In 2005, AFL chief Andrew Demetriou foreshadowed the arrival of a new team in Sydney. Much vitriol was hurled at the AFL Commission for the decision not just from rugby league circles, but plenty of criticism was available from within.
In just a few short weeks, seven years of planning will come to fruition as the Giants enter the AFL Premiership for the first time.
In 2006, it seemed such an extreme undertaking. The team was not a relocation, it was to be created from scratch.
Based in Sydney, there was little in the way of underlying infrastructure and almost no perceptible community backing.
With a Tasmanian bid being rejected in the process, many traditional AFL fans and administrators felt this was a bridge too far, and a senate inquiry found that the AFL had likely bitten off more than it could chew.
To assist with support, the AFL created the NSW scholarship scheme and increased funding to AFL programs in the west of Sydney.
It wasn’t until 2008 that the AFL formally recognised that the club would be Greater Western Sydney, based at Blacktown. The decision to create the team was unanimously approved by all AFL clubs.
The AFL announced a budget of $200 million over 20 years for the new side, having learnt from previous mistakes with private ownership and poorly funded startup teams.
Unlike other competitions, the AFL didnt require a bidding competition. It determined where the team was going and then sorted it out the administration from there.
The team received support from the NSW government to upgrade the Blacktown Sports Park.
In 2009, the AFL delivered a masterstroke – multiple premiership coach, AFL innovator, and self generating publicity machine, Kevin Sheedy would take on the coaching role at GWS.
If it wasn’t bad enough inserting a team into the heart of rugby league territory, the AFL then encouraged Israel Folau to join the fledgling side in 2010 for what is widely reported to be worth $6 million over four seasons.
This, along with other development would only ensure the rise of a slew of ‘code war’ articles in the Sydney press, as many an NRL figure declared the NRL needed to do more to fight the oncoming menace.
By November 2010 GWS had become the Giants and had announced Skoda as the major sponsor. The ACT Government announced a $23 million, 10-year deal to play matches at Manuka. Canberra will be on the jumper, and a separate jumper will be used for ACT matches.
Unlike the Gold Coast, who spent their first year playing in the VFL, GWS would spend their first year in the newly eastablished NEAFL and Foxtel Cup competitions.
There are some doubts as to whether this level of competition will provide adequate preparation for the forthcoming AFL season.
Finally, 2010 was closed out with the announcement that a $65 million redevelopment of the Sydney Showgrounds would take place, to which the AFL would contribute $10 million. Stadium naming rights were sold to Skoda Australia.
2011 saw the Giants put through their paces at Blacktown in the Triangular matches against Sydney and Gold Coast at a sold out Blacktown. They were beaten soundly by the Swans, but enjoyed a much closer match against Gold Coast, but in the end the inexperienced side was bundled out in the first round.
The 2011 season saw the Giants compete in the NEAFL, which included matches against other AFL reserves teams from Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane. The Giants played other matches against clubs in the Eastern Division of the NEAFL.
GWS placed third in the conference behind the Swans reserves, and the ACT Tri-colours with 12 wins and five losses from 17 matches. Star recruit Folau finished with six games after coming back from injury, where he kicked 7.1.
The 2011 season also saw the Giants compete in the Foxtel Cup featuring the top teams from the state leagues across the country.
In their first round match at Manuka, the Northern Bullants (Carlton reserves) mercilessly flogged the hapless Giants by 89 points (almost 15 goals).
Due to the quality of the NEAFL competition – it is considered a third tier in Australian football (behind the AFL and the WAFL/SANFL/VFL) – and the ease with which the Bullants thrashed them, there is cause for some concern that preparations might not have been adequate for the 2012 AFL Premiership Season.
At the end of 2011, the Greater Western Sydney founding memberships were listed as 12,198 – well over the 10,000 required by the AFL.
The Daily Telegraph reported that half of the memberships are believed to be from the ACT.
The year also saw the appointment of former Port Premiership coach Mark Williams to the coaching staff, and the firing of CEO Dale Holmes who lost the support of the board, particularly over the handling of the situation with Scully Snr, and for the Giants lacking all year round facilities.
The Giants were permitted two years to take uncontracted players, but like Gold Coast, were limited to one per team unless a deal was struck with the club.
