Second Sydney AFL Team - will it work?

[shearer]

Considering the poor turnout for saturday nights Swans match what is everyones opinion of the second AFL team to be based at Blacktown. I have read where they expect 20,000 members in the first few years, this is on top of the Swans membership falling slightly this year.

As a lot of the posters on here are from the greater west, do you as football people think the second team will work?

Personally i think there is no way it will, the talent pool in the AFL at the moment is pretty ordinary and with another two teams coming onboard it will dilute it even further.

BUT if you ask one of the imbeciles(G Burkinshaw excepted) from Sydney AFL they will tell you that numbers in auskick are great and that this will of course lead to success of the second team.

I can remember(just) footy in Sydney before the Swans came in and going to the grand finals at the Sydney Showground with big crowds.Im sure Oscar would of played in a few of them and how it all changed when the Swans came in.

Will this second team be a positive influence on the senior clubs out west?

[Rowdy#8]

I can't see how it would have a negative effect on the clubs out west. Its not as if it is going to steal crowds given the Sydney AFL is mostly just family and friends. If anything, it will only create interest and give the kids some local heroes and something more to aspire to.

That said though, I think a new team in Western Sydney is too ambitious on behalf of the AFL, especially given the goals you have mentioned of 20k members in the first few years. I can understand why they're pushing for the new club, but IMO, the only way they have a chance of achieving 20k members straight up is by relocating a Melbourne club and bringing existing members with it.

[floppinab]

I can't see how it would have a negative effect on the clubs out west.

I'd be concerned about what little sponsorship dollars there are from AFL friendly sponsors will now head to the second team and away from Senior Clubs.
Or are we thinking completely different markets.

[swantastic]

Nope it wont work.

[Darren Thomson]

The people of western Sydney will be harder to win over than the people closer to the city, who have higher incomes and can afford to go to games. They would also need to be successful pretty quick or they won't get press coverage. The Swans can't get a page in the Telegraph as it is. Sponsorship would be another big deal right now, no one is spending money, on the other hand, if League players keep bashing their girlfriends we might pick up some of that money. The big question is Where are they going to play? Is someone going to build a 60 thou stadium at Penrith or Blacktown or Campbelltown, I hardly think so, both teams would end up playing ouot of SCG and ANZ(yuk). The idea of a one team city appeals to me. NSW is not WA or SA. AFL does not have the same profile and really, the anti Sydney press is bad enuf now, imagine the media when one or the other Sydney teams has a bad year, they be after our scalp quicksmart. It aint broken right now, lets fix it later

[Pace To Burn]

The people of western Sydney will be harder to win over than the people closer to the city, who have higher incomes and can afford to go to games. They would also need to be successful pretty quick or they won't get press coverage. The Swans can't get a page in the Telegraph as it is. Sponsorship would be another big deal right now, no one is spending money, on the other hand, if League players keep bashing their girlfriends we might pick up some of that money. The big question is Where are they going to play? Is someone going to build a 60 thou stadium at Penrith or Blacktown or Campbelltown, I hardly think so, both teams would end up playing ouot of SCG and ANZ(yuk). The idea of a one team city appeals to me. NSW is not WA or SA. AFL does not have the same profile and really, the anti Sydney press is bad enuf now, imagine the media when one or the other Sydney teams has a bad year, they be after our scalp quicksmart. It aint broken right now, lets fix it later

The Gov and Blacktown Council with the Afl have already committed to building a stadium at Blacktown which will also be used for cricket. The mail i have is they will also have another base where they will have offices/ Gym etc where they will do pre-season as they wont be able to use the ground in cricket season.

[David Votoupal]

It won't. I live in the West, but the Swans are my team and plenty more interested in the game out here is more inclined to follow the Swans.

[floppinab]

The mail i have is they will also have another base where they will have offices/ Gym etc where they will do pre-season as they wont be able to use the ground in cricket season.

