Should Western Sydney have an AFL club?

As a western sydney resident, I'd love to see a team over here. I dont think one sydney team is enough, given how spread out sydney is. It will never take over league but I think it will have a decent following

Jackson, Tassie have been given their most encouraging sign yet by the AFL last week with AD in the Apple Isle coming away very impressed. Up until now the AFL has been virtually ignoring Tassie so it was good to see them acknowledge their existence and give them a pretty good signal to hang in there. The contigency plan is there should WS not stack up in 2010-11. Red

Gold Coast... Great. But Tassie would of been a much better option for the 18th team. Im surprised TAS wasnt given a team years ago. There is massive support there, and sydney already has the swans. However NSW footy is growing, and it was bound to happen eventually, but yeah, Tassie first.

Some good comments here. I'm interested in the comments around the social scene for the Swans,etc and think if the Western Sydney has got any chance, as Sam has implied, they have to build from grass roots football level and keep the base working to middle class. A team ethos comes from the club and to an extent from its supporters - ironicially they need to be a North Melbourne with a never say die type of spirit. If WS turn into Fremantle or Port Adelaide with no ticker they'll fail. This is why they need the grass roots to get working in WS first before putting in a team, they need to play a strong brand of footy built by the locals - that will take more then 3-4 years though - more like 10-12 years. they need to recruit a good core of locals to WS (like GC17 have done), not be a Melbourne Storm full of 'football mercenaries'. The North Melb Gold Coast thing never worked because North refused to commit, firstly to Canberra, then as the 2nd Sydney team, then Gold Coast - forced by poor finances they became a reluctant nomad for awhile but really they just wanted to just come home - they'll live or die in Melbourne now and I think that's right. I have not seen enough of evidence of the building blocks of a club in WS, the Hills District is a start but it needs 6-8 strong areas to build a thriving local footy comp, then forge Western Sydney from there. Redb

Tifosi Swans get a decent following when they play at Canberra. That doesn't mean the West Sydney will as well - but at least they'll be more a sense of permanency than North (who have been whoring themselves around the joint even more than the bullies!)

Well once upon a time the swans had very poor crowds and now they do ok. Although the AFL, i believe, is moving into West Sydney mostly so it can ask for more tv revenue, it needs a 20 year approach to this venture. On another note Canberra was a pretty big AFL town once upon a time but the AFL missed the boat ( even kevin sheedy mentioned it). The Raiders came in 83 the NSWRL and League took over. But canberrans usually only like winners hence why brumbies are doing better than the raiders. We also felt a little pissed off when the kangaroos bailed out to play at the gold coast.

Pre-season game wouldn't be a problem. But two competition games in Canberra really depends... It's like Melbourne Victory playing two competition games in Hobart. How would that go down with you? I don't know. I just think if you represent an area you should be in the community and playing all your games there. Why do you think the Gold Coast experiment with North Melbourne failed. I just don't think the AFL has any idea to be quite honest. It's like they're dipping their toe in the water..That will turn out worse than going the whole hog.

Sam it's a fair point about the part-time team thing. This is only what I've heard - I personally don't have a strong view. They might look at a formula like: one pre-season game in Canberra, and maybe two regular home games - that would mean 9 home games where ever it they are playing from. Do you think that would be a problem?

Pip My advice as a person who knows West Sydney well is if you're going to play 3 or 4 games in Canberra, don't bother. A part-time team won't go down well here. You would have to play all the games here. Captain Nemo is spot on with the Swans social thing. That's why I think a team in West Sydney would be more genuine support based. But then again I am only guessing here. Hills District is a strong AFL area, but you are really relying on one district for core support..

Sam If the AFL understands things (and I would think that they would), I'm confident that they would be thrilled with an average of 15,000 for a West Sydney team in the first few seasons. There's talk that this new team would play 3 or 4 games in Canberra as well - and Manuka only holds a maximum of 14,000 anyway. But honestly, you won't find a single AFL enthusiast on the Roar saying anything other than the obvious - that it's all a big risk and that it might well fall flat on its face, but as they say in the classics...

Pip If you do put in a West Sydney AFL team, expect 10,000 to 15,000 type Sydney crowds. Now 15,000 is a decent crowd in Sydney to most Victorians bewilderment, hence why smaller and more atmospheric grounds are preferred. Remember in West Sydney you are selling to 1.8 million people (a lot of who like sport but will watch it on TV as a day at a football match can be expensive for them). Buying a Fox subscription is much cheaper. The rest of Sydney (2.5 million) is filled with bridges and bays that divides Sydney up into little bits of people's own turf. A lot of these people aren't all into sport (many celebrity), but essentially the problem is getting everyone to come to one place. Your AFL average crowd will go down if you put in a second Sydney and Gold Coat team. Are the AFL prepared for that? Note: I don't have anything against a second team. There is maybe enough of a market to attract 15,000 crowds. Is this good enough for the AFL?