In the 2011 period Phil Davis (Adelaide), Callum Ward (bulldogs), Rhys Palmer (Fremantle), Tom Scully (Melbourne) and Sam Reid (Bulldogs) were taken as uncontracted players. Added to that recently retired players including James MCdonald (Melbourne), Chad Cornes (Port), Luke Power (Brisbane) and Dean Brogan (Port).
In addition, they recruited Setanta O’hailpan in the draft to take the number of AFL experienced players to 10. These players were not involved at GWS prior to 2012.
It’s worth noting that GWS have another year to grab uncontracted players, and free agency kicks in at the end of 2012. In addition the draft allowed them to take considerable numbers of the nations top Australian football talent.
To cap off 2011, The Daily Telegraph revealed that GWS Jumper sponsorships are worth $3 million in 2012 – before they’ve even played a game. Overall sponsorship is at more than $10 million.
Local NRL clubs, and direct competitors for sponsor dollars, Penrith and Canberra were both revealed to be without major sponsors at the time.
At present the Giants have 4,168 members, and are reported to be aiming for 17,000 this year. A target which many consider a trifle optimistic given Gold Coast ended up with 14,000 in their first year. The Daily Telegraph reported that half of the memberships are believed to be from the ACT.
As of January 2012, the Giants are still running a competition for the club song.
The Giants will open 2012 with a triangular series against the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood and Blacktown, before venturing down to play Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium, before finishing the NAB Cup at Albury against the Gold Coast Suns.
The first real shot in anger will be fired a week before the rest of the season starts with an opening Sydney derby, when the Giants play the Swans at ANZ Stadium on March 24th.
They will play a further six games at Skoda Stadium, three games at Manuka Oval in the ACT, and one game at Blacktown during the premiership season.
So we’ve got two months to see what hell the AFL hath wrought.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
And let us not forget that most of our Lacrosse National team, ranked 3rd in the world, come from Victoria. In fact, Victoria, Sth Australia and Western Australia have shared all of the national titles since day one. My other sporting passion is the Biathlon, and Victoria produces more of its fair share of biathletes.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
100% correct.
Fitzy
Guest
Cant argue with that.....thought you were trolling
Fitzy
Guest
Hey JVGO take a chill pill, if GWS-AFL is getting you down, go to the cricket, NRL game, RU or HAL game and tune out. No ones saying you should support it or like it. I think AFL-GWS will be able to sleep at night without ur support. As for your contetion that backbone of Aust sport comes out of Syd West, havent seen too many world surfing camps from that area sport, how bout these men and women, Kirsty Marshal, Merve Hughes, Dean Jones, Brad Hodge, Peter Siddle, Shane Warne, Paul Riffle, Andrew Gaze, Luke Longley, the list goes on and on. You really need to get a grip mate, all these people and many more in soccer, basketball, cricket etc have represented Australia and dont come from Western Sydney. Your comments make you look ignorant and silly.
Redb
Roar Guru
Thats Facebook. The number of twitter followers is just a sample, no different to a survey.
Redb
Roar Guru
MLF, Saddens you :) It 'saddens' me that an information junky such as yourself has not embraced twitter (not facebook). Twitter is a filter, you select what your interested in and follow the account. From sports, to politics, music, media, government, hobbies, anything. All news breaks on twitter first. Ironicially, forum posters are the A typical twitter followers. If you have a smart phone, twitter is a must.
Redb
Roar Guru
GWS because they are a new AFL team would have a spread of AFL type followers. The Swans would be roughly in proportion to their member numbers, so if its about 70% Syd, 30% Melb, the twitter followers would be similiar I'd imagine.
Redb
Roar Guru
Jv go arguments don't stand up. He won't accept that rugby league should fold and pour its players & resources into the Wallabies for the good of international sport.
piesman2011
Roar Rookie
JVGO Cricket wise Victoria has been very successful in the domestic competition over the last 5 years. In the Shefield Shield we have won it twice and come second once in the last 5 years. In the one day competition we have won once and come second 4 times in the last five years. Despite the success very few Victorians have been selected in the Australian squads. Im sorry about Rugby union/league you are right we dont do well at those sports. But whos fault is this? You could argue that both of these sports national bodies dont promote their sports in Victoria, especially at the grass root levels. In my opinion they need to take a leaf out of the book of AFL and spend big to promote these national games throughout all of Australia. When these sports spend big money at grass roots for 10 years and they still fail to produce a good amount of VIctorian superstars then and only then can you blaim the AFL for stealing all of the talent.