I keep hearing an upgraded Showground for this one. I guess that works as a pre-season base but for lower pulling H&A matches, working around the month of April with the Easter show + it's not Western Sydney is it, not too sure if it really makes sense. They'll have to do say 5 H&A games at Blacktown won't they but from what I hear it won't be up to standard for H&A.

[Pace To Burn]

I keep hearing an upgraded Showground for this one. I guess that works as a pre-season base but for lower pulling H&A matches, working around the month of April with the Easter show + it's not Western Sydney is it, not too sure if it really makes sense. They'll have to do say 5 H&A games at Blacktown won't they but from what I hear it won't be up to standard for H&A.

No Blacktown will be a new stadium that they will play all home and aways in but they will need a base for preseason as it wont be available and wont have office space so they are looking at a ground also in the west that has plenty of space around with a pool near by etc

[AnnieH]

I asked a few of my N&N's last night if they would follow the Blacktown Bogans, or go to a game when the swans were "away".

They told me to get nicked.

The Blacktown Bogans may get a fan base in two or three generations.

[Sasha]

I asked a few of my N&N's last night if they would follow the Blacktown Bogans, or go to a game when the swans were "away".

They told me to get nicked.

The Blacktown Bogans may get a fan base in two or three generations.

A true reflection of a swans supporter... No wonder we are the most fair weathered, fickle and uneducated supporters going around the AFL. Personally, I would rather see a team in Tassie, but if there is a second team in sydney, one massive positive that would come from it is.... true footy fans would be able to watch an AFL game EVERY weekend of the season!!

[goswannie14]

A true reflection of a swans supporter... No wonder we are the most fair weathered, fickle and uneducated supporters going around the AFL. Personally, I would rather see a team in Tassie, but if there is a second team in sydney, one massive positive that would come from it is.... true footy fans would be able to watch an AFL game EVERY weekend of the season!!

What a stupid comment. Because someone is one eyed in their support of their team doesn't make them a fair weather supporter. In fact it is the opposite.

BTW why would you want to financially support the swans opposition? That is more the sign of a fair weather supporter, having a foot in both camps.

To top it off, according to your reasoning, one eyed Swans supporters are not real footy fans.

Now, would you like to rethink that post?

[Triple B]

BTW why would you want to financially support the swans opposition? That is more the sign of a fair weather supporter, having a foot in both camps.

Well I support the Swans and love watching live AFL.

I'll be there for most of the Western Sydney games and will loudly support them in all games apart from when playing Sydney, provided of course Sydney is not disadvantaged by them winning (late in the season for instance).

If that makes me a fair weather supporter in your eyes, so be it.

People who think there is going to be this big 'showdown' and 'derby' thing happening if/when Sydney gets a second side are very much mistaken.

A very small element of one eyed fans will 'hate' the other side, but I'd suggest a much larger percentage will enjoy the new team springing the odd upset on other teams, especially the well established 'big' clubs like Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and West Coast.

This is not a Port Adelaide type entry where hatred had built up against Port for generations and folk in Adelaide were either for 'em or dead against 'em. Freo are in a similar boat, coming from an established Australian Rules culture and locals were screaming out for a team to support other than the soulless Eagles.

In Adelaide I reckon a fair proportion of Adelaide supporters have Port as their 'most hated' and vice versa. Same in Perth.

I don't see it happening in Sydney. In my view only a very, very, very small percentage of Swans fans will instantly 'hate' the new team more than our established 'hate' list eg. Eagles, Collingwood et al.

[goswannie14]

If that makes me a fair weather supporter in your eyes, so be it.

No, not necessarily, it was more a reference to the accusation/inference that if a Swans supporter disliked/hated the new team that they were a fair weather supporter. I just didn't follow the logic in that. But I do understand that people such as yourself, love footy and would go every week if you could.

[Big Al]

A true reflection of a swans supporter... No wonder we are the most fair weathered, fickle and uneducated supporters going around the AFL. !!

Considering the target of your ridiculous comment is one of the most passionate supporters I know you may want to rethink this post.