Yes, they might be short of a final coat of lacquer and be sitting at the bottom of the table, but if the early signs are anything to go by, the A-League’s newest club, the Western Sydney Wanderers, could be anything.
Indeed, while it’s still early days and the club is still trying to get the foundations in place, a process that will take a couple of years, it’s tempting to think they could one day rival the Melbourne Victory for the title of Australia’s biggest club.
It’s a big call, but the early evidence is that there is genuine passion and support for the club, and knowledge about the game.
If there is one thing that resonated at the fan forums that followed the announcement of the new club, it’s that the people of Sydney’s west are proud of their roots and want a club that embodies the values they like to live by daily.
They include hard work, honesty, respect and aspiration, and you can already see a few of these traits in the way Tony Popovic and his men have gone about their early work.
“Pride in the west” is an often used description, but there is evidence everywhere you look.
One sign is that the fans appear to have instantly bought in to the club, purchasing and displaying their colours in incredible numbers.
That was evident even at the first game, against the Mariners, where the red-and-black hoops sold out well before kick-off.
Again, at the derby on Saturday, the demand was greater than the availability.
Meanwhile, retail outlets like Rebel Sports have been struggling to keep up, across the west.
And it’s not just the fans donning their colours which tells the tale.
Walk around Parramatta Stadium on game-day any you see four digits on the back of a number of the fans shirts.
“2770” was just one I spotted on Saturday. It represents the postcode of Mt Druitt.
Other strips don the name of the suburb the fan is from. Two I saw on Saturday featured “Baulkham Hills” and “Blacktown”.
They were worn like badges of honour. Tribalism at its best.
Another sign of the buy-in was the early clamour to sign up for foundation membership, and in lead up the derby it was reported the number of members has gone over 4000.
While the shirts and numbers are one thing, it’s the passion with which the fans have jumped on board that tells the other story about the engagement.
Leading the way have been the Red and Black Bloc, who, like any modern footballer, are all about movement, for the full 90 minutes.
Even in the pre-season friendly against Parramatta FC, where just over 1000 fans showed up, the RBB were non-stop for the entire match.
They’ve even introduced a couple of interesting routines, including the Poznan and one where the entire section goes berserk, bouncing about off each other.
While the focus in most parts has been on the early results and the lack of a goal, the fans have been a little more understanding, recognising that their team has been more than competitive.
Indeed, in both home games Popovic’s men have managed to control large parts, thanks mainly to a compact structure and well organised forward transition.
Against the Mariners they managed to stifle Tom Rogic, allowing very little room between the midfield and defensive lines, and rarely allowing the Mariners in behind.
Against their cross-town rivals they were better at getting the ball into the final third, but lacked a player who could make the difference inside the box, as Alessandro Del Piero did to win and eventually convert the penalty.
The work of the midfielder trio of Mateo Poljak, Aaron Mooy and Shinji Ono has been of a very good standard, while the back four have, apart from one moment in Adelaide, been rock-solid.
Jerome Polenz even surpassed Mooy and Del Piero as man of the match on Saturday.
Once Popovic finds a solution or two in the final third, which may involve giving Joey Gibbs an opportunity, and maybe playing Mooy higher, things should improve.
It’s early days, but you can already see the base is there, with much potential.
In many ways the early signs are similar to those in Melbourne in 2005/06, where the Victory built some incredible momentum and atmosphere out of Olympic Park.
Now at AAMI Park, with 18,000 odd members, they remain the benchmark.
If Lyall Gorman and his team continue to listen to their fans, and keep them at the core of everything they do, there’s no reason why they can’t aspire to be as big, one day not too far away.
This might take a decade, or more, but if things go exceptionally well, the Wanderers might be there sooner.
Taking Tiger Mountain
Guest
I actually see 11,000 average with highest attendance 18k Source: http://www.ultimatealeague.com/records.php?type=att&season=2011-12
Commando
Guest
Tony are the Wanderers going to pick up local old boy Harry K ?????? Wanderers will go off the charts in comparison to the West Syd Giants - A waste of AFL taxpayers money
Chino
Guest
Ground rationalisation had been happening for years firstly with Richmond moving from Punt Road to the MCG in the late 60s and Hawthorn moving from Glenferrie to Princes Park. The fact of the matter was that the old suburban grounds were aging and many clubs needed larger grounds. The AFL decided it was more efficient to move all the clubs to two larger more modern stadiums then for each of the clubs to attempt to build or rebuild there own particularly since this was beyond the means of many if not close to all the teams. Some clubs did move earlier than the late 90s though for example Essendon voluntary moved from Windy Hill to the MCG in 1991. The main thing this has allowed though is that now most of the Melbourne based sides have larger crowds these days than their old suburban grounds could allow. As an Australian Football supporter this hasnt bothered me at all since a home ground has some sentimental value it is nothing compared to the pride in the team colours, teams premierships as well as the great players of the years passed. This hasnt seemed to have bothered many other fans either. Anyway the main problem with Victoria Park was completely boxed in leaving no room for the construction of larger grandstands parking and more facilities etc.
mahonjt
Guest
I agree with every word - bit there is one important message missing - that is the proclivity for the AFL administration (and its media mates etc...( to actively undermine our game. That I cannot and will not stand for. It is outrageous and should be condemmed.It is in these circumstances that it is completely understnadable, even laudable, for football fans to take exception and make our feelings clear about this other code.
