Even before the siren sounded for the fourth instalment of the Sydney derby, many media commentators were criticising the clash for the lack of a rivalry that exists between the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Giants.
While it certainly does not help that the Giants have been uncompetitive in their exploits so far since becoming the 18th AFL side in 2012, there are a few more reasons than just their competitiveness as to why the rivalry has not amounted to much so far.
Perhaps the main problem for fans of both the Swans and the Giants has been answering the following question – why should we believe in this rivalry?
First and foremost, Greater Western Sydney Giants need to establish their footprint more successfully in Western Sydney.
While there is a wide consensus that the playing list of the Giants has great potential in the years to come, the Giants need to ensure that they can transfer that into more fans coming through the turnstiles, signing up as members and becoming further invested in the Giants cause.
When the Giants travelled across to the Sydney Cricket Ground last Sunday, it can be argued that they had less supporters travel across to watch them in comparison to an interstate side playing at the SCG (for example the Adelaide Crows).
Even with some of the uncompetitive performances that the Giants have displayed this season, you would have expected a greater contingent of supporters would have travelled across to the SCG than who turned up supporting the Orange and Charcoal outfit in the end.
Secondly, the media work that was done in the week prior to the game lacked an element of vigour to give supporters of both sides an incentive to attend.
The responsibility needs to lie at the media departments of both clubs who have been very cautious with their approach in promoting their rivalry.
From a Sydney Swans perspective, many football fans would have the Swans as their second favourite team outside of their own due to the Swans’ club culture and the way that they play their football.
For the Swans to become immersed in a rivalry with the Giants would potentially alter their club image as they are often viewed as a neutral side.
There is no harm for the Swans to adopt the big brother mentality against the Giants, even if it means they become a disliked club.
Take Collingwood for instance. There has been a general perception that they are the most popular and yet, the most disliked AFL club in the league.
As for the Giants, while they have been more proactive in attempting to build the rivalry via the media, the issue is that they have often been shooting blanks that provide little spark to increase interest.
Subsequently, whatever attempts the Giants have media to promote the Sydney Derby tend to fizz before the first bounce has even commenced.
There is nothing wrong about the Swans or Giants tussling with each other in the media in order to inflame a rivalry that really has yet to have been lit.
When you observe other sporting rivalries (take State of Origin for instance), apart from the history of the rivalry, it certainly is assisted by a mass presence in the media with both sides taking shots at one another to have people talking more.
The 2013 State of Origin series broke television and attendance records in Australia, yet New South Wales lost their eighth consecutive series.
If any lesson can be learnt from this, it is that success on-the-field is not the single key performance indicator for a sporting rivalry to build.
Would the Sydney derby be more prolific if the Giants were more competitive? Absolutely.
Will the Sydney derby be more successful in the years to come? Absolutely.
However, more initiatives and risk can be done off-the-field from both sides if they want to accelerate the process of having people believe the Sydney Derby is a significant event in the AFL calendar.
Both the Swans and the Giants can take advantage of promoting the game via the media much more aggressively as they essentially have nothing to lose out of it.
As food for thought, the most recent QClash between the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba attracted a crowd of 27,170, the highest attendance for a QClash match in its short history.
If the QClash can become more successful, so can the Sydney Derby.
John Smith
Guest
Never mind the AFL. You just worry about trying to get a consistantly half decent crowd (at best) to show up to a regular season game in your own favourite code.
Troy Murray
Roar Rookie
The most important aspect that must be considered is the unique nature of the Sydney sporting market. Central to this, is the fact that Sydney is spoilt for choice when it comes to sporting teams to support. What cannot be questioned is that, rightly or wrongly, the Sydney sporting fan loves a winner. If you are a team struggling to win you are also struggling to attract support in the most competitive sporting market in the country. That is why it took the Swans a couple of decades to establish a strong foothold within the market. However, since appearing in the 1996 Grand Final, the Swans have been far more competitive, and as a result the club has gradually increased its following. The Swans have in excess of 35,000 members and this figure is rising each and every season the Swans are performing strongly. Patience is the key with the GWS Giants. They have an extremely strong, developing list the envy of most development and recruiting managers across the AFL. But success will not happen overnight. When it does happen, interest in the so called "Battle of the Bridge" will intensify. The instant success of the West Sydney Wanderers in the A- League makes for an interesting comparison. Unlike the Giants, the Wanderers have attracted record members and an extraordinary following in just their first season and this is directly linked to their on field performances. Had the Giants made the AFL Grand Final in their first couple of seasons would they have in excess of 11,000 members and attract more than 6000 people to a home game? Of course. When the on field success happens, and it will happen, the Sydney Derby will indeed improve and everyone that questioned the decision to expand AFL into Sydneys west will be eating their words. After all the Sydney sporting market is a strange beast.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
True, but Fremantle has been Aussie Rules territory since cocky was an egg. Big difference.
Mitcher
Guest
A clueless comment. I hope it made you feel better though.
Sean
Guest
Everyone seems to forget there was barely a rivalry in Western Australia until Freo started winning the occasional derby and building up a bit of an identity and some history.
Stavros
Guest
You should make the most of it while you can, as in a couple of years it will be the Swans getting beaten up. You will most likely have jumped well and truly of the bandwagon by then, so you probably won't care.
Mitcher
Guest
I am swans fan who has attended every home game this year bar the second derby. I just don't care about beating up on demetriou's all stars. It's an afl indulgence. Not a club.
Mark
Guest
Maybe when the Swans are on a downward trend, which must happen, and GWS are on a upward trend, which from recent history will be sometime next season a good rivalry will develop. Must be played though at either Skoda or the SCG, not ANZ.
Steve of Blacktown.
Guest
A good rivalry takes time to develop. Where one team wants pay back or revenge for something that happened to them in a previous game. As written above the "Baby Giants" have so much growing to do before they can improve an be more than what they are dishing out at the moment. They need some tough nut players that show some aggression on the field. That way the Swans players and their fans will want pay back against these type of players. This is just one of the reasons why the Giants need some experienced players from another club in their team. Maybe a Buddy Franklin or more to show the way for the younger players?
Gyfox
Guest
The Suns have attracted 7,000 Collingwood supporters to the Gold Coast this weekend. They are everywhere, spending their $$. It's a gr8 stadium & a good excuse to forsake Melb winter. Unfortunately western Sydney ain't the Gold Coast!
Australian Rules
Guest
This article seems to suggest that what's required is for both teams to start slagging each other off in the media. What will improve the derby, is the quality of the contest. It's that simple. When the baby Giants grow up and start winning, over time, a rivalry will develop.
Allan
Guest
Lending your team to Canberra does not win over Western Sydney.
Boomer
Guest
GWS having more than 11 fans might be a good start. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].