Would you support a Western Sydney team?

[Cheer Squad mbr]

I think so, but never as far as switching over from the Swans!

This kinda reminds me of when the Razorbacks entered the NBL. I still remained a Kings supporter, but also hoped the Razorbacks did well.
When they meet, it's still the Kings for me (except for one time several years back when the Kings (with nothing to lose) eliminated the Razorbacks from finals contention and therefore leaving us with no Sydney teams leading into that years NBL finals. Grrrr!).

Would you still support a Western Sydney based team if it made it into the AFL finals if the Swans were out?

[AnnieH]

Would you still support a Western Sydney based team if it made it into the AFL finals if the Swans were out?

Nuh.
There's only one team in Sydney.

[swantastic]

Come on own up you 2 tossas who picked option 1"Yes, I would support a team representing Sydney's West. "

[Xie Shan]

I wouldn't switch, but they'd probably end up being my second team. But there wasn't an option for that in the poll.

[Xie Shan]

Would you go and watch them?....absolutely.

Hell yeah. I think there'd be quite a few dual members who just want to go to a game in Sydney every week. Nothing wrong with that at all!

[felix]

What a fantastic opportunity the MAGPIES present for growth in intereset. Imagine Collingwood playing another 6 games in Sydney when the Swans are away. 16 or 17 games in Sydney each year would be sensational. Imagine Collingwood versus West coast or Brisbane played at Telstra. AFL heaven.
Dale Holmes should rethink his opposition. Bringing a struggling low profile team will not work.

[jono2707]

Why would Collingwood consider moving? Staggering - they dont have any problems drawing big crowds in Melbourne. Its bad enough when they bus all their feral fans up here once a year - I wouldnt want any more than that thank you.

And no I wouldnt support another Sydney team. Never ever.

[AnnieH]

Why would Collingwood consider moving? ... snip

... because it's Christmas (and off-season) and Eddie Everywhere needs to get his fat ugly head in the media spotlight.

Damn you non-ratings period!!

[top40]

It can be very easy to lose sight of the inherit vulnerability of the Swans within the Sydney market.

We have been very consistent since 1995. Not once in 13 straight seasons have the Swans' percentage fallen below 100 at season's end. And there have been 10 finals appearances in the past 12 years. Give us a really bad year, (I hope never, but let's be realistic here), and the Sydney market for the Swans gets really shaky.

Unlike in 1992, I believe that the club is now strong enough to withhold a few really bad on ground seasons. But under such a scenario the city simply cannot support two teams.

Sydney will be able to have two teams when:

1. AFL virtually matches Rugby League for sport news stories in the Sydney Morning Herald and in particular the Daily Telegraph

2. The number of registered AFL junior players in Sydney at least triple. I live in the Sutherland Shire. Just in the Shire alone we have over 10,000 registered junior soccer players. Yet in 2007 for the combined Shire, St George area, Bankstown and the Illawarra, (for older juniors), (that is "Southern Sydney"), the number of registered junior AFL players reached a record number of just 900 in number.

3. That must be more opportunity must be made for boys aged 16 to 19. Unless you are good enough to play representative footy, once you turn 16 in Sydney your AFL career is over.

4. The Swans should be given priority for Sydney metropolitan boys in the draft. Very talented boys aged in their mid teens that play AFL are not guaranteed to continue to play in their home town if the are good enough to advance to Senior AFL level. Often their talents are therefore inclined to drift to other football codes, rather than risk being drafted at age 18 interstate, and missing their family, local mates, girlfriends etc

[Industrial Fan]

Why would Collingwood consider moving? Staggering - they dont have any problems drawing big crowds in Melbourne. Its bad enough when they bus all their feral fans up here once a year - I wouldnt want any more than that thank you.

And no I wouldnt support another Sydney team. Never ever.

Clever move really.

It would mean they would play 'home' games in Sydney. So they get familiar with an interstate venue and it would be home crowd/neutral unless it was against the swans - not a parochial mob.

That would also account for their interstate travel - therefore no travel to WCE or Freo, no travel to Adelaide.

Also gives them a chance to build up a supporter base in West Sydney.

[hammo]

Besides, were are the wobbles thinking of playing? Telstra Stadium is not in the "Western Suburbs" (where the "bogans" live). It's 12k's from the city.

Homebush Bay is the western suburbs.

Why would Collingwood consider moving? Staggering - they dont have any problems drawing big crowds in Melbourne. Its bad enough when they bus all their feral fans up here once a year - I wouldnt want any more than that thank you.

The proposal is for away games. A stroke of genius really. If the AFL went for it, which they won't, Collingwood would play 16 games at the MCG (11 home games and 5 'away' games against Melbourne clubs) and 6 games at Telstra Stadium (or the Gold Coast).

[Xie Shan]

The proposal is for away games. A stroke of genius really. If the AFL went for it, which they won't, Collingwood would play 16 games at the MCG (11 home games and 5 'away' games against Melbourne clubs) and 6 games at Telstra Stadium (or the Gold Coast).

You've summed it up perfectly - a stroke of genius, yes, but pretty much impossible to fit into the draw. Collingwood only travel 4-5 times a year, and to play 5-6 away games in Sydney on top of trips to Brisbane and Adelaide/Perth once a year, there's no way the AFL would be able to accommodate this (even if they wanted to) on top of requests by the other Melbourne clubs to host Collingwood at the MCG, which is a nice little earner for them as it is due to the Pies' large following.

[BigD]

No way in the world would I support another team in Sydney.

I'm A Swan for life.

Besides, I just don't think the time is right for a second team in Sydney. Realistically the Swans have really only established themselves as Sydneys team in the last 5 or so years and we don't need another wannabe Sydney team undermining the progress that has been made.

[573v30]

Would I like to see a Western Sydney side? Yes.

Would I support them? No.

Would I like to see the Swans flog them? Yes.

[Zlatorog]

Probably I would initially. Not to the same level as the Swans, but just enough to get them started. Of course when they would play the Swans it's obvious who I would go for, on the other hand I would give support them when playing any other interstate team.