GWS and it's impact on your club - Please Answer

**ShortHalfHead** · 17 May 2016, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by CKunde

I really don't see GWS' non-mention of the Ramettes making the Div 2 GF last year as noteworthy. This isn't due to any Auburn bias I have, I genuinely think it's a non-issue.

Penrith sent off a few emails to the Giants prior to the girls grand final. they were ignored. even went to a higher source asking if the liason person was still working there. got a reply, "yes" and the email was passed on to her. She apologised "been having email problems for a few weeks, didn't see yours". Asked to send some details and she would publicise. Did that, still no reply to this day.

Just asked if they could mention it being the first Western Sydney team to make a grand final in senior women's footy. Wasn't expecting firework display from the Giants or a cheer squad of dancing girls led by Katie Page and a parachute entrance by Melissa Doyle.

Was good to see the Auburn girls at the Grand Final though, cheering madly for the Central Coast side.

**KTigers** · 17 May 2016, 12:11 PM

Going to games at Spotless, which my family and I do five or six times a year is an interesting experience, and getting
there by train even more illuminating, culturally speaking. The GWS crowd is almost 100% of Anglo descent (not unlike the
Swans crowd), but sitting on the train for a dozen stops from the inner west to Lidcombe on Saturday we did not see a single person
of Anglo origin either on the train or on any of the platforms the train passed through. Not one. I think it just says everything about
the nature of large chunks of Western Sydney these days and so I'm not convinced about the build it (the winning dynasty) and they
will come strategy. Unless AFL (by that I mean the AFL and the Giants) can somehow engage with these folk from different countries
and cultures and get them "into" the game long term then the only people who will turn up to Spotless are the same ones that are
already there plus a few thousand "theatre goers" when GWS are on a winning streak.
I know it's thirty years ago, but that was the Swans crowd when they were winning every home game
in 1986 & 1987. Once we started losing only the hard core fans remained. Maybe footy can learn from what happened thirty years ago.
It will take a vast amount of money, and a vast amount of willpower.

**saviour01** · 17 May 2016, 12:39 PM

Originally posted by mountainsofpain

At some stage, the Giants need to decide what they want to be. As they currently are, I would prefer they drop the pretence of being a western Sydney club and just call themselves the Sydney Giants. That would at least bring a bit of honesty back to the table.

The Sydney Giants who play almost half the season in Canberra?

**KTigers** · 17 May 2016, 12:58 PM

They play 8 homes games a year at Spotless, and 3 in Canberra.

I guess it's like North playing games in Hobart, and Hawthorn in Launceston.

It's called money. And no footy club can ever have enough.

The Swans up until last year played three home games at ANZ stadium, and that may as well as been
Canberra judging by the amount of whingeing that went on about it. You'd think the world was about to end.
I never got all the bleating about ANZ. There was an oval, goalposts, grass, a bar, what else do you want?

Originally posted by saviour01

The Sydney Giants who play almost half the season in Canberra?

**unconfuseme** · 17 May 2016, 02:17 PM

This is not current (@ 29/3/16) but nonetheless tells an interesting story;

Club 2016 Members 2015 Members
Adelaide 60,383 52,920
Brisbane Lions 20,660 25,408
Carlton 45,194 47,305
Collingwood 55,000 75,037
Essendon 50,442 60,818
Fremantle 46,283 51,433
Geelong 46,764 44,312
Gold Coast 10,946 13,643
GWS Giants 10,247 13,480
Hawthorn 69,006 72,924
Melbourne 34,023 35,953
North Melb 37,635 41,012
Port Adelaide 57,195 54,057
Richmond 70,021 70,809
St Kilda 34,246 32,746
Sydney 42,646 48,836
West Coast 59,363 60,221
Western Bulldogs 30,027 35,222

In 2014 GWS membership was a tick over 13,000, up from 11,000 in 2013.

In 2013, they were the only AFL Club in the country who made a net loss on membership

They had a stated gross revenue of $800k (so the average member paid $72 for the privilege, so most of those would have been the $50 subsidised options, and mostly Canberrans), and costs of $1.2 million which included "fan development and community engagement" at a cost of about $900k ... so clearly they were out and about, banging the drums and engaging with the community that year, and the 2,000 extra members they gained came at the miniscule cost of $20k per head!!!

Would be interested to see what it is now, but who would buy a membership (other than an ACT or Riverina "local") when they give away 20,000 tickets for every game.

PS: I liked ANZ as a venue.

**saviour01** · 17 May 2016, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by KTigers

They play 8 homes games a year at Spotless, and 3 in Canberra.

