So where are we at with the AFL’s foray into Greater Western Sydney? Is the frontier club beginning to bed down in its new home of Blacktown? Or are there worrying signs already, since the west really means within walking distance of Homebush rather than “city within a city.”
After Blacktown Council welcomed the AFL with open arms, the buzz grew with the opening of the $27 million NSW government funded training facility at Doonside.
The AFL talked of generating permanent economic and social benefits for the region by providing new jobs and economic activity.
However, if media reports are correct, the AFL has been lobbying the NSW government for a $45 million re-development of the Sydney showground – adjacent to ANZ Stadium – at Homebush.
The AFL has wanted to gain access to a redeveloped 30,000 seat showground, rather than hold GWS games in front of the anticipated 15,000 crowds at ANZ Stadium. The latter is apparently not a good look for the code.
One option was to play games at the Blacktown facility, but that too is beneath the AFL’s standards.
It’s an interesting situation.
The AFL boasts a war chest of $200 million to ensure GWS survives its early seasons, yet has lobbied hard for NSW government spending on grounds primarily for its use, now exceeding $72 million.
So we know for certain that GWS will not be playing any further west of the Sydney GPO than the Olympic precinct at Homebush.
According to Roy Masters in The Herald, the AFL knows few, if any, of its players will choose to live in the Blacktown area and surrounding suburbs.
Consequently, it is claimed that team GWS will not train at the Blacktown facility, but instead the Showground at Homebush.
A visit to the contact page on the GWS website gives no physical address, with a phone number that takes the caller to Moore Park and the NSW AFL office.
Masters also reveals that GWS has begun to target the upper-middle class of the hills district, including Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Pennant Hills. For those not familiar with Sydney, these are not Blacktown nor western Sydney.
Just what is the connection between GWS and Sydney’s west?
Is there any permanent connection at all, or is the AFL just paying lip service to the people of Blacktown and western Sydney?
Has the AFL abandoned Blacktown and Sydney’s west before its venture has even begun?
Norad
Guest
Funny reading this in 2016. AFL really did rat out on Blacktown.
Stalingrad
Guest
This whole greater Western Sydney business is looking like it will be the AFL's own Stalingrad. The AFL cannot even sell out the SCG, how is it supposed to spread itself out even thinner. There is as much interest in AFL in Sydney as there is NRL in Melbourne. Understand this point very clearly before ploughing on. Knowing the region, playing at Homebush is almost the same as playing at the SCG at Moore Park. The AFL does not get the fact, Homebush is NOT in the west. Well, this will just bring in a Tasmanian club quicker. And that is where AFL should have gone to in the first place.
Billo Boy
Guest
I thought GWS was supposed to be Blacktown's team? They are all going to live at Concord. Means they will be playing and training at the Showground.. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/breakfast-is-served-for-folau/story-e6freye0-1225885452802 Seems this lot think they are too good for us Westies.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Demetriou's got a point - it's not all that far, and the access is a lot better to Homebush than it is to Rooty Hill. I live in Toongabbie, which is closer to Rooty Hill than it is to Homebush - but Homebush is a lot quicker and easier to get to. Homebush has car parking on site, Blacktown sort of does but it takes ages to get out of (although an on/off ramp from Eastern Rd onto the M7 is being planned). Homebush has a railway station next door with relatively frequent trains, Blacktown is a 15 minute walk through dark back streets to the nearest railway station where trains only run half-hourly. On the western line, Blacktown would be easier. But for people in the south-west and north-west, public transport to Rooty Hill is a labyrinth; while existing services already go to Homebush. Blacktown as a training venue and for pre-season games will be excellent - and that's what it's been designed for. There was never any intention to play regular season games there.
Billo Boy
Guest
Fresh from Andrew D's lips to the people of Blacktown and Sydney's west: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/folau-fallout--dismayed-demetriou-tells-gallop-to-pull-his-head-in-20100608-xtpy.html When asked if he was concerned the venue wasn't in Greater Western Sydney, and specifically the areas the AFL has been targeting, such as the Hills district, and that it was 25 km from Blacktown, he said: ''I've been out there on several occasions and I think it's a 15-20 minute drive for those people we are trying to attract. I think it's in a perfect position.'' Goodbye Blacktown! "15-20 minutes from Homebush"!!!! Welcome to the new Auburn AFL team!
Billo Boy
Guest
So now we know it officially. The NSW taxpayer has just handed over $45 million to help the AFL base their franchise that was formerly known as Blacktown's GWS team at Homebush. Blacktown and the people of western Sydney have today been officially abandoned by the AFL.
