Room for AFL and NRL in western Sydney

Good to see your taking such an interest in GWS.

The actual number of free tickets indicated was 1,300.From memory Richard Hinds. If they had mansions on the harbour,generally speaking they would have to initially drive up the hill.Something to do with geography. One also assumes that the bulk of the people who wore Swan's jumpers,were actually latent GWS supporters new to the game.Either that or they were in fact Swan's supporters.We really need Kevin S. to clarify this vexing question. The Parramatta club is getting more and more involved with the large Indian community that lives in the area.

I would say the Swans supporters drove DOWN the hill from their mansions around the harbour to grace western Sydney with their presence, i think from memory around 1 zillion tickets were given away by AFL NSW, and once they got some people into the ground under the false pretence of free ugg boots they locked the gates to keep them in.

"AFL has the money to let GWS make some major losses while the NRL teams that are affected have to make do. In the Trade Practices act it would be illegal to do that to a competitor..." How would it be illegal under the TPA?

So the Swans supporters drove 40 mins up the road big deal. if the crowd there was that big how come on tv there was heaps of room on the hills all around the ground???? looked more like 6000 -7000 to me oh and how many of those tickes were give away free at Blacktown westpoint , Blacktown Station Mt Druitt Westfield and Penrith Westfield??? All that and only 7000 Swans supporters turned up........................

Hang on, you've made the claim that "Most people in Australia actually support football (soccer)", not most people in western Sydney. The parent poster made the claim about western Sydney. If you're being misunderstood, then the fault is with you for not making your point clearly. Regardless, there is no way in hell most people in Australia support soccer in preference to other codes of football, no matter what measure you choose to apply.

We're talking western Sydney here, not western Melbourne. Pay attention to the actual comments, not just launching into another anti-soccer rant.

touch wood Majak Daw might make some good headway at North Melbourne to help further encourage the Sudanese (and other recent arrivals from Africa) to become even more expansive in their engagement with community sports.

I think Jimbo is using the same logic of 'passive' support or misleading surveys such that illustrate that both Melb Storm and Syd Swans are the countries 2 highest support clubs........

sharminator what I was referring to was that Blacktown has a strong futbol culture, with many clubs like the Blacktown Demons being the prominent Blacktown sporting club. There are a large number of Sudanese in the area and generally they only play futbol, although I understand basketball is beginning to win favour amongst them. The whole notion of what people support is hard to gauge. Many Australians watch the Socceroos, but have minimal interest in any sport otherwise. Many futbol players are only interested in playing futbol and not spectating. Many people watch EPL and other overseas leagues, but refuse to have anything to do with the HAL. The futbol community is not as "united" as say NRL and AFL, where it is safe to say that 90% of supporters have a domestic side that they can support, without being distracted by overseas competitions.

I think a fair bit of interest. I am originally from SA, and I know a lot of people from the AFL states are in the area and have settled in the area for good due to work over a number of years at One Steel etc.

"Most people in Australia actually support football and Sydney’s west has the highest concentration of football players, clubs and supporters." What a strange comment. A pity it isnt based on reality. Im not the biggest fan of AFL or NRL but obviously they are the two dominant winter codes in Australia. If most people support football .. why on earth does the A league have to be played in the Summer!!! No one I know actually gives a toss about football or the A league. Yes they hope that Australia gets into the Football world cup ... and does well .. but they dont sit quivering on the edge of their seat waiting to watch Australia vs Kuwait at 2 in the morning. Saying that most people in Australia actually support football is simply not true.

Stop telling fibs. In real terms, such as bums on seats and television ratings, soccer doesn't come remotely close to the AFL, Cricket, League or even Union. Children kicking a soccer ball around a park with some coach that can't accept the fact he doesn't live in Kansas anymore does not constitute 'most people'.

Most people in Australia actually support football and Sydney's west has the highest concentration of football players, clubs and supporters. Depends how you want to look at a sport as being number one and which city, region, state or the nation as a whole.

At the professional level it's rugby league though. That is what most people support

Blacktown is not a rugby league heartland, futbol is the no.1 sport there.

Hahha, what a joke. NRL supporters voting down anything which doesn’t praise there game.

Newcastle area could be a good option - there is some half a million people there - but I do not know what the level of AFL interest is. If its the same as Western Sydney, then it will be long hard and expensive slog. I think Darwin should be in line for a guernsey, (after Tassie). Sure its got less than half the population of Newcastle but I dare say AFL is more than twice as popular (Northern Territory has highest AFL participation rates per capita, and most number of players in AFL per capita)

Indeed, those on the Central Coast/Newcastle Region should really be drawing up a plan to be the AFL's 20th team NOW! The AFL has already indicated it could be ready to go to 20 teams by 2020 - where will these 2 new teams be? Clearly there are a number of options. New Perth team North Queensland Tasmania Central Coast/Newcastle. Personally, I think Central Coast/Newcastle should be a priority (I'm not from there by the way) - but to really increase the AFL presence around the entire country - this is the place that should be next on the list. Probably along with a relocated Tasmanian team and a new Perth team. But to make this a reality - those on the Central Coast and in Newcastle need to make the case and step forward. Castle Coast Black Diamonds here we come.

Hahha, what a joke. AFL supporters voting down anything which doesn't praise there game.