I guess it's like North playing games in Hobart, and Hawthorn in Launceston.

It's called money. And no footy club can ever have enough.

The Swans up until last year played three home games at ANZ stadium, and that may as well as been
Canberra judging by the amount of whingeing that went on about it. You'd think the world was about to end.
I never got all the bleating about ANZ. There was an oval, goalposts, grass, a bar, what else do you want?

Agreed. The Canberra minister who signed off on it should be lynched by the public. From memory was 27 million over 10 years. Works out at like over half a mil a game. Pretty sure state of origin matches have been bought for that by victoria.

No way was that needed to get them there. Surely GWS will struggle when they lose 2.7 mil a year.

**CKunde** · 17 May 2016, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by ShortHalfHead

Was good to see the Auburn girls at the Grand Final though, cheering madly for the Central Coast side.

The same Central Coast side that their senior coach used to play for?

Greg C put this same issue to me, and he was very satisfied with the above answer. I don't expect it to permeate the Penrith club, because I don't think it's an issue, even if I didn't have very strong ties to Gosford that my players wanted to embrace (such as being born there, living there, playing for the Tigers, etc).

I don't understand why any club could be offended by an opposing club supporting another opposing club. Blacktown/Western didn't get upset about the Auburn women that were barracking for Camden in the Div 2 GF.

**ShortHalfHead** · 17 May 2016, 09:40 PM

Originally posted by CKunde

The same Central Coast side that their senior coach used to play for?

Greg C put this same issue to me, and he was very satisfied with the above answer. I don't expect it to permeate the Penrith club, because I don't think it's an issue, even if I didn't have very strong ties to Gosford that my players wanted to embrace (such as being born there, living there, playing for the Tigers, etc).

I don't understand why any club could be offended by an opposing club supporting another opposing club. Blacktown/Western didn't get upset about the Auburn women that were barracking for Camden in the Div 2 GF.

I wasn't that satisfied mate. Great that you supported your former club, but does that mean that the girls needed to follow. I'm a Carlton supporter, but don't yield the power at my club to have everyone blindly following the mighty Blues

And as I mentioned in our chat, your girls would have supported the Milat family if they were playing us.

In saying that, our meeting was in another context and I appreciated your honesty. You're a good guy.

I was surprised however, at a finals match at Henson where Camden were playing, that the Auburn girls joined in with some booing when their opponents ran on to the field. All in good fun I guess, but it was shortly after the Goodes incident.

**CKunde** · 17 May 2016, 09:55 PM

Originally posted by ShortHalfHead

I wasn't that satisfied mate. Great that you supported your former club, but does that mean that the girls needed to follow. I'm a Carlton supporter, but don't yield the power at my club to have everyone blindly following the mighty Blues

And as I mentioned in our chat, your girls would have supported the Milat family if they were playing us.

LOL, Milat family may be a mild exaggeration, but it's entirely possible the ladies would have barracked for another team.

Having said that, I've got a pretty solid base of support/respect from the players, and within reason I've got a bit of influence over who they'd support. My colours were blatantly nailed to the mast in my support of Gosford, and I am stoked for the club that they won their first premiership in 20+ years.

I'll be honest, had Gosford (or Auburn) not been in the GF I wouldn't have watched it. I would have been completely neutral/apathetic with any other sides. I can't say the same for all the players, but I expect that most of them would have had similar sentiments.

BTW, I think you're a good guy, also.

**Tom Wills** · 17 May 2016, 10:14 PM

WTF is it with GWS.... is this thread full of Gen Y kids who have to blame everyone else for their problems.

I can not understand the small minded, ignorant, and from the detail of the thread, often wrong comments about GWS. What about these facts-

1. We live in a City that has the AFL as a third, if not fourth tier sport - BUT we have 2 AFL teams, the same as Adelaide and Perth - how can we be anything other than thankful for that.
2. The AFL underwrites GWS by @@@@loads .... why are we complaining.
3. AFL Sydney has the responsibility, and funding, to grow the sport in Sydney not GWS or the Swans. If you want development officers at schools contact AFL Sydney
4. Strong clubs grow because of their own level of commitment... if any of Syd Uni, UTS, ES/UNSW, Norths, Manly, Penno, St George or Camden put their growth down to GWS, Swans or even AFL Sydney i will run around Henson nude.

P.S. if you think Telstra stadium is better than Spotless you are a moron.
P.P.S. Build a bridge and get the fxxxk over Bankstown Juniors
P.P.P.S. Girls footy is growing at an unbelievable rate .... Yeah..... full stop.

**Mug Punter** · 17 May 2016, 10:56 PM