Victorian fans not happy

[laughingnome]

Originally posted by Bloody Hell Considering the public service was based in Melbourne before relocating to Canberra you'd assume there would be a fair backing for it there.

This was most definitely the case back in the 1980's (hence the arguement that South should have moved to Canberra instead) but I'd say its more on a par now. If you put a team in Canberra and scheduled games so they don't clash with the Raiders.. why wouldn't it work? The Kangaroos probably have the best chance of any of the clubs as they have been there aready. Admittedly they burned the bridge but its not too late to mend.

[Bloody Hell]

Just thought of a better team than Newtown.

THE NORTH SYDNEY BEARS

That's right, The Bears

Why?

The name covers a large geographical area (could go as far North as Newcastle).

The team was merged with Manly in late 90's...when Northern Eagles went back to Manly they just disappeared.

Have supporter base and are well known.

North Sydney Oval is one of the most beautiful grounds in Australia. Not sure of capacity - but they play 1st class cricket there.

Has a very strong history.

Introduction to Bears history

Personally I've never been a fan of the Bears...I think there are better teams this idea could work with...but they certainly fit the bill for me.

So...when I'm finally appointed CEO of the AFL - I do all that's mentioned previously and then send Footscray back to the VFL (or merge with Saints - Hawks?) Leaving 7 in Victoria then get a second Sydney team as outlined.

Problem solved...next!!!

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by Bloody Hell
Hobart Hawks - Again why are they playing games down there?

I suggest you try looking at a map of Tasmania, York Park is at the other end of the island to Hobart. Any Tassie team would have to be called Tasmania, so as to include all Tasmanians, otherwise you would only have half the state suporting them.

[swansrock4eva]

Originally posted by Bloody Hell
Just thought of a better team than Newtown.

THE NORTH SYDNEY BEARS

That's right, The Bears

Why?

The name covers a large geographical area (could go as far North as Newcastle).

The team was merged with Manly in late 90's...when Northern Eagles went back to Manly they just disappeared.

Have supporter base and are well known.

North Sydney Oval is one of the most beautiful grounds in Australia. Not sure of capacity - but they play 1st class cricket there.

Has a very strong history.

Introduction to Bears history

Personally I've never been a fan of the Bears...I think there are better teams this idea could work with...but they certainly fit the bill for me.

So...when I'm finally appointed CEO of the AFL - I do all that's mentioned previously and then send Footscray back to the VFL (or merge with Saints - Hawks?) Leaving 7 in Victoria then get a second Sydney team as outlined.

Problem solved...next!!!

NSO would never be a premier AFL venue - too small in terms of crowd capacity and can only really cope with 15-a-side footy. Great for kick and giggle but not for much more where AFL footy is concerned.

Aside from that the "North Sydney Bears" concept would be a risky risky proposition - a large number of Aussie Rules fans on the north side of the harbour are already Swans fans, and it'd be doubtful they'd jump ship on a new club trying to cash in on another code's failed team. And having a team based in the northern beaches/suburbs is too geographically difficult to get to to sucessfully bring in fans from the central coast or further north.

The west is the place for development and locating a second team, but Sydney as a whole is just not quite ready for it yet.

[AnnieH]

Forget Sydney. There's only ONE team in Sydney, and I'll start a fight to keep it that way.

[ScottH]

That'll help.

[AnnieH]

Originally posted by ScottH
That'll help.

Every little bit helps, my learned friend.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by Annie Haddad
Every little bit helps, my learned friend.

Just like it helped SMFC and FFC.

[Mel]

Originally posted by Bloody Hell
Sorry, just an addendum to this....There are alot of 'closet' AFL fans in Sydney (my Dad for one)....who won't step out because they have supported league their whole lives....I think if you took a club with the spirit and ethos of the league clubs you would do well to get a reasonable supporter base to build on. That's why I mentioned South Sydney in a previous post. I think they have won 23 premierships (St George 16?) and have a HUGE supporter base , 250 000 people marched when the court case vs NRL went on, it wasn't about football, it was about the club....for any other issue in australia you would be lucky to get 20000....just a thought.

