It was at about this time during 2013 that many began to speculate about the future of AFL star Lance Franklin and whether he would make the move from Hawthorn to the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Now, the Giants must be left wondering what could have been.
The predicted arrival of Lance Franklin to GWS promised so much. He would become the new face of the franchise, luring media attention, sponsorship opportunities, members and importantly larger crowds.
However, after the Sydney Swans made the $10 million investment into Franklin’s future these hopes quickly faded.
The figures show that his presence and influence at the Swans has already started to pay dividends in more ways than one.
Firstly, Sydney membership numbers have passed the 40,000 mark for the first time in the club’s history, up from 36,358 last year.
While Franklin would be first to state his presence is not the reason for the increase, Swans Josh Kennedy has admitted the arrival of the power forward has helped fuel Sydney’s record numbers.
“I think it’d be quite ignorant and naive of me to think not,” Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy has stated.
Some encouraging news for GWS was released last week, with membership numbers increasing by nearly 1000 to just under 13,500 thus far in the 2014 season.
These are positive figures despite disappointing average crowd numbers for GWS home games falling from nearly 11,000 in its inaugural year to just above 9000 at this point during 2014. This average is 8300 people below the second last placed Gold Coast Suns.
In comparison, Sydney’s average attendance at homes games has spiked by nearly 4000 from last year until now. In addition, when playing away they are attracting (on average) an extra 4400 people than they did during their 2012 premiership year.
With an increase of $2 million in corporate sponsorship in 2014, Swans CEO Andrew Ireland stated, “There is no doubt in a general sense Buddy is helping when you look at membership, attendances and corporate support, there’s no doubt he’s part of that.”
We all know that the Israel Folau experiment did not work out, but Sydney’s acquisition of Franklin has become a PR nightmare for the Giants.
Aside from the Giants’ surprise win in Round 1 over the Swans, Franklin’s outgoing persona, injury woes, car crashing incidents and most importantly high-level performances on the field have received more traction than any GWS story this year.
Following the second GWS versus Sydney rivalry clash of the year, the Sydney Morning Herald headline read “Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin stands tall in win over GWS Giants.”
Heath Shaw’s comic press conference while a wearing cricket helmet and the rumours of former NRL-star Todd Carney potentially being given a lifeline by GWS a fortnight ago, could not divert attention from Buddy’s late withdrawal from the game against the Bombers.
There is virtually no other player currently in the AFL system that GWS could acquire to rival the level of Franklin’s marketability.
The unfortunate reality is that if GWS continually fail to perform on field, Buddy will continue to be the centre of attention in Sydney.
Above all though, Franklin has been influential in helping the Swans win football games, storming into Coleman Medal favouritism and Brownlow Medal discussions, while the GWS have consistently underperformed.
Whether Franklin’s actions on or off the field are spectacular, poor or controversial, he will always be the story.
In February GWS chairman Tony Shepard declared the Swans’ signing of Franklin has “not been a good move” and that “with hindsight I’m relieved we didn’t get him. Not that we could have come anywhere near that price.”
Finances aside, he now finds his club competing against one of the AFL’s most marketable and popular players, left wondering what great effect he could have had on their club.
While it is widely understood that the growth of the GWS brand is a twenty to thirty year project, Franklin’s guaranteed presence for nine years in Sydney has already begun to have an impeding effect on the marketability of the western Sydney club.
While it requires patience, there is no doubting that the talented Giants will eventually become an AFL powerhouse and like when the Swans first came to NSW, their supporter base will develop over time.
However, at present and perhaps for the next eight and a half years, if I was young kid growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney, I know who I would want to be like – Buddy Franklin.
mick h
Guest
nick ever been to Penrith panthers its more than pokies get your head out of the sand
mick h
Guest
the Sydney showground capacity 25,000 not a huge stadium actually worked there and they have not had the 8 to 9 k they have been posting 3 to 5 k a more accurate figure.
