Manly Wolves Now in Giants Clothing

[tara]

The afl deliberately marketed gws as a western suburbs team in what the afl accept will he the hardest market to crack. Now I might be a Mexican but I understand the fibro silver tail concept. Could they @@@@ that up any harder. I hope if rumors are true Whalen reserve is vastly improved.

[justabaraker]

This is an interesting one - Manly are changing their identity, and becoming the Giants.

Looking at the GWS Facebook page, it's caused a bit of angst among GWS fans. But any team can wear orange and call themselves Giants, they don't need GWS's permission to do it.
It's a nice photo op for the Manly club.

Wow Norris, I see what you mean about it causing angst ! I hadn't realised it would be an issue like this.
I'll give you 20 cents to wear your Giants shirt when you go out to Weldon this season. Go on, you know you want to do it.

[mountainsofpain]

But any team can wear orange and call themselves Giants, they don't need GWS's permission to do it.

With respect, this is considerably more than that, more than likely with money involved.

[cartman48]

Some really passionate Giants fans will walk away based on this decision - and a lot of them - I'm really disappointed that the Giants have done this, they will pay for it in the short term....

[Tim Freedman]

Um, the Giants don't have "a lot" of fans. After a few years in the comp and a few years after their formation they are still hanging around the 10K mark. The "West" of Sydney don't seem to be overly interested in supporting them IMO and I would think that them focusing just on the West would be detrimental to their future growth aspirations. I actually don't believe there is a massive market for them just in that area alone as many living out in those areas don't follow the code and many don't follow sport in general. Yes I know they might start growing their member base when they start winning but it has a ceiling.

The clubs in the West can piss and moan as much as they like however to put it simply, GWS hasn't received the level of support required to sustain themselves long term. Sooner or later they had to start approaching the rest of the Sydney market to increase their brand and image. Some on this forum and the AFL Sydney Facebook page are carrying on like two bob watches thinking they have a sense of entitlement.

You only need to look down South to see that things change. Hawthorn are now based out at Waverley, St.Kilda are down at Casey Fields in Cranbourne. GWS are just ahead of the curve and good luck to them I say! Personally I don't care where they base themselves, or who they are involved with. I'll still go and watch a few games and support them as my 2nd side. Us Mexicans never change sides.

[Pekay]

We asked for a giants player to attend our race day the year before last. They sent a development officer from an opposition club. The Giants epitomise the phrase 'cluster @@@@@@'

[tara]

Tim Ive seen little evidence of them engaging the West unfortunately. They appear to employ marketing genius's with little knowledge of their actual market. They should ask the wanderers about engaging people in their region because there pretty good at engaging their market.

Whether you realise it yet this has the potential to set the game in Western Sydney back decades. There been a lot of money invested in facilities, lets hope it continues.

[Pekay]

Tim, for the love of Hird, this isn't Melbourne.

[grandoldflag]

The afl deliberately marketed gws as a western suburbs team in what the afl accept will he the hardest market to crack. Now I might be a Mexican but I understand the fibro silver tail concept. Could they @@@@ that up any harder. I hope if rumors are true Whalen reserve is vastly improved.

I agree with this.

I'll add my bit...

I really thought when the AFL announced that GWS would be formed that they would start spreading the AFL word in the west, start infiltrating primary and high schools by putting on clinics and raising the awareness of the game in the western parts of Sydney. It looks like they have failed miserably in this area. To me, their approach to partnering with other clubs has been willy nilly. In other words, they will approach any club who they want to be affiiliated with to widen the exposure to the club and more often than not the club will agree due to the prestige of being approached by an AFL club. We've seen this already with their affiliation with overseas clubs. They need to look in their own backyard first before they venture across the city and even overseas.

The AFL acknowledged how hard it would be for GWS to gain a share of the ultra-competitive sports market in the west and I just don't feel they have done anywhere enough to engage with people out west and create a sense of loyalty to the club.

I agree with some other comments on here which said that GWS didn't think of this and the implications of this move long enough. I believe they have just gone to the premiers from last year to form a partnership so that it raises the profile of GWS in the Sydney AFL community and beyond. After all, the more teams in a jersey with a big 'G' on the front, the better for them. It could well backfire on GWS.

[Norris Lurker]

Maybe the reaction is over the top, and I'm not sure how GWS is going to get out of this. But the more I read, and the more I think about it - this one's just not going to fly.

[Mug Punter]

Um, the Giants don't have "a lot" of fans. After a few years in the comp and a few years after their formation they are still hanging around the 10K mark. The "West" of Sydney don't seem to be overly interested in supporting them IMO and I would think that them focusing just on the West would be detrimental to their future growth aspirations. I actually don't believe there is a massive market for them just in that area alone as many living out in those areas don't follow the code and many don't follow sport in general. Yes I know they might start growing their member base when they start winning but it has a ceiling.

