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Swans cash in on top season
By Tim Morrissey
December 12, 2003
THE Sydney Swans' stunning success story this year, combined with the emergence of some exciting new talent and free-flowing football under coach Paul Roos, has sparked a membership surge for 2004.
If the trend continues, the club is anticipating that by Christmas it will have surpassed this year's total of 21,270 members.
"As of 4pm this afternoon, we have just over 14,000 members in Sydney and over 1000 in Melbourne," Swans membership manager Paul Grzanka said yesterday.
"Those figures are representative of a significant rise on 2003 at the same time."
Before the start of the season, the Swans were widely tipped to have a horror season. But they surprised everyone by reaching the preliminary final against eventual winners, the Brisbane Lions.
Coach Roos said: "I think our increase in membership for next year shows people have got a bit of faith in our list and says we are on the right track. And regardless of how far we go next year, at least we are playing younger guys and they are playing exciting footy."
The Swans are hoping that if they can add a few more chapters to this season's success story in the next two years, they can build their membership to 40,000.
A big part of those plans are built around recruiting more Melbourne members, which accounted for only 4500 of this year's membership to the new Bloods Army.
To help this cause, the club staged a recruitment drive in Melbourne last Sunday which attracted more than 4000 people to Lakeside Oval, the old home ground for the South Melbourne Swans.
Tony Morwood, Swans general manager, Melbourne, said: "Considering at the same time last year we had 312 members it is very encouraging having sold in excess of 1000 membership already.
Swans chief executive Myles Baron-Hay said the membership numbers were a positive reinforcement of what the club had achieved in 2003.
By Tim Morrissey
December 12, 2003
THE Sydney Swans' stunning success story this year, combined with the emergence of some exciting new talent and free-flowing football under coach Paul Roos, has sparked a membership surge for 2004.
If the trend continues, the club is anticipating that by Christmas it will have surpassed this year's total of 21,270 members.
"As of 4pm this afternoon, we have just over 14,000 members in Sydney and over 1000 in Melbourne," Swans membership manager Paul Grzanka said yesterday.
"Those figures are representative of a significant rise on 2003 at the same time."
Before the start of the season, the Swans were widely tipped to have a horror season. But they surprised everyone by reaching the preliminary final against eventual winners, the Brisbane Lions.
Coach Roos said: "I think our increase in membership for next year shows people have got a bit of faith in our list and says we are on the right track. And regardless of how far we go next year, at least we are playing younger guys and they are playing exciting footy."
The Swans are hoping that if they can add a few more chapters to this season's success story in the next two years, they can build their membership to 40,000.
A big part of those plans are built around recruiting more Melbourne members, which accounted for only 4500 of this year's membership to the new Bloods Army.
To help this cause, the club staged a recruitment drive in Melbourne last Sunday which attracted more than 4000 people to Lakeside Oval, the old home ground for the South Melbourne Swans.
Tony Morwood, Swans general manager, Melbourne, said: "Considering at the same time last year we had 312 members it is very encouraging having sold in excess of 1000 membership already.
Swans chief executive Myles Baron-Hay said the membership numbers were a positive reinforcement of what the club had achieved in 2003.