Yeah 250 000 people may have marched, but how many people turn up to their games? Less than the Swans use to get in the early 90s. If they don't get people to their games, it aint going to work.

[laughingnome]

Originally posted by Mel
Yeah 250 000 people may have marched, but how many people turn up to their games? Less than the Swans use to get in the early 90s. If they don't get people to their games, it aint going to work.

Its simple enough when it comes to Sydneysiders: they love winners. A second Sydney team is going to have to be successful from the get go (ie, finals finals finals) or the AFL will have another bail out. I know someone is going to point out that at first Sydney was mildly successful and I'll say that at the time it was even harder as it was a new product. A second team would have an easier run owing to the fact that Australian Rules is a known brand now and that we Swannies should be able to @@@@ off any westie plebs enough that we get a decent rivalry happening ala Freo and WCE or Port and Adelaide.

[swantastic]

Originally posted by Annie Haddad
Forget Sydney. There's only ONE team in Sydney, and I'll start a fight to keep it that way.

Right on sister 1 BLOODY TEAM IN SYDNEY.

[hammo]

The Swans will be the West Coast of the rivalry, the other team the Dockers.

The other team will be based in the west FFS, not north sydney. You are being generous by saying the bears had a supporter base, plus they were generally regarded as being mutes (i.e even quieter than some Swans crowds!)

[AnnieH]

Originally posted by swantastic
Right on sister 1 BLOODY TEAM IN SYDNEY.

I reckon that if another team either tried; or a "new" team was put into Sydney, more Swannies fans that are in this chat room would certainly go feral opposing it.

Remember when the bushrats wanted to set up in Sydney? The bulldogs even had aspirations at one stage. Swannies fans got so riled at the mere rumour of another club coming here, and made the other football clubs take note.

I'll take Brisvegas as rivals (like I have a bloody choice) ... if that's what the AFL deem necessary, but I'd prefer to have WCE as our rival and play an east V west game.

[Mel]

I have no problem with a second team in Sydney, but I was a big supporter of the Boo A Roo campaign. It wasn't the fact that they wanted in on the Sydney market, it was the way they went about it. The Swans had spent almost 20 years slowly (and often painfully) building up a supporter base in Sydney and then the Roos came along and tried to poach us. I remember my family all getting letters promoting the Roos/asking if we wanted to be members. Apparently they got our details from Ticketek after we had previously bought tickets to a Swans game.

That is NOT the way to introduce a second team into Sydney.

I do think that they will struggle to find a decent supporter base for a second team in Sydney though - for the time being. They always talk about the support for AFL in the west, but I live in the west and can tell you that all the Swans supporters I know would chop off their right arms before jumping ship to another team. The Swans are not just an Eastern Suburbs team.

[AnnieH]

Originally posted by Mel
Isnip ... I do think that they will struggle to find a decent supporter base for a second team in Sydney though - for the time being. They always talk about the support for AFL in the west, but I live in the west and can tell you that all the Swans supporters I know would chop off their right arms before jumping ship to another team. The Swans are not just an Eastern Suburbs team.

Agree 155% with all you said there Mel, had to chop for space consideration, apologies.

I live in the inner-west ... I heard today that there are supporters in the north, south, west AND east ... get right out! I don't believe it for a minute!!

The swans are not just an eastern suburbs team, although they kinda sorta think they are, and that's why I think there's always going to be rumour about a team starting up in the "west".

Believe me when I tell you ... the "west" aren't gunna let another team in either. I've seen the "stadium" they've proposed at the Olympic Centre at Rooty Hill .... it's almost finished. It's smaller than the stadiums at Manuka. Good move AFL ... fat lotta good it's gunna do a second team ... if you can get one there.

Maybe they should sort their mailing list by suburb, then put little pins on a big map of Sydney (and a little map of Australia) and see exactly where their member base is. I would say all over the place!!