The clubs in the West can piss and moan as much as they like however to put it simply, GWS hasn't received the level of support required to sustain themselves long term. Sooner or later they had to start approaching the rest of the Sydney market to increase their brand and image. Some on this forum and the AFL Sydney Facebook page are carrying on like two bob watches thinking they have a sense of entitlement.

You only need to look down South to see that things change. Hawthorn are now based out at Waverley, St.Kilda are down at Casey Fields in Cranbourne. GWS are just ahead of the curve and good luck to them I say! Personally I don't care where they base themselves, or who they are involved with. I'll still go and watch a few games and support them as my 2nd side. Us Mexicans never change sides.

Spot on! The idea that Giants fans will revolt over this is hilarious. They are mere consumers of a sporting product, much like I was out at the baseball over the weekend.

Equally laughable is that they will gain more than a minibus full of fans from their Manly Warringah foray.

What I really can't work out is why a proud tribal club like Manly would sacrifice its regional colours and long term identity - I strongly suspect that they will lose a lot of goodwill from their old boys and current players

[tara]

Spot on! The idea that Giants fans will revolt over this is hilarious. They are mere consumers of a sporting product, much like I was out at the baseball over the weekend.

Equally laughable is that they will gain more than a minibus full of fans from their Manly Warringah foray.

What I really can't work out is why a proud tribal club like Manly would sacrifice its regional colours and long term identity - I strongly suspect that they will lose a lot of goodwill from their old boys and current players

Shouldn't really be that hard mp.

[unconfuseme]

Hey tara, are you guys now anticipating a call from the Swans? ... you'd look great with a big red V on your chest ... AND you already have your own Harbour Bridge just around the corner!!!

Seriously, if this wasn't so ill conceived on so many levels, it would just be funny ... was the AFL consulted on this? ... surely they have to say no!

How can this be anything other than a conflict of interest for and on behalf of GWS and Manly alike?

No one with kids playing AFL in the Manly area, who all aspire to be selected in the SWANS ACADEMY will support the GWS JAFFAS. Likewise, it can only hurt the MANLY JAFFAS Senior club on that level as well, this is what happened at Bankstown when GWS imposed themselves ... their brilliant strategy bit them on the bum - the code has simply disappeared from the face of the earth in that area

As already mentioned by others, this is also a massive slap in the face to every AFL player, parent and fan who lives in a "fibro" house west of the Spit ... I can see the personalised advice that will be sent to all the GWS faithful;

"Dear Rugby League fan,

... thanks for accepting us in your hearts and souls, we are proud to epresent the Great area known as GWS!. ... our grand plans are evolving! Apart from closing down some recalcitrant junior clubs who refused to be compliant with our plans (see Bankstown Bombers) we are now implementing our plans to help develop the game in the far flung reaches of Western Sydney - like Manly - where the game desperately needs our support - they are the reigning Sydney AFL Champions as a result of our influence already! ... so don't forget this winter, a bus to Rooty Hill station, train to Circular Quay, Ferry to Manly, bus to Harbord, and support the club that we support ... you should be able to catch the first 1/4 of the u/19's, and still get back to Skoda Stadium in time to catch the final 1/4 if we have a night game! We hope that you will understand and appreciate our efforts to help develop the code in what is a Sydney Swans Talent Pathway area ... if you do, please explain it to us ..."

[Mug Punter]

This really does encapsulate it all about those idiots at Homebush.

They do not care about Western Sydney and Western Sydney does not care about them. The West of Sydney did not want a team, unlike the good folk of the Gold Coast who were, quite rightly, made to show a valid business case and demonstrate community support before being granted a licence.

They are a team built to facilitate a TV deal, a monument to an egotistical CEO trying to create a legacy.

Getting success on the field will be relatively easy but building a proper club that anyone genuinely cares abut will be a huge challenge. As I have argued many times before, anyone in Sydney interested in AFL will already support a club. They are names the Sydney Swans and I doubt very much if more than 100 Swans "fans" jumped ship. Yes, there will be interstaters wanting their AFL kick that will swap second teams but the Giants will largely need to generate new fans to the game.

I think that home crowds of about 10,000 will be hard to shift and that a genuine fan base of 2-3,000 will be about the norm. Expect to see these muppets in the ACT where they should have put their 18th team in the first place.

- - - Updated - - -

Shouldn't really be that hard mp.

I assume that they are being thrown a fair wad of cash if that is what you are referring to?

Still, I can't see why they would change.....

- - - Updated - - -

We hope that you will understand and appreciate our efforts to help develop the code in what is a Sydney Swans Talent Pathway area ... if you do, please explain it to us ..."

Yes, supporting a club that will potentially produce senior footballers for the Swans does seem a little flawed....

[tara]

Uconfuseme. No I don't expect a call. Here's a couple questions though. what colours is the wa state jumper? What is its emblem? What are our colours? How long do you think we can remain as magpies considering western suburbs are the original magpies? Now do a little research into our major sponsor and find out how many members they have. Now it doesn't seem so implausible does it? It is not our intention to engage them and have not even made an attempt.