piesman2011
Roar Rookie
JVGO, Just a quick note on the Melbournians in the soccerroos. Out of the 43 Players (in current squad or have played for them over the last year) 8 were born in Melbourne or brought up in Melbourne. That is 18% of the current players. For record Melbourne's population is 18% of the national population. Melbournians can also claim: 50% of our Australian born winter Olympic gold medals Our only Tour De France winner spent most of his life in Melbourne Current Olympic Pole Vaulting champion (captain of the athletics squad) Our best ever basketball player Our current best basketball player Our best ever Australian bowler All of our NFL players (I think) 2 of our 9 Current Major league baseball players are from VIctoria (1 Melbourne) Our most recent Formula 1 World champion 1980 Our Sydney Olympic 400 m Gold medalist has spent over half her life in Melbourne (Moved at the age of 17) Im sure there are many more and I am no expert, but Melbourne produces plenty of National and internation sports stars despite your claims.
JVGO
Guest
Sorry Wookie, but regarding your comments on the AFL raising the bar...all I can say is 'how admirable', i'm really moved and emotional about all that. I really do find your statements so inspiring.
JVGO
Guest
I guess it's possible that the AFL will just burn money in WS. They in fact have nothing really to gain there other than strategically hurting their rivals, their comp is obviously already as good as it will ever get and they are risking seriously maiming the Swans. The biggest worry to me is that the lesser sports will be squeezed out more and more. The success of GWS would seem to me to make the possiblity of a far more community relevant ALeague or Super Union or Basketball franchise very difficult. Western Sydney is not really that wealthy an area other than in participation terms. The fact that AFL can offer sponsors 500,000+ avid southerners watching this stand alone game ior instance is something the lesser codes would find very difficult to compete with,
stabpass
Guest
@ Trust Me, clearly the population base is there in Sydney, it is a huge potential growth area, lets talk/see about GWS membership around the cut off date, which is around 5 months away. Lets talk about junior and grass roots growth in GWS 's, at the end of the season, i just recieved my local clubs junior renewal in the mail today , so the season is starting to slowly materialise, so i imagine the same is happening in Sydney. Lets see how GWS has raised awareness in the local community of Australian football by the end of the season. I could go on, but i figure your not reading anymore anyway.
JVGO
Guest
Funny you should say that IW because that tirade Amazonfan launched at me that I quoted was actually provoked by a discussion of Cadel Evans who despite being the number one human on the planet at his chosen pursuit Amazon didn't rate or deem worthy of any admiration, no doubt because he'd never represented Collingwood or Essendon at something that really matters. But as an AFL fan you would never try to misrepresent anything or anyone would you? In Amazons defence however I'll admit I'm an annoying conceited bastard, some of her points weren't too far off the mark....far more accurate than what you just said for instance.
JVGO
Guest
Last time i looked the olympics included basketball, soccer, RU, swimming, sailing, track and field, cycling, judo, rowing, tennis, kayaking, weightlifting, boxing, softball, wrestling...really..I personally know more kids who have participated in each of those sports than i have ever known play AFL. I would honestly like this thread to end but you guys just keep coming up with more and more incredible statements. The fact that you would advocate that all these sports should be swept away because nobody cares and replaced by AFL is slightly surreal.
Titus
Guest
Today Marko had the chicken............then he took a walk down to the dam.
Trust Me
Roar Rookie
I think the AFL would have got more members in Tasmania or even Darwin and even if they admitted Woop Woop as the 18th team they would still have made the 10K members required to form a club - Eddie Maguire would have made sure of that. The Giants were a carrot to get more TV money and that did help, but a lot of that money has gone already and the AFL need to make sure that the Suns and the Giants are going concerns or they will start to bleed money. 4,000 members for an AFL club and half of them in Canberra isn't something to boast about.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
by that token tv ratings should be taken the same way.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
I hate new media. Clicking "like" or follow doesnt make you a genuine supporter.
stabpass
Guest
@ Maximus, its possible you are right, but i could see a 3rd AFL team in Perth right now, a team in Nth Qld, is a possible addition, and of course a long way down the track, a 3rd team somewhere in Sydney. I might add that a team in Nth Qld would be reliant on the population increasing at its present rate for a few more years. And of course not at AFL level, but Australian football is growing in specific countries around the world, sometimes as grass roots clubs, and other times as places to draft athletes from.