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Sydney chairman Richard Colless last night warned that anyone who didn’t believe a second AFL team in the city would incur a massive cost had “absolute rocks in their head”.
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Speaking at his club’s pre-match function, Colless said Sydney unconditionally supported the AFL on their strategic moves, but underlined the extent of support a Western Sydney franchise would require prior to their proposed competition entry in 2012.
“It is the AFL’s call to make their strategic moves in this industry and in this competition and we support them unconditionally on that,” Colless told an audience of over 700 diners.
“What I have said and will continue to say, however, it’s going to take a massive amount of money, a massive amount of AFL resources and massive concessions for this team to work.
“Anyone who thinks anything different has absolute rocks in their head.”
Among the dignitaries listening to Colless was AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou.
Colless did offer a rather more lighthearted remark about the prospect of a second Sydney team.
It also enabled him to continue his playful sparring with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who was also present at the function.
“In breaking news, Collingwood have decided to put the interests of the game first and are relocating to Sydney and they will play next year as the Penrith-Blacktown Magpies,” Colless joked.
A playful Colless also thanked McGuire for graciously allowing Sydney to use the term blockbuster to describe last night’s game.
“Everyone knows Collingwood owns the right to the term blockbuster, it can’t be said without their permission,” Colless joked.
While McGuire also had a turn at the microphone last night, he resisted the temptation to indulge in any verbal sparring with Colless and congratulated Sydney on their part in building the annual split round clash with his club into what he described as “one of the highest grossing games of any code in Australia”.
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