense of place has not been established in this context.
The third home venue for GWS will be Canberra’s Manuka Oval, as the AFL are keen for GWS to establish a presence in the ACT as well as New South Wales.
While this may provide GWS with a larger fan-base, it is unlikely that many fans from Sydney will travel to Canberra (and vice versa), given that GWS’s primary home venue is almost 300 kilometres from Manuka Oval.
The fourth home venue, Blacktown Olympic Park, while it was the home ground for GWS in 2011 when they were playing in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL), will only be a stop-gap home while renovation work on Skoda Stadium is finished.
Sports fandom is often compared to religion, and one of the key aspects of this is the place of worship, in the case the stadium. The stadium becomes a sacred place where fans feel a connection to their team and those around them.
It becomes a place of pilgrimage and fans will revisit the site of significant moments in the team’s history and further develop their bond with the team.
In addition to the place of worship, another aspect of religious veneration is the use of iconography in the form of statues and other religious paraphernalia to honour the significant figures within the religion.
In the case of sports worship it is common for this veneration to include the erection of statues of players, images of current or past teams, or the naming of parts of the ground after significant individuals.
Without one designated home venue it will be more difficult for GWS to develop a sacred site, and to develop the levels of identification that their fans are supposed to feel. Given the lack of ground ownership, it will be difficult for GWS to personalise a ground in this manner.
It remains to be seen if the nomadic lifestyle of GWS in its start-up years will impact on either their on-field and off-field success.
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
January 26th 2012 @ 8:57am
mds1970 said | January 26th 2012 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Skoda Stadium is the regular home ground – but with its capacity being smaller than most grounds, it makes sense to have the derby at a larger ground. The 27,000 capacity at Skoda would be more than sufficient for any other game, but the derby would likely attract a bigger crowd. Similar to Geelong playing blockbuster home games in Melbourne.
As you mention, Blacktown is only a stop-gap until Skoda is finished. Blacktown is GWS’s training and admin base, and was never intended to be the regular home ground. It holds about 12,000; 1,500 in the grandstand and the rest on the hill. But parking and transport access are poor, and I have concerns whether the facility will handle it.
And Canberra is part of the Giants’ base, similar to Launceston with Hawthorn.
The disjointed home grounds will be a challenge – but it doesn’t seem to hurt clubs like Hawthorn, Geelong, St George or Wests Tigers.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:35am
Chris said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:35am | Report comment
I would have had the Sydney derby at Skoda – for a few years anyway. Once GWS builds up a fan base then it will make sense to use the larger venue, but for the moment Skoda will be fine.
Still not sure about the Canberra thing though…
January 26th 2012 @ 10:38am
Ian Whitchurch said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:38am | Report comment
Someone should remind the author that Carlton dont play at Princes Park, the Sainters have left Moorabin, Collingwood dont play at Victoria Park and Port dont play at Alberton.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:39pm
alexbarker1978 said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:39pm | Report comment
Collingwood’s twos play at Vic Park still. I think the author is spot on in that GWS needs to develop its traditions and mythology like any other successful club and that having a spiritual home is integral to this.
January 26th 2012 @ 10:49am
Tony said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:49am | Report comment
How the AFL-haters must hate the statue of Paul Kelly at the SCG!
January 26th 2012 @ 12:27pm
Lachlan said | January 26th 2012 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Their home will be Skoda Stadium. They will play at ANZ Stadium when versing Swans, it would appear. Blacktown International Sportspark will be played as a one off, because the easter show, skoda stadium and giants home game clash. THis will appear to hurt the Giants for the first 3 or 4 weeks of the season. Manuka Oval, Hawthorn playing home games out of Launceston, is their second home, to continuing giving Canberra Resdients football matches.
January 26th 2012 @ 3:29pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
Just listening to an interview with Sheeds on FSN, and he reckons that in the near future there will be three AFL teams playing out of Sydney.
January 26th 2012 @ 5:27pm
The_Wookie said | January 26th 2012 @ 5:27pm | Report comment
I like sheeds, but there wont be a 3rd team in Sydney for a bloody long time. Id say never to be honest.
January 26th 2012 @ 6:34pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 6:34pm | Report comment
I agree a 3rd team in Sydney is unlikely – certainly not in my lifetime – but a 3rd team in NSW within 50 years? I’d say that is probable.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:24pm
Tony said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:24pm | Report comment
Where exactly, Cattery?