Capt Nemo - good post!! I really enjoy reading some honest opinion from people on the spot without all the bull shit that normally comes with it!!

i am a anglosaxan inner west (balmain) sydneysider who formally played 1st grade rugby for the beasties (Easts) a fair while ago now. I travel abroad about 2 weeks of the month flying for cathay pacific airways so i meet people of various cultures etc etc. I have a fairly active social life when home in sydney and with 2 little ones under 5, I am now doing the childrens birthday party scene which inevitively gets you talking to other parents about sport!! This is my take on AFL in Sydney and the Swans in general. Regarding the Swans, they have been a credit to the AFL. This club has engaged the community at every level and their players have set the standard in Sydney regarding off field behaviour. If any incidentals have occured, it is well and truely kept behind closed doors. Swans supporters; this club has really been taken to heart by Sydneys gay and Lesbian community. This is not a critism or a slander of the club, its just what has happened. The other groups that the swans attracted were people who were pissed with the super league battle, and people who had never really followed sport but liked the social element that swans could provide. For these people, league was not an option because of the amount of bogans at the games and rugby because they percieved it as a toffy nosed private school boy game. I have been to 2 swans games as a guest of Qantas in their box. I would say there was about 30 guests 9in the box) and out of the 30, I'd say 30 had little or no interest in what was happening on the paddock and the conversations changed to Bledisloe Cup, Tri-nations, Northern Vs Southern Hemisphere standards, State of Origin etc. I think the AFL has a problem with Sydney because the people who are making decisions are preaching to the converted. To be honest, I never hear blokes bag or put shit on the swans generally because nobody I come across is really interested in talking about the Swans. I would of spoken to more blokes the other week about Wales chance against Ireland in the 6 nations than the Swans, because the conversation was never raised. This leads me to the next point, Sydneysiders like the international element. They like test match ideals, hearing about a kid who went to the same school as you did playing for his country or running out onto the paddick at Twikenham. The International element for rugby and football (soccer) is everything. I personally enjoy following the progress of a few junior boys playing for the TAH's and seeing how they stand up to test match quality players at the moment in NZ and Africa. thats what alot Sydneysiders enjoy and AFL can't provide Sydney with that. Sydneysiders are different in that they watch rugby and mungo (league) on TV. Thats what people do here. This is for lots of reasons, but thats the way it is. (if western sydney AFL is expecting big crowds don't!!! Because nobody gets big crowds!!!) Also, rugby and mungo fans can watch and enjoy each others games. Most rugby fans have a league team they follow (mine is the dragons). I enjoy watching league because i donot have to think too much when watching 5 hitups and a kick. For you AFL people, the difference with rugby is that at almost every moment of the game, the ball is being contested, with geniune srums, rucking and mauling that can provide a turn over, line outs and the realease of the ball when tackled!!! Regarding Western Sydney AFL, well if you guys want to throw good money after bad, goodluck!! My point of view, take it or leave it!!

I am from the C Coast (BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!) and I have to say i think an AFL team up here will do us well. Ok were big league fans... But if they established a team up here i think it would start to change. It's a better spot then western Sydney anyways

West Sydney will get another AFL team and no coincidence at about the same time as the next TV rights are auctioned off. The team won’t make any money but they will probably get bigger attendances than the WS A-League team. The AFL is very good at marketing and getting people to go to the games. I read that the AFL are paying for free buses for Swans fans to get to the AFL games at Homebush and the SCG from major railway stations. How long before they start paying people to go to the Swans games?

Westy - fair enough, I kind of get your point now. That's always the irony of living in a safe seat isn't it? Mind you this whole issue of government funding for stadia is a controversial one. I can understand those who say if sporting bodies want bright sparkling new facilities then they should pay for them out of their generous TV deals. On the other hand there is the argument that such facilities bring benefits to the area in terms of jobs, visitors etc. It's a little simpler in Melbourne as the city centre is pretty accessible for the majority of the population - hence we can have MCG, Docklands and now the new rectangular stadium all within literally walking distance and most people are ok with that. However I understand the situation in Sydney is quite different - I've always read the postings on these sites from Sydney AFL, soccer and Union fans who 'refuse' to go to Homebush, Moore Park etc with some amusement, but I do kind of get where they're coming from.

Westy, Very early days though. We are yet to see consortiums formed and stadium arrangements put in place. WS is a good 12-18 months behind the GC. I read that the NSW/ Manager for the AFL has interested parties forming alliances ,etc but it still too early to call for bids. There could be a Blacktown bid, Homebush based bid, etc. Don't forget the AFl is still building grass roots having more than one decent venue will be required in the longer term. Ther are ATC Under 18 games, cricket, no doubt future NAB Cup games,etc. Redb

Kurt my annoyance is not with the AFL but with Blacktown City Council . They have relative to their income invested heavily in a training facility with no committment to play games there and no state government support. The Gold Coast will achieve a new stadium to play AFL in the Gold Coast. Blacktown invests to have the games elsewhere. It does so with no state support and an AFL now seeking a smaller boutique ground at Homebush. This would be a complete debacle for Blacktown. Unlike the Gold Coast Blacktown is very safe Labor and an incoming Barry o'Farrell will provide no funding for any development in this area. My fear is for the ineptitude of a Council that may derive very little bang for its buck. Put simply it has not effectively tied the new Western Sydney franchise to its area. That is reprehensible.

how does the AFL expect to draw 20,000 plus fans to a game. there is no point in them just wasting their time and money on a team which will be an absolute mistake. there better off just putting all this effort into a Tassie team, which has been a great supporter of footy for years. good luck west Sydney i give u 5 years in the competition.

Westy I have no problems with the fact that Western Sydney is a big place. I just don't quite see how it is AFL 'spin' to talk about a team from that area. I thought that was exactly what the A-League were planning to do anyway. As for the prospects for AFL in the area, having spent a fair bit of time in Parramatta with work over the years I have asbolutely no illusions about it being easy.