Phil Gould can stop his one-man, anti-AFL crusade and go back to bed. The GWS Giants are missing a key ingredient in their battle to compete in Greater Western Sydney. It’s Greater Western Sydney.
The business case, the brand, the model, the demographic, the investment; it was all starting to make sense.
But looking into it a little bit further; it’s a hoax, a myth.
Setting up camp in Blacktown, the most central of three key local districts, was the correct play, and in the Giants’ words, a key to their manta of becoming “part of the local community in Greater Western Sydney, working with key community partners and local football communities.”
But words are words, and the locations of both the new club’s home ground and residential base is an insult to the people expected to identify with their new heroes.
I understand the arguments against this.
The training bases of several Melbourne clubs have moved outside their constituencies. The South Sydney Rabbitohs play at Homebush. Many members of parliament, let alone footballers, live outside the areas they represent.
But these clubs (I’ll leave the political analysis for another day) have established their brands and fan bases to such an extent that their geographic association has expanded.
The AFL has invested in an expensive quarry and decided it’s not worth digging on.
What’s the point in establishing a team within a specific community when playing on the eastern boundary at Homebush will make them inaccessible to a large portion of their fan base?
The club’s residential and media base at Breakfast Point is the final straw.
A gated community to the east of their region, the Giants have been hypocritical in asking for the buy-in of the community it serves without committing themselves.
While I don’t expect Tom Scully to rent a ground-floor flat in Macarthur, Kevin Sheedy’s statement that “we were told 12 months ago, no one would want to come to Western Sydney” is prophetic.
It seems he and his club don’t want to be there either.
Phil
Guest
Sure Homebush and Breakfast point may not be strictly Western Sydney and definitely not Greater Western Sydney.... but they're definitely far west of the Swans home base of Kings Cross and the SCG (Randwick). Being a Greater Western Sydney Resident, I can finally make it to AFL games without having to battle Sydney traffic. They have their training ground in blacktown, and they play their home games in Homebush. How is that different from what a lot of the Melbourne clubs do? Essendon for example? Training ground in Windy Hill, and Home games at Etihad/MCG I don't agree with the claim that homebush is inaccessible to the fan base. Olympic park is probably the easiest place to get to from the rest of western sydney - dare I say it's the only easy place to get to in Sydney. It's sure better than having to trek out to the SCG. GWS does invest in Western Sydney. Look at what they've done with the University of Western Sydney. Who cares where the players live? If living in Breakfast point allows the players to travel easily around the city, then good for them. They can live in Perth for all I care... or would you say that's not West enough?
seanoroo
Guest
Dont have much to say, just wanted to be the 100th comment.
Phil
Guest
There may be no area referred to as "greater Western Sydney", that is true. But the concept of "Western Sydney" definitely exists. "Just ask someone from western Sydney “where does western Sydney start?” the answer is always the suburb after the one that they live in because no one wants to admit to living out west." Rubbish. Maybe for some of the snobs in the inner suburbs, but not for the people in GWS heartland. If you're too shame to admit you live in Mt Druitt or Macquarie Fields or St Mary's, then sorry, you don't belong in Western Sydney. I am proud to call myself a westie; I have been a wests fan in the ARL/NRL since I was 7 years old growing up in Macquarie Fields, and still love them. But when I lived in Mt Druitt as a teenager, I realised that none of the existing NRL teams adequately represented Blacktown and surrounding areas, which is the true heartland of rugby league. Fans were split between Penrith, Wests, Parramatta and occasionally Bulldogs, with a smattering of other clubs such as Warriors and Rabbitohs. None of the clubs that fans followed were making any effort to establish a presence in the Blacktown, and especially Mt Druitt/Rooty Hill, region, or to be a part of that community. That is why the Giants will work. They are going to a great amount of effort to establish them in the true heartland of western Sydney, an area the NRL has ignored for a long time. They are injecting money into the local economy and local facilities in the community, and it will pay dividends for them in the long term.
