I am very sorry Blacktown. In January I visited you and your modest neighbours, Rooty Hill and Doonside – quite by accident – and wrote a piece on it.
I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t very nice.
Bleak, isolated and windswept were the dominant descriptions.
Jonny G , a Roar respondent, commented: “Going by this article, it sounds like the area I live in is actually the set for some post apocalyptic film”.
I apologise sincerely for that Jonny – and for the prison analogy.
The reason for my contrition is an article penned by the Roar’s Billo Boy almost two years to the day – a piece that at the time smacked of low self-esteem and slight paranoia – that has proven to be entirely correct.
It was titled: “Is the AFL Too Good For The Sydney’s West?
Billo Boy, of course, was referring to the outer West.
As we all know by now – and sorry for another article on it – the GWS Giants have abandoned their multi-million dollar training facility in Blacktown and skedaddled twenty kilometres closer to the centre of Sydney.
They will now set up base in the Olympic precinct of the inner west.
Apparently, their precious little high draft pick wunderkinds don’t want to live in Blacktown, and the club wants to attract more support from the moneyed residents to the east and in the Hills District.
The first reason given for the move, however, by Chief Executive Dave Matthews was the absence of “a summer training facility for us at Blacktown International Sports Park”.
A summer training facility? What’s the difference between a winter and a summer training facility?
In my day you trained outdoors in summer: i.e ran. If the ovals at Blacktown aren’t big enough, the players could just do more laps; or run to Penrith and back.
If by a “summer facility” he means the presence of a body of water to cool down in, or perform recovery sessions, there’s always Prospect Reservoir to the south.
Or they could construct a bl**dy swimming pool.
It would be a lot cheaper than the millions being spent on the new venue.
For off-season altitude training the players will be in Arizona anyway. And if a player gets injured during the season and requires high altitude rehabilitation he can meditate on nearby Mt Druitt.
There’s also a Shaggers Ridge about.
Matthews said that the club had been “open and honest as we possibly can to the people of Blacktown about what the needs of an elite team are.” It’s a shame it wasn’t open and honest from the start and said: “An elite team doesn’t belong here”.
He also cited the modi operandi of the two largest and wealthiest clubs in the land, Collingwood and Essendon, as an excuse, claiming they are the “benchmark for the best young players in the country”.
Now I’ve been a big fan of the GWS players in their debut season but this constant emphasis on them being the anointed ones is starting to gall.
The players have never adopted Blacktown as home. Instead they have resided in the prefabricated horror show of Breakfast Point – a “housing community” overlooking the Parramatta River.
Lounging on their sunny verandahs being served protein shakes and bowls of Just Right by nannies, the spoiled little sh*ts look at catalogues for Maseratis and Aston Martins – which will be paid for by their increased contracts after threatening to leave for their original homes and a competitive team.
It they don’t want to live there let them go, I say.
Look at the significant number of NRL players who were stung by rejection and so journeyed south to the Bleak City to become champions for the Melbourne Storm.
If your players aren’t there for the weather or the lifestyle there’s a good chance you’ll develop a worthy team.
GWS will be “leaving” its Blacktown facility for its AFL academy staff.
I wouldn’t blame the Blacktowners, Rooty Hillers and Doonsiders if they burned the thing to the ground.
TW
Guest
Western Sydney Boy, You dont have to wait until next week for the Blacktown Advocate - The current online edition has the article AND 6 comments. One comment is from a GWS member who is disappointed - Thats fair enough. The rest are from the general population who are taking the opportunity to express their opinion negatively. Six comments - 2 from same person- so far from a catchment of 1.5 million - That reflects the true position of our game in that area "currently". But we already knew that it was a non Aussie Rules domain. Most people in the area just do not care - That is the challenge to get them involved. http://blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/giants-new-home-at-olympic-park/#comments
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yes, what a PR disaster for the AFL - League fans are irate at the boldness and success of the AFL!!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
GWS are tasked with seeking out their own revenue and partnering arrangements, and that's precisely what they did in negotiating a deal with Wagga. Compare that with Gallop, rides into town demanding "equality"?
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Canberra and Wagga, percentage wise, are tiny compared to Greater Western Sydney. At the end of the day, so what if this new team is making connections with Canberra and Wagga, both in their zone, both part of the GWS Academy. The Raiders tried to make a big deal about having connections with Wagga, but when Gallop rode in demanding "equality", it wasn't on the back of any connection between the Raiders and Wagga - it was the NRL putting its hand out in a fit of sour grapes.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
JVGO It's called partnering. At least the AFL puts in millions of dollars into sporting infrastructure. When Fox and Nine pumped a billion dollars into League over 1995-96, how much of that money ended up in sporting infrastructure?
