Roar Rookie
Joined October 2009
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I preface what I am about to write with the fact that I am a Victorian who has resided in Sydney for the last…
Ghost, good points that you have raised here.
“By that, I mean the notion of signing up to attend games each week or fortnight for a whole season is not so well accepted. You might actually end up doing so up here, but you still reserve the right tom change your mind at the last minute and so instead of taking out a membership you buy tickets each individual time. Of course, if something else comes up, if the weather is bad, or if a not-so-passionate mate wants to see the game from a pub rather than at the ground, it makes it easier not to attend.”
However is this part of the Sydney psyche? In Melbourne, no doubt there will be games that are not attended for one reason or another but fans still part with their hard earned for a membership. It is seen as derogatory to merely be a supporter and not a financial member of your club (this is purely the broad perception of AFL fans in Melbourne). Financially contributing to your team is seen as being a part of your team and consolidating its future. I believe there was always an expectation that your side would financially survive, but the proposed Footscray merger, the bankruptcy and death of Fitzroy as an AFL side and numerous speculation over the furture of Melbourne, North Melbourne and Hawthorn (now a financial powerhouse with 50k members) saw fans understand the dire predicament of their club and their future and resulted in a boom in membership sales. I think Cronulla and some NRL clubs reallky need to instill this fear within their fan base (whom aren’t members) because it would appear that the Bears and Souths were not enough warning.
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?
Matt, I’ve not been to Brookvale but regularly hear that its facilities are a shambles. I’d imagine this would be a deterrent to attending games here? Certainly down at Geelong, even 5-10 years ago, the facilities were very average. However the stadium has been revamped and is just about to complete stage 2 of a stage 3 reburishment. Capacity has increased from 27k to 30k and by the completion of stage 3 this will be at about 35k, making it a quality boutique stadium in its own right.
A question. Are there plans to upgrade the facilities at Brookvale? And who would fund it? (Geelong upgrades were funded largely by AFL, local council and the club itself).
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?
Cetral North, I think MV Dave and Redb succinctly sum up the feel amongst fans when the league announced that most Victorian games would be shifted to the MCG and Docklands. I do however disagree slightly with Redb. As mentioned previously, nothing beats watching the cats at Skilled with your mates and a few bevvies. That tribal aspect is something that reasonates very strongly with Geelong fans and provides a definite home ground advantage. Geelong haven’t lost a game at home for two years now (read into that what you will).
Re Kogarah, I really admired St George for playing their semi final their against Parra. Sure, some people missed out – but a packed house and a great game to boot was a great advertisement for League. The problem of course is when you do have a lock out due to capacity – but this seems to be a rarity with League, particulalry in the regular season.
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?
Brett, I agree, Melbourne has a much more centralised sporting precinct and thus is easier to reach. However, as much as ANZ is lambasted, it is still within close proximity to a train line. Again, if the want and need is there, you can get there. You can get 80k to Homebush for SOO, why not for regular club games. If league and union simply are better products for tv (as Dogs below attests) why soesn’t everyone juststay home from SOO also and watch it on the tube?
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?
Ken, I am sincerely trying to understand the sporting psyche of Sydney. It is not a code war or a cross city war at all. Suburban grounds are close to my heart – even though Melbourne has some excellent stadiums ala TD and MCG, there is nothing quite like standing in the outer behind the goals down at Skilled tadium in Geelong, nursing a cup of CUBs finest and devouring a pie. But as you rightky point out, in Sydney they are littered from north to south so it isn’t easy for fans. But really, is this one of the answers to the question I’m posing? If the want and passion is there, wouldn’t you get to the game regardless?
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?
As a relative novice to the game they play in heaven, the results from the Grand Slam seem to be indicative of the situation Rugby in Australia finds itself in. A first up win against England, fuelling excitement that this could indeed be the tour that turns the Wallabies fortunes around, followed by 80 minutes of excellent rugby only to be denied a deserved victory from the run of O’Driscoll. Then, when hope and adulation, as well as a degree of empathy for the draw (loss?) against the Irsh are bestwoed upon the Wallabies they capitulate in a game that they are odds on to win.
Now as I say, I’m a novice to this game having arrived north of the border a few years back, and only being recently exposed to this game through a rah rah tragic of a boss. However from my observations, it would appear that the Wallabies results reflect that of the dire predicament of rugby in Australia. I may be mistaken but the 2nd coming of O’Neil was hailed as a shot in the arm that rugby needed to reaffirm its standing as one of our leading sports. However little, from my point of view, has changed. Similarly, the coup in delivering Deans to the top job with the Wallabies was perceived as an absolute steal and one that was going to transform the Wallabies into a force again to be reckoned with. Both appointments provided hope however I’m yet to see this transcend into a) any improvement at state or grass root levels and b) any improvement in the Wallabies results.
As an AFL fan, I may be postulating the obvious (or the naive) but it would appear to me that there are two areas in which the ARU could begin to sure up rugby within this country.
1. Surely there needs to be a commission/board, free of ego, that can work together to primarily inject funds into the future generation of players (i.e. grassroots rugby, schools etc much like the AFL do)
2. With regards to the Wallabies, play the kids. They are the future and the time to expose them to big time rugby is now while there is still time to get formations, structures correct before the next World Cup.
Can anyone provide me with an answer to if these are realsitic points (apologies if they are already being actioned). Is there the corporate support to finance development in grass roots rugby and expansion? Surely, with the advent of Melbourne securing the final spot for S15 there is an opportunity to begin to expose Victorians to the game of rugby (Victorians of all ages but especially the kids).
I love sport in general and have really begun to take to rugby and the intricacies of it. I think Victorians are more likely to embrace this than the Storm as historically, union has had a presence in some school programs down there. I just cannot understand why in this day and age, it is being administered (and played) in a fashion that is alienating fans?
Give the Wallabies two jars of passion, please
Yes Brett, Sydney is indeed Australia’s toughest sporting market. Hands down.
Perhaps it is the history of the two cities and that Melburnians, as Redb highlighted previously, are ingrained in attending sporting fixtures. Certainly the two ants on a sidewalk / fly’s up a wall etc are analogies that are commonly used to describe Mexicans.
I guess the cost you are describing is the economic cost re transport etc. Or does it also encompass the opportunity cost of doing other more preferable alternatives? I’d have thought though, a decent session at the pub can become quite expensive 😉
How strong is Sydney's sporting pulse?