January 26th 2012 @ 9:36pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:36pm | Report comment
Well, one can’t speak with certainty on these sorts of things, economic development can wax and wane in different places and demographics can change as a consequence, and can change considerably over a 30 to 40 year period.
But apart from a 3rd Sydney team, afterall, major cities still have the advantage for any new sporting entity, I would imagine as far as a regional presence in NSW goes, there are only two real possibilities:
1. an Albury-Wodonga team, recalling that both sides of the Murray are very strong aussie rules territories, and it’s an area that continues to grow population wise, and the Norther suburbs of Melbourne are less than a 3 hour drive away; and
2. Newcastle – the AFL will not ignore the 6th largest city in Australia forever, one only marginally smaller than the Gold Coast, and one which boasts a very old aussie rules comp, being one of the oldest sporting comps in Australia. Junior footy has picked up in recent years, but we’re definitely talking a 25+ year project there.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:43pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:43pm | Report comment
I should add that in looking 50 years ahead (which is always difficult), we are informed by what has happened over the last 30 years, with the VFL going from 12 Victorian teams (11 in inner-city Melbourne) to 18 teams, with 8 teams being outside of Victoria, and with NSW and Qld having two teams each, and now with a significant presence in Tassie (six games per season starting this year), also 3 games per season in Canberra, and at least one game per season in each of Darwin and Cairns..
Viewed from that perspective, then you would have to conclude that 3rd AFL teams in each of those states inside the next 40 to 50 years as being highly probable – especially if the population growth continues on present trends, and is spread relatively evenly around Australia.
The one proviso I would state unequivocally is that it also is dependent on a strong economy.
The AFL’s growth in the last 20 years has been on the back of strong economic growth in most parts of Australia.
If we were to experience 20 to 30 years of economic stagnation in the near future – that would put the kybosh on most plans.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:51pm
Tony said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
As usual, Cattery, your arguments are well reasoned & hard to disagree with. It would be nice to have an AFL club in Newcastle, but soccer & NRL are firmly entrenched there. Surely Canberra is more deserving than Albury?
January 26th 2012 @ 9:56pm
alexbarker1978 said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:56pm | Report comment
IMO Newcastle would be the next most challenging expansion after GWS yet also that with the greatest dividend. Tasmania and Newcastle 2020? Each with its own inherit challenges, both with very old Australian Football credentials.
January 26th 2012 @ 10:43pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
alex – no doubt about that (being challenging).
January 26th 2012 @ 10:47pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:47pm | Report comment
Tony
re Canberra being more worthy than Albury, well, when you put it like that, yes, I guess so! There’s a school of thought that says this GWS partnership is it, forever, and there are others who feel that it might one day lead to Canberra having its own team.
But when I see how very successful Raiders and Brumbies teams have struggled to get national sponsorship deals, I’m left with the conclusion that Canberra would never be able to earn the revenue to have its own AFL team.
Of course, the same argument probably applies to Albury-Wodonga, but I was looking 50 years into the future!
January 27th 2012 @ 9:28am
stabpass said | January 27th 2012 @ 9:28am | Report comment
3rd sydney team would be Southern Sydney and the Illawarra, whilst GWS purports to represent WS, SS and the Illawarra has a huge population as well.
Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith are all north of Sydney.
January 29th 2012 @ 1:17pm
Al said | January 29th 2012 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Id like to hear the reactions of locals of those three suburbs when you tell them they are from north Sydney….lol
January 29th 2012 @ 1:23pm
stabpass said | January 29th 2012 @ 1:23pm | Report comment
Fair enough Al, according to a map they are, but my real point was that S/SW Sydney and Illawarra could in the future possible host a AFL team.
January 29th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Al said | January 29th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Yeah fair point stab, just being cheeky. I’m just glad I’m born and bred campbelltown, never to be mistaken with the north Sydney label.. Lol
January 26th 2012 @ 6:46pm
Jack Russell said | January 26th 2012 @ 6:46pm | Report comment
Never is a long time. Only 20 years ago the only team in Sydney was completely hopeless in every respect. Anyone even mentioning the thought of a 2nd Sydney team then would have been laughed out of the state.
January 26th 2012 @ 9:23pm
Tony said | January 26th 2012 @ 9:23pm | Report comment
Yes, JR. Who would have thought 20 years ago that there would be AFL offices in the SFS complex, Swans offices in the SCG, a statue of Paul Kelly nearby, 4 Aussie goal posts across the road & all over Sydney – & an AFL area in Hyde Park on Australia Day next to the Wallabies?
