AFL to launch 2nd team in Sydney

[Lucky Knickers]

According to this article in today's herald. OK- its written by a leaguey.

It would be fantastic to have a game in Sydney every weekend. I'd love it.
Timing might be a bit aggressive tho'

[mcs]

timing is very aggressive and I hardly think the Swans board will be particulary pleased at the current moment. For as well as we have been going and the good crowds we have had, there are tougher times ahead in the near future for us and I dont think sydney is anywhere near ready for a 2nd team. I coudlnt care less about having a game in Sydney every weekend, as I wouldnt be supporting the other team (except when they play Collingwood!) Would be awesome for Sydney derbies though that would be cool.

[goswannie14]

According to this article in today's herald. OK- its written by a leaguey.

It would be fantastic to have a game in Sydney every weekend. I'd love it.
Timing might be a bit aggressive tho'

Since when has Caro been a Leaguey? Unless you mean a muppet of the League.

I thought the Blacktown stadium was almost finished now.

Shorten the season, what a load of crap, I would be very unhappy if that happened.

I predict, as with the Gold Coast, that within 5 years of being an 18 team competition, that the comp will be back to 16 teams, with 2 Melbourne based teams merging with the new clubs.

FWIW My brother-in-law has contacts at North Melbourne, he said the only thing that stood in the way of North moving was that there was no proper stadium/training facilities immediately available. Otherwise it would ahev been a done deal.

[Bas]

Sydney's second team should be similar to collingwood. Based in the west and one that everyone will hate but a mass of westerners will follow. A total polarity to the Swans.

I'm sure the Swans will not be happy about the off field sponsorship competition. It will need to be supported by the AFL for many years.

I'd like to see that.....

[Dave]

Since when has Caro been a Leaguey?

Roy Masters, passionate hater of anything not League wrote it.

I think they should be focussing more on the Gold Coast

I will say though that my sons' junior club (Hills Lions - NW of Sydney) has grown significantly in the last 3 years, as have others, and I can understand the AFL trying to capitalise on this. The ground at Blacktown will be fantastic, another team though? - I personally think it's still not the time, if it ever will be. I hope I'm wrong.

I'd prefer if they moved the Swans to Homebush full time - better ground, better access, more central, Vilis pies etc

I'm sure Masters will do everything in his power to sabotage the AFLs efforts.
He's such an angry little fellow!

[airpoe]

Front page was written by Caro.

Masters only had his photo on the front, his actual article was only on page 10.

Yes ready for a new team.

It would get more western suburbs fans to attend more games.

Also I live in the east & would not go to homebush for regular games & hence would presume its the same for the westies.

How would it grab the swans sponsors?
It would probably grab multinational sponsors from other codes.

So would QBE say ditch the swans for the other team, when the swans would presume have a bigger base & appeal?

[Nico]

I keep hearing from "melbourne" media that the Western Suburbs is ripe for another AFL Club.

What is the ethnic demographic of the Sydney Western Suburbs. Just because a lot of people live there and it is an expanding doesn't mean people will go to AFL in their hoardes.

How in hell are you going to convince people who have never heard of the game to go and love it to the level of an additional 30,000 fans on top of our member base. It will take a century for another 30,000 fans to sign up to AFL in Sydney and when the natives are restless about the spread of soccer amongst Sydney kids, as I hear.

Fanciful stuff, and on top of that they will need another 90 NEW footballers as there is no relocation. A hotch potch of an idea for the sack of a few more TV dollars.

[Robbo]

Caro = Absolute moron.

[goswannie14]

Roy Masters, passionate hater of anything not League wrote it.

How come the header says this then????

Raid on home turf of league
Caroline Wilson | February 16, 2008

[Jewels]

I keep hearing from "melbourne" media that the Western Suburbs is ripe for another AFL Club.

What is the ethnic demographic of the Sydney Western Suburbs. Just because a lot of people live there and it is an expanding doesn't mean people will go to AFL in their hoardes.

How in hell are you going to convince people who have never heard of the game to go and love it to the level of an additional 30,000 fans on top of our member base. It will take a century for another 30,000 fans to sign up to AFL in Sydney and when the natives are restless about the spread of soccer amongst Sydney kids, as I hear.

Fanciful stuff, and on top of that they will need another 90 NEW footballers as there is no relocation. A hotch potch of an idea for the sack of a few more TV dollars.

You raise a good point Re the ethnicity of the western suburbs, in particular the outer western suburbs. I live in the northwest region but do go out toward the outer west often. The ethnic population is very mixed with a strong Asian/Middle Eastern influence that I just don't see following our game, at least for many years.
The Swans appeared at my local shopping centre last week and while the turn out was quite good, the majority of the crowd were Aussies.

[TheGrimReaper]

I won't support the new team, I'll hate it with a passion. More so than Collingwood.

[goswannie14]

I won't support the new team, I'll hate it with a passion. More so than Collingwood.

I don't think that would upset the AFL.

[TheGrimReaper]

I don't think that would upset the AFL.

Meh! The AFL can suck on some juice. lol

[hammo]

Masters is forever making false assumptions about the Swans and the louder he bleats you can bet the more worried he is about AFL's increasing popularity.

I'd like the 2nd team to work just so dinosaur leaguies like Masters are put in their place once and for all.

Some points that Masters never raises in his Swans / AFL bashing are:

- Most of our support comes from the eastern suburbs and north shore. That leaves millions in a largely untapped catchment area in the northwest and west.
- There are plenty of AFL supporters in Sydney who don't follow the Swans and even hate them. They follow Melbourne clubs and could be likely supporters for any new club.

As for his point about needing 90 new AFL players, I don't think it would too hard when you consider some of the names who are cut at the end of the season based on their age more than anything else (Woewoedin etc).

[Bear]

absolutely essential to get a second team up and running ASAP

we've already lost momentum to league in the GC, and soccer will have a team up and running there AND western sydney before us

it will be a massive boost to the afl in sydney, including to the swans in many ways

more interest in the code in sydney means more interest in the swans
it will also keep the massive growth in tv revenue, corporate sponsorship and junior development

expand or die