The AFL cant afford to let the swans languish

[premiers05]

We all agree I think, that this year is over. We may get to play one final game, but its not going further than that. We will get some middling draft picks and maybe trade some players but as a large number of players are 30 or older we will be effectively starting to "rebuild" in 2009. IMO the AFL cant afford to let this happen. The 16 team competition means any team takes 4 to 5 years to rebuild effectively, with CG17 and then the second sydney team joining the comp and getting the pick of trades and draft picks, it could be 10 years before we see the swans up again and about the same for the blacktown team. AFL as a brand in sydney will take hammering if this happens and IMO they cant afford to let it happen.
I see auskick in primpary schools and a intra highschool AFL comp happening but if the swans are in the bottom 8 for the next few years, the young kids have no-one to follow and emulate, and the work that has been put in to building AFL in Sydney will be for nothing and it will peter out.
Thoughts anyone?

[hammo]

What are you proposing the AFL do?

I'm sure Eddie McGuire and the other club presidents will be more than happy to give the Swans some priority picks in the upcoming draft

[premiers05]

What are you proposing the AFL do?

I'm sure Eddie McGuire and the other club presidents will be more than happy to give the Swans some priority picks in the upcoming draft

The other clubs screamed blue murder when the salary cap for sydney was higher than the others, but it was necessary. Eddie McGuire screamed when it was decided to add another two teams to the comp but it is IMO the right thing to do to keep AFL growing. Sometimes the AFL has to let them scream.

[Robbo]

Why can't people in Sydney follow a struggling team?

I don't understand why a few years down in the bottom 8 is such a huge problem.

Why is the Sydney market so fickle compared to the rest of the country?

The weagles have had one of the worst years imaginable but they still get about 40K to every home game.

[Legs Akimbo]

Why can't people in Sydney follow a struggling team?

I don't understand why a few years down in the bottom 8 is such a huge problem.

Why is the Sydney market so fickle compared to the rest of the country?

The weagles have had one of the worst years imaginable but they still get about 40K to every home game.

Agreed. Following an AFL club means taking the good with the bad. Just change your focus to enjoying the development of the team and players, rather than winning per se. When the winning starts again, it is so much more rewarding to say you went along for the ride. Supporters who drop off in the dry periods aren't really supporters, but rather bandwagoners.

[Cheer Squad]

1. Why can't people in Sydney follow a struggling team?

2. I don't understand why a few years down in the bottom 8 is such a huge problem.

3. Why is the Sydney market so fickle compared to the rest of the country?


Answers

1. Because there are plenty of other things to do in Sydney.
2. Because our competitiveness is crucial to the success of the western Sydney team.
3. See the answer to 1.

[Nico]

Why can't people in Sydney follow a struggling team?

I don't understand why a few years down in the bottom 8 is such a huge problem.

Why is the Sydney market so fickle compared to the rest of the country?

The weagles have had one of the worst years imaginable but they still get about 40K to every home game.

Culture.

[liz]

It's certainly the case that AFL doesn't form a central part of the culture of Sydney. It's still a niche market - albeit a bigger and more passionate one than some give credit for. I remember going down to Melbourne for a week's course with work back in 1996, when I was still a relative newcomer to the game. Pretty much everyone else on the course was from the Melbourne office and all everyone talked about during every coffee break and lunch time for the first two days was the previous weekend's footy. And all everyone talked about for the last three days of the week was the upcoming game. That just doesn't happen in Sydney, though the number of people in my office now who at least know whether the Swans won or lost is about the same number as those who used to take the piss out of me back then for being a Swans fan.

That said, I don't think it would be a complete disaster to fall outside the eight for a short while. The hardcore would remain loyal and the bandwagonners - or their replacements - would return. I still would rather the club tried to remain as competitive as it could while acknowledging where it is in the cycle and not compromising development for hanging onto the fringes.

[Mr Magoo]

I agree that Swans will take a fall in 2009 and with current plans we will be languishing for a quite a while if we still only get no 10 pick for falling to the bottom due to the entry of the new teams.

The Sydney Market is totally misunderstood by Melbourne and other AFL states. Its not that they wont follow a losing team , the core fan base would follow regardless and this corre base has definitely grown in the last ten years but the simple fact is that AFL is still only the third or even possibly fourth most popular winter sport in Sydney. So if the swans start falling its not that the fan base has fallen off the bandwagon , its just that you go back to the real fan base of the third or fourth most popular sport in sydney. Comparing to WA is not a very good comparison as the eagles supporter base is probably much greater than 40,000 so even in a bad year when fans may drop off the edges the core fan base still survives and so it appears that they havent lost traction. This is a little like the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL . A one town team in a market that it is the most popular sport, as compared to a one team town where it is nowhere near that.

NRL fans still follow their losing teams but their is some truth to the fact that Sydney people just dont hold attendance of sporting events up on the pedestal that some of the other states tend to. They remain interested and everyone generally follows some kind of sporting team but its not as fervant as I have noticed with melbourne colleagues and most people are content to watch their team on television without getting to the game. It doesnt mean they support the team any less, its just that in Sydney the need to get to the game seems less of a priority. There is rarely page upon page dedicated to even the NRL except in the monday or friday paper and the only coverage of AFL even midseason is generally swans based and even then almost the same as you read on the swans website.

[AnnieH]

Many sat through 26 losing games in a row.
We can do it again.

[connolly]

Many sat through 26 losing games in a row.
We can do it again.

Bring it on Annie, bring it on. If it means that arseclown who criticised me for abusing Goldspink at one game in 2005 goes off to watch Disney On Ice then so be it.

[connolly]

There is rarely page upon page dedicated to even the NRL except in the monday or friday paper and the only coverage of AFL even midseason is generally swans based and even then almost the same as you read on the swans website.

The NRL is a rather unique sporting code in that as much reporting of their players occurs in the police reports as on the sports pages.

[hammo]

Many sat through 26 losing games in a row.
We can do it again.

If everyone who said they were there actually was, there would have been sell-outs every week

[hammo]

The NRL is a rather unique sporting code in that as much reporting of their players occurs in the police reports as on the sports pages.

Very good!

[royboy42]

Nothing wrong with rebuilding a team. Has to happen whether you're in Sydney or Manangatang!
And a few fair weather followers might let their memberships go, so I can improve my family's reserved seat spots in the Brewongle! So, it's not ALL bad.