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yep, no one cares about GWS - but nothing creates discussion on the Roar like the mention of GWS!! GWS, off its own bat, negotiates a partnering deal with Wagga, a city which they view to be part of their zone - and Gallop rides in on a white horse demanding "equality"!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Simmo You mean to say that GWS faces a long, hard road going forward? Pure genius.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
We go out of our way to give the people of Western Sydney their own AFL team, to try and bring some joy and meaning to their lives - and this is how we are repaid!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Well summarised Brewski, it's hilarious every step of the way. Don't forget that kids are being bribed into playing auskick by being given $20 bank accounts, and that kids names are being thrown on lists against their will to get the participation numbers up. At every turn - there is evil to report.
apaway
Roar Guru
He must have driven it at 3 o'clock in the morning.
Redb
Roar Guru
Rugby league tragics dont count they've been death riding GWS from the outset. Never likely to be fans, members or tv viewers of GWS - Irrelevant.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
@ Col, i think the Swans might have kicked up a almighty stink had the NW suburbs like pennant Hills been targeted like that.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Funnily enough, the only plans for mass give aways of free tickets I've ever heard of involve League and soccer (both on the Gold Coast) - in fact the Titans did it for weeks, and geez, weren't those numbers astronomical.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Mike GWS was never going to get anywhere quick, that was always well understood.
TW
Guest
WSB, Looking forward to the edition - What day does it come out. This is the strange bit we outsiders of Sydney do not get. If nobody cares about GWS in their Sydney Zone why will people get upset if they alter some of their operations. We could understand the fans who handed over their hard earned readies being upset but that does not appear to be happening. So that leaves the rest of the population who are unhappy - Very strange. Actually this is about the club and its members not the general population so who else do we quote. No the NRL fans are just upset that the AFL with its clout even in a non AFL area can get things DONE. The NRL Commission led by Mr Grant will be watching and learning you can bet on that. Just note the comments by the Wagga Council leader who said the NRL ignored the area for 5 years until GWS got involved down there.
Redb
Roar Guru
Demetriou is mostly disliked in AFL circles hardly a demi-god. lol It is unreleastic to support a team based on a relatively small area in Sydney re Pennant Hills. GWS have made mistakes. The CEO was sacked for it. When John Ribot marched into Melbourne with the Storm he faced a blank sheet of paper. Yes there was some expat support (NSW, Kiwis), some minor leagues on the VIc/NSW border but little to attach to. GWS and Melb Storm have that in common. Aust Rules did have history in Sydney (for the Swans). RL had zilch in Melb. In Sydney East/North, the Swans have carved a niche, but the bigger more detached demographic of Western Sydney was untapped, similiar to Melbourne for the Storm. Too big to ignore. For the game to grow beyond a game a fornight with no natural enemy, a second team was created. Much like Melb Heart to Melb Victory in the A League. Its not easy starting from scratch teams have uneven support and will naturally gravitate to those that are interested and more natural demographics. eg: Canberra, Sth NSW. Clearly Blacktown was putting their hand up as well. It might not have been a good fit but in the early days it was a start. I know for a fact Melb Storm have done the same, border towns Vic.NSW. They have even created a junior side in Wodonga! 300Km from Melb- not Wantirna! (Melb). It hasnt' turned out 100% as planned but I bet you Blacktown is better known than before. Will still house the GWS Academy, Junior comps and NAB Cup games.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That sums it up nicely. AFL pump millions of dollars into sporting infrastructure. NRL CEO rides into town expecting "equality". When Fox and Nine jointly pumped a billion dollars into League over 1995-96, how much of that money ended up in sporting infrastructure? And League fans want to whinge about the AFL partnering with local governments?
apaway
Roar Guru
I agree, Redb. No rational discussion about players not being about the money can include the current Melbourne Storm roster.
apaway
Roar Guru
Does it really matter where the players live? If they so choose, couldn't they live anywhere in Sydney?
Jaceman
Guest
So when the Sydney council did a deal for Redfern training base for Souths and then the Rabbits moved to Homebush (out of the council area) is that similar. Or North Sydney council spent millions on NS oval and then the RL threw the Bears out of the comp by pretending to merge with manly and move to central coast ...