TC
Guest
I don't really care which is higher or lower. I simply say that if you are going ot put up numbers for home games, then include all the home games - don't pick and choose. TC
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Thanks Bondy. We didn't even need to rely on Julian Assange's technology to expose the AFL's misinformation. What's even more embarrassing about the information provided in Roy Masters's article (from yesterday) is that the embarrassing figures have been sourced from the person, who was hired by the AFL to collect data! In the information age, misinformation is easily exposed. This should not be a surprise. I don't spend a lot of time in Sydney but, whenever I've been there in the past 40 years, I've NEVER - not ONCE - seen any kids playing ARF on any park.
Kasey
Guest
in hindsight the clue should have been the source information. Just as we should take a skeptical tone to anything Mr Armstrong says from here on in, so it wil be with anybody that uses numbers or 'propaganda' sourced from www.afl.com.au to form the basis of any argument.
Bondy.
Guest
Fussball, This is an interesting read. (http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/10/17/state-of-the-game-2012-participation/).
c
Guest
Breezy could be the same reason I fell out of luv with Carlton - booooring
Kasey
Guest
Fadida, that’s probably the most sensible post I’ve read on the roar from a football fan in months. AFL is what it is..its numerous fans enjoy it as it is. We(football) are what we are and each year we aretrying to be better than we were last year, so let’s just beaver away in our areas of interest and enjoy the football, in whatever flavour floats your boat. Needless comparisons of the AFL to the HAL are just silly both competitions are at completely different eras in their lifecycle. We don’t compare the Boston Red Sox to the Sydney Bluesox and they are the same sport!
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
as rabid an AFL man as I may be, I find myself warming to Adelaide United in the off season. On topic. theres plenty of promise in the Wanderers, and I hope they can keep the momentum going.
fadida
Guest
Can't say I've watched an AFL game for 20 years. The game holds no excitement for me, but I respect those who love a game I don't "get". Their passion for Collingwood is as great and important to them as ours for MV, Man U, Juve etc Let's not waste our time arguing over whose game is bigger, better etc. AFL is massive. The reasons are irrelevant. AFL fans won't dump their teams for football. Some may become part time fans. The game is a huge part of our culture. Respect that and stop with the pointless arguments. Like most football fans I despise the bias the media seems to have against us and our game but it's not the fault of AFL fans themselves. Accept the fact that they'll always be bigger attendance wise. We'll grow bigger and hopefully lay down roots in communities, and we'll always have the international aspect/ Asian champs league etc... which AFL won't ever.
Realfootball
Guest
TC, the trend is more important than the first crowd, and the trend for GWS is not promising. Time will tell with WSW. Way too early to make a call. But I suspect that cultural affinities mean that WSW's future is going to be rosier than GWS's. My feeling is that GWS may well indicate the limits of the ALF's expansion ambitions.
Realfootball
Guest
Long term? I give it 3 - 5 yearsfor the Wanderers to have a higher av attendance that Sydney FC
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
No but i wish i could pull of wearing a trenchcoat as well as him.Who is Camshaft?,well he trolled football sories so hard that he got a smack on the bottom by the roar mods only to return as Canshaft a week later.Impressive trolling be anyones standards.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Well exactly,i personally put up figures to answer Matts statement that GWS had a better debut season than WSW which had absolutely no basis of truth to it whatsoever.I personally think WSW will absolutely batter GWS in popularity,no chance of catching a club like Collingwood though,not even in my 5 month old sons lifetime.
pete4
Guest
Breezy - I'm really glad your a WSW fan... Well it could be much worse imagine they were losing games by an average margin of over 10 goals
Breezy
Guest
So what are you saying then? Is it good or bad? I would say bad when compared to the rest, but not so bad when you consider that the game apparently has little support in WS. You probably also have to factor in that they were probably the worst side we have ever seen. Let's judge it in 4 or 5 years. Try and make yourself available for that discussion.
Breezy
Guest
c - i luv fuss as well. He is one of my favourite posters. I do wonder why his love affair with Hawthorn turned sour though. Maybe he will open up to us one day. Brick - do you fancy yourself as a bit of a Columbo? Who is this Camshaft you speak of?
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
I had my suspicions but that last comment really confirms it for me,Breezy is Camshaft.