Carcass
Guest
Lenny Hayes was from Sydney also. I thought he was a pretty decent player. What other talent can be unearthed up there?
nick
Guest
Clipper - Teams inflate crowds. Ticket scanners are one thing but official announcements are another. People do lie. There is money and sponsorship on the line. This is the real world. As Australians we are very honest and giving people. The downside is we are very trusting and naive at times of any institions and the information they provide. Like I said it is obvious GWS arent getting the crowds they are saying. These has been noted by numerous sporting commentators/journalists - the latest been the triple M team who were having a laugh at their rubbery figures. Like I said the Bulldogs were actually caught out by the Telegraph a few years ago inflating their figures. Certain teams are notorious for it. Its not just GWS. Roosters, Raiders (until this year), Rabbitohs in Homebush in the NRL. Central Coast Mariners in the A-league are also very sus.
nick
Guest
Some very good points guys. Look it is true most of AFL's support is middle class Anglo in Sydney. But you need to look at this is a Sydney context. Sport in Sydney, unlike Melbourne is divided along socio-economic lines. Rugby Union - middle/upper class white Anglo, NRL - working class, Soccer - ethnics and growing Anglo young demographic and AFL - middle class Anglo/young Anglo families. So in a way, AFL has found its support base in the a traditionally divided Sydney market. But when GWS and AFL come to Western Sydney proclaiming they are muticultural, Western Sydneysiders look at the players and fan's and see this isnt true. So offcourse multiculturalism needs to be embraced. Its how they are embracing it that is the issue.
kye
Roar Rookie
This rugby league player eats 3 meals a day, maybe 4. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/hands-off-teen-star-jamils-man-boobs/story-e6frexni-1225702702322
Bruce
Guest
Totally ridiculous statement Gecko. Have you seen the body shape of blokes like, Jonathan Thurston, Ben Barba, Preston Campbell, Luke Brooks and dozens of others. Clearly you know nothing about RL.......and what is a rugby body shape and a non rugby body shape anyway? It could easily be said that AFL players have the body shape of Kenyan long distance runners.......that should give RL the edge over the AFL.....you can eat three solid meals a day and still play pro sport....lol.......
Bruce
Guest
He was Dalgety.....and without bagging the kid......he couldn't make any junior rep sides and found the physicality a bit hard so had a go at AFL.......and voila...
Peter Baudinette
Roar Guru
I don't see anything wrong with embracing multiculturalism. Imagine if they didn't? The uproar. It's probably a step forward from the code. Other parts of our society are still very backward in acknowledging that this country has strong contributing multicultural communities. I
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
PLenty of scope for all people to love multiple sports though across the codes (which is what I think the NRL and AFl (for GWS) should do but both are probably too snobbish to actually enter a partnership)
Peter Baudinette
Roar Guru
And given that his contract will see him through his football days, this manager will be able to do things for him that Pickers couldn't. No disrespect to Pickers, whatsoever. It's just the logical thing for Buddy to do.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
All clubs have that multiple games thing and count it as membership though. Had it for years.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Like Peter says it makes sense. He is bigger than a sports star (whether or not he likes it) and thus needs to deal with all of the other pressures any other celebrity needs to. Not many other sportspeople have his profile.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
League. SA is pure AFL posts as well. There are some parks with ADL posts around Sydney but the large majority (of WS anyway) is NRL posts. GWS will do fine. Put it this way, Swans until 1996 did not pass the membership base the Giants have already. This is the Swans who had a history to point to.
kye
Roar Rookie
Common sense comment, please disregard. Newcastle boy Heeney may do a bit for footy in Sydney as well. ( when drafted)
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Once Boyd, Patton & Cameron reach their prime I doubt GWS will give a rat's clacker about some glory hogging broken down hack with dodgy knees & shoulders the Swans are paying through the nose for.
kye
Roar Rookie
Nope about the pokies, Penrith Panthers and it sister clubs has more poker machines than all the entire AFL clubs combined.
fiver
Guest
Doesn't the AFL have massive pokie clubs as well? last i heard collingwood has a huge pokie den hidden away. Agree that the AFL's need to chest beat about being so multicultural and diverse gets a bit tiresome. We can see on the TV most AFL players are of white anglo background. The NRL doesn't chest beat about it having almost 50% of its players now with black skin.
AR
Guest
"the TV ratings are the only true figures we can count on." So when the Swans v Hawks attracted 1.02M national viewers 2 weeks ago (and every other sporting event that night had less than 250k national viewers) they are "the only true figures we can count on."..?
AR
Guest
"You cant tell by looking at the stadiums?" Well no, of course you can't. Not only are AFL Stadiums much bigger than most stadiums, the oval shape means it's more difficult to guage exactly how many people are there...especially when a small figure like 8,000 is spread around it. Moreover, not everyone is sitting within view of the TV cameras. There are substantial corporate facilities and boxes, bars, multiple tiers...it's literally impossible to guess the exact figure from your living room. The fact (important word there) is that ShowGrounds Stadium, not the AFL, provides the attendance figure from its electronic scanners. This is different to say, the Titans and Raiders, who were blatantly caught fudging figures. So the basis of your assertion is that, from your living room, the Giants crowd looks smaller. In other words, an internet hunch.