January 27th 2012 @ 6:45pm
Jaredsbro said | January 27th 2012 @ 6:45pm | Report comment
No it’s mandatory that EVENTUALLY there be three as Packed to the Rafters would suggest that in the real outskirts of Sydney Australian Football has a multitude of fans (still can’t get over 7′s blatant promotion/cultural colonisation reminiscent of Reconstruction or something diabollically close to it…my apologies to you more serious bloggers
)
But I am serious. There needs to be a North Shore team eventually…Broovale Oval might be available in a few years (I’d forecast as little as five, actually!)
January 26th 2012 @ 10:02pm
turbodewd said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:02pm | Report comment
I wonder if people are aware that the ACT govt spent $23 million over 10 years for 3 GWS regular season games per year at Manuka. What a diabolical use of taxpayer money for a a Sydney sporting team to visit Canberra. Its horrific.
January 26th 2012 @ 10:42pm
The Cattery said | January 26th 2012 @ 10:42pm | Report comment
It’s no secret, it has been fully reported.
The deal is similar to the Tasmanian Government sponsoring Hawthorn to pay 4 games in Lonnie.
The GWS games in Canberra will feature a unique jumper promoting the city of Canberra.
It’s a commercial deal between the local government and GWS. If cities want AFL games, they have to make it commercially attractive to the AFL and the clubs involved – it’s nothing more sinister than that. Without the deal, there’d be no AFL games in Canberra.
January 26th 2012 @ 11:59pm
stabpass said | January 26th 2012 @ 11:59pm | Report comment
Do you understand what underwritten means ?.
January 27th 2012 @ 12:28am
JVGO said | January 27th 2012 @ 12:28am | Report comment
This whole AFL obsession with Sydney is becoming pathetic and sad. The fact that everyone in the Southern States will be encouraged to wet themselves over this entirely contrived and phony event while noone in Sydney will care is quite bizarre. The purported rivlary exists entirely for the aggrandisement of the AFL and its southern fans. There is nothing real to it at all.
Even Swans fans will figure that being asked to traipze into the dreaded Western Suburbs and participate in such a contrived circus is extremely uncool and embarrassing. I will be exremely surprised is this whole ill conceived fiasco doesn’t backfire in the biggest way for all concerned.
January 27th 2012 @ 9:22am
stabpass said | January 27th 2012 @ 9:22am | Report comment
Gotta start somewhere, this will be a very slow build, all interest is welcome !.
January 29th 2012 @ 2:25pm
Daryl Adair said | January 29th 2012 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
No-one will care? Well, they already have 4,000 members before a ball has been bounced. They’ll need 10 years to get a foothold. But to say it is contrived is nonsense. About time the people of Sydney’s west were treated seriously in respect of what sports are on offer. Hopefully the rugby league clubs in the west will also do well. It’s not an either/or proposition.
February 2nd 2012 @ 11:32am
Jaceman said | February 2nd 2012 @ 11:32am | Report comment
Gee they are only continuing the great Sydney tradition of us vrs them instituted by that genius Masters (fibros vrs silvertails). How is the AFLs concocted and NRLs isnt.
January 27th 2012 @ 6:40pm
Jaredsbro said | January 27th 2012 @ 6:40pm | Report comment
I’m thinking the Canterbury Crusaders did alright of playing away from home
The problem is the team is energised by the fans which are energised by the team, so a big/intimidating crowd is a biggie in Australian Football these days…to get the kind of ‘religious’ fervour you talk about. But what really energises a team is the real connection it might have with its audience, it’s community…it’s identity, which for mine comes from being an outpost of AFL-type teleevangelism: that is being a refuge for those who actually like the game…not just rubbernecking tourists.
January 28th 2012 @ 11:25pm
Republican said | January 28th 2012 @ 11:25pm | Report comment
Any expansion is subject to one criteria only today and that has naught to do with cultural support for or pedigree of any particular code. The criteria is as the CAT has already alluded to, sponsorship.
Small demographics i.e Tassie and the ACT, sadly,will only ever share an AFL brand unlike Union and League, both being light weight brands in domestic commercial terms, compared to our code.
Albury – Wodonga has an advantage over the ACT and Tassie and that is it’s proximity to Melbourne however, I am not sure that this is enough to warrant it ever realistically being considered as a future stand alone, AFL elite base.
Then far more hair brained stuff is being mooted out there by the respected international cringe element, i.e. NZ.