Republican
Guest
Ainslie have won the NEAFL GF v the Swans quite convincingly. Interesting that very little has been reported on this victory. Had it been GWS or the Swans I reckon the story would have been all over Roar Aust Footy threads.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
not really, the VFL muscled its way into an area where people KNEW of the VFL, may have occasionally followed the VFL, but where the SANFL and WAFL were every bit as strong in their regions as the NRL is now. Its quite amazing to me how fast those leagues dropped in public significance when the vfl/afl teams were created
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
and then he kicks his first goal and causes Phil gould to lose his marbles on national tv again :D
Mushi
Guest
So an apple grown in Sydney is the same as an orange grown in Sydney? Both are fruit both are from Sydney?
voodoo people
Guest
He is generally regarded as a nutcase in Sydney, as he is comming out with absolutely ludicrous statements almost weekly. How is he percieved in Victoria?
Brendan
Guest
And then after that Wookie? Back to normal again, just like Hunt.
Brendan
Guest
Calls the shots for whom? The people of Sydney or something else?
voodoo people
Guest
The alternative would be to pick a specific name - They should have gone with Parramatta - its central, fairly neutral, transport and business hub. GWS will just be derided, and by being an "everywhere" club it wil be a discard by all rather than embraced by some.
voodoo people
Guest
Or the Swans, Lions, Suns or Bears? How about the whole A League or Western Force, Melbourne Rebels? You really need to confront your obsession with RL. The Giants are not really wanted by those it is proportedly there to represent. Talk has been of a 10-15k average, with 3 games in Canberra. Low crowds work for RL as it still gets huge ratings and support, yet the Giants will struggle to rate as well as the Swans.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
by all reports Giants memberships in Canberra make up the majority of the 10,000 foundation jobs sold to date. Its a good sign. AFL belief that commercially Tasmania and NT cannot support a 35-40 million a year business is whats stopping that. Tasmanias sponsorship of 20 million over 5 years doesnt even come close.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
until he actually lines up in an AFL match.
Republican
Guest
PaddyBoy. Yep, that makes perfectly good sense however the AFL as with sporting bodies around the world are not always prone to this sort of rational criteria while our AFL is currently suffering from a bout of severe reverse cringe it seems. There exists an insidious infiltration of gabalists within the AFL rank and file who are intent on testing the 'product' in the sudo global market i.e. NZ. I believe they will do this at the expedience of those demographics you and others have assumed would be next inline for expansion. If GWS and GC were able to leap frog a demographic of Tassies pedigree, it follows that these commercial egotists with total disregard for merit based growth, are quite capable of going down this path
Oberst Klink
Guest
Well the AFL has pinpointed 'Greater Western Sydney'. The AFL pays the bills, so it calls the shots I'm afraid.
Patrick Angel
Roar Guru
I don't know. New markets are fine if that's where people want to go, but there's several areas that would make more Darwin, Tassie (they have to be due), Canberra if they don't take to the Giants, 3rd WA in a northern region. All of the above expansions would make money (probably) a lot quicker. Plus the AFL will have to pay for the latest two teams for a while, and do you really want another drain so soon?
Republican
Guest
They say we are all living longer mate!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Impossible to predict what might happen in 10 years, but it is a sizeable period of time. I would think that if GWS is scratcing out an existence in 10 years time, and Canberra's crowds are around what GWS get in Sydney, then you can bet that both the AFL and GWS will want to continue with the partnership. In the unlikely event that GWS support goes through the roof over the next decade, then yes, I agree there might be the prospect of GWS dropping Canberra like a hot potato. On the question of NZ, both you and I will be long dead before anything becomes even remotely feasible there, or anywhere else outside of Australia.
Republican
Guest
Cattery I don't believe that this is anything more than a 'decade' of expedience on the part of the AFL and GWS. Forget about suiting any parties its all weighted towards GWS and the AFL. After that, we will once again be the void in respect of Aust elite footy in this country and then, if expansion of the code ensues, NZ are more likely to be considered before the nations capital is sadly.