Billo Boy
Guest
Oh please. The rugby codes and soccer are NSW sports. AFL is a foreign sport. Only migrant Victorians watch it here. There's no votes for any politician who sides with AFL. The Showground money won't be there once Labor is thrown out of office later this year. As for sharing the government money every NRL club can appear in the NRL grand final. The non NSW clubs can't move the grand final to their home capital. Same if the Queensland government had won the bid. This may be a shock to you but all around the world the money that professional competitions earn from wherever they can get it ultimately ends up in the pool of money that is divided up amongst the franchises and the players. That's the whole idea of the business. I agree that AFL players should not share in the AFL's income from government funded stadiums and government funded ground upgrades.
zach
Guest
So do they want their taxpayers money going into the pockets of rugby league players -including Melbourne Storm players - because that's exactly where the NRL's $45m is going. The NRL has said it will use the money to increase the salary cap - for ALL NRL clubs, 6 of which are not in NSW. So more than one third of the NSW taxpayers money is being used to subsidise teams outside NSW. Whereas with the Showgrounds upgrade NSW gets bricks and mortar nearly half of which is paid for by the AFL
Billo Boy
Guest
The people of NSW don't want their taxpayers money spent redeveloping the Showground just to give migrants from Victoria somewhere to hold hands and remember home. That ground is used as a cow paddock during the Easter Show and nothing else except the Big Day Out. No one would miss the Showground if it was replaced by a carpark. There was a bidding contest going on between the NSW and Queensland governments for the NRL grand final. You see unlike with AFL which just has Melbourne rugby league has two major cities in Sydney and Brisbane and possibly a third in Auckland who could all host the grand final. AFL can't count on the country towns of Adelaide or Perth to put in a bid to take away its grand final from the MCG and Melbourne. The AFL was also dumb enough to tell everyone it has signed up with the MCG until 2030 or 2040 or something just as silly. Keep dreaming. Perhaps one day LA or London will bid for the AFL grand final. Not.
zach
Guest
The NSW Government has just given the NRL a $45m cash handout on the pretext of keeping the NRL Grand Final in Sydney when it was never in danger of leaving. The NRL then has the nerve to complain when the same NSW government invests $45m in the upgrade of the showgrounds even though the AFL is putting a further $30m of its own money into the project, which will be owned by the people of NSW.
Billo Boy
Guest
Nope. And no one in rugby league has ever deluded themselves into thinking that to be the case. Unlike with Vic rules.
akazie
Guest
But RF, the Rugby codes might scratch and fight, but we do have a little respect for each other, it's like big brother v litlle brother and it always will be. I've seen the most anti League fans (union boys) go absolutely tropo at certain sites when other sports have attacked League, and I seen Leaguies do the same.
akazie
Guest
Why would RL fans be worried of AFL, RL has taken ground off AFL in the last 100 years, AFL has been fighting ever since 1908 to keep what it has. AFL was around before RL out here and at the time it was giving Rugby Union a real run in NSW and QLD, then Rugby League came around and the AFL retreated back to its original heartlands. Has AFL ever taken any area off RL out here in Australia like RL has in Canberra, NSW and QLD? No it hasn't. The Swans can't even crack 50k most the time on the box these days in Sydney and the AFL fanboys have resorted to adding Nation wide foxtel ratings to them to give it a bit of a boost. RL has been run as bad a soccer in Australia for years, yet in that time the AFL has had a dream run, everything turns eventually and I for one do not have a worry in the world when thinking about the AFL and its spin about expansion and the fanboys talk of coming to get us. Bring it on I say, RL is the most resilient code on the planet, it's had to be to survive against bigger sports like soccer and Union, the AFL in this regard has nothing.
Redb
Roar Guru
Is that like rugby league being a quintessential part of the English experience.
Redb
Roar Guru
The AFL has also funded the redevelopment of the MCG and underpinned redevelopment by agreeing to long term tenant contracts. You miss the point.
Billo Boy
Guest
Quite right Ken. It is quintessentially part of the Victorian experience.
Ken
Guest
I know you're being sarcastic but it's completely true. AFL is a foreign code in the birthplace of modern Australia (which is also the largest population centre in the country). It's not an attack but it is a truth which I think is missed by those from the AFL part of the country who see their game as being quintessentially part of the Australian experience. I think it's why the AFL vs anyone else tend to be the most vitriolic of the code wars, despite League, Union and Soccer all having red hot go's at each other from time to time.
Ken
Guest
C'mon Redb, they play AFL out of the SCG! It's probably the most historic ground in the country. To save any new argument, I'll put the MCG on the same level, they both have 150+ years of top level sporting history but the SCG's Member's and Ladies stands give it an old world charm to go with it. OK, so it's a cricket ground but wasn't AFL designed to be played on cricket grounds. It's not worthy of complaint, I'm pretty sure the C in MCG also stands for Cricket! MC: Your point is well made, AFL does put more of it's own money into infrastructure, I would suggest it's for their own benefit rather than some crusade to put '...back into Australia' but it's true nonetheless. This is about opportunity though, the NRL would undoubtably do the same if it could. I guess AFL can thank it's lucky stars that RL was burning brighter in the early 90's and News' attention didn't swing their way instead.
mahony
Guest
What he said!
Redb
Roar Guru
Code war articles are the easiest to write as they are full of inaccuracies. Allblack fan set the record straight and he is not an AFL fan. Good way to galvanise the AFL communtity behind the new Western Sydney team though. clap clap Billo Boy.