The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Giants CEO: 'Best ever' crowd a sign of GWS's progress in Sydney

Brett Deledio of the Giants celebrates a goal during the 2017 AFL First Semi Final match between the GWS Giants and the West Coast Eagles at Spotless Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
16th July, 2018
30

GWS enjoyed wins both on and off the AFL field last Saturday night, with the expansion club drawing their biggest home crowd of the season.

A total of 14,456 fans watched the Giants hold on for a thrilling two-point win over reigning premiers Richmond at Spotless Stadium on Saturday night.

It was a noted spike compared to the 10,866 that watched GWS defeat Hawthorn at the same venue a fortnight earlier, what had been the highest attendance at Spotless this season.

It was also GWS’s biggest home crowd, in terms of revenue from ticket sales, in the club’s history apart from derbies against Sydney.

NRL ladder leaders South Sydney and the Canterbury Bulldogs, in action at Olympic Park on Saturday afternoon, attracted a crowd of 14,278.

The Giants went head to head with a Super Rugby derby between the finals-bound NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies at Allianz Stadium, which pulled in 17,100 punters, while the NSW Swifts were also in action on Saturday night.

Giants chief executive David Matthews admits the presence of a travelling Tiger Army contingent in the final weekend of Victoria’s school holidays helped his club, but described the game as as major step forward in terms of local support.

Former Australian Rugby League chief Geoff Carr famously called GWS the AFL’s Vietnam war, insisting they will not win the hearts and minds of western Sydney.

Advertisement

The Giants have also been regularly criticised in AFL circles throughout their existence, with many questioning whether the league’s substantial investment has been worthwhile.

“I don’t necessarily see them as knockers. They either don’t understand the challenge or they’re impatient,” Matthews told AAP.

Matthews, who continues to take a long-term view of his club’s growth, suggested GWS could be in a position to sell out blockbuster games against powerhouses like Richmond “in the next couple of years”.

“It will fill up over time,” he said.

“Richmond is a big club, probably the biggest in the AFL now.

“I was talking to Richmond CEO Brendon Gale on Saturday night and he mentioned how their membership was 29,000, 15 years ago or so.

“For a club that is six and a half years old to have built a membership base of almost 25,000 and get a crowd of 14,500, up against a lot of content in the Sydney market and the Olympic Park precinct, is really good progress.

Advertisement

“We’re going pretty well.”

Plans are already afoot to redevelop Spotless, which currently has a capacity of 24,000.

“Our challenge is to try to get 23-25,000 to the venue, but over time plans to get that to 30,000-plus make good sense,” Matthews said.

close