Roos warns of Sydney "catastrophe"

[Bear]

All I can say is that the Swans have worked very hard to sell up to 10,000 club-branded superpasses to people largely from Sydney's west. You don't seem to care that we might lose these people to the new team. I do.

That's not all you can say I'm sure, but for the game's development, I would rather these people engage in a much more meaningful way with another AFL club in Sydney.

Having people turn up to watch AFL 2-3 times a year is not a smart way to grow the game in the West.

We have plenty we can more meaningfully engage with and haven't capitalised on - in the East and LNS, inner city and inner West, from Sutherland to Palm Beach, and beyond that, Wollongong and the Hunter if need be.

Your attitude is selfish and restricts the growth of the game, and ultimitely the team you suport.

How many full club members do the Swans have west of Ryde, where most of the 4-5m population lives? 1000? Why? Because the vast majority do not relate to the Swans and never will.

As I have said - but you try to warp - the Swans are an Eastern suburbs-based club, with very limited appeal out in the real West.

We need a team in the West to grow the game, in terms of membership, participation, media coverage, sponsorship, pub talk, etc.

We'll get it with a community driven team born in Blacktown.

[liz]

How many full club members do the Swans have west of Ryde, where most of the 4-5m population lives? 1000? Why? Because the vast majority do not relate to the Swans and never will.

As I have said - but you try to warp - the Swans are an Eastern suburbs-based club, with very limited appeal out in the real West.

And chances are the majority won't relate to a Western Suburbs team either, because they're just not interested in AFL.

This "East-West" rivalry/disdain that exists has been a real eye-opener for me. I've lived in Sydney for 15 years now and it is only this week that is has become apparent it's an unbridgeable divide.

[Bear]

And chances are the majority won't relate to a Western Suburbs team either, because they're just not interested in AFL.

This "East-West" rivalry/disdain that exists has been a real eye-opener for me. I've lived in Sydney for 15 years now and it is only this week that is has become apparent it's an unbridgeable divide.

It's pretty hard to be interested in something you have never had the opportunity to get involved in

That's what they said about the Swans 25 years ago. They were proven wrong - the Swans have a decent following in their area of Sydney now. Surely we've learnt the lesson of the Swans...

At least you are now aware that the East and West are different markets within Sydney.

When the West finally gets something they have never had, Australian football will get a decent share in the Greater West. A 10% share is 200,000+ people and 20,000 members, and that is conservative. The AFL knows it is a generation thing and you either start now or bow to the rugby codes and, more importantly, soccer to grow and dominate Greater Sydney.

[1%ers]

Of course the kid who epitomises the wild west is tyro Bevo. Tough as a Bandido's missus with PMT and a flannelette footballer if ever there was one. Unhappily both the Bear and one percent reckon that the fibro kid is not good enough for their suburban outfit. Apparently it will be a team of silky skills out west.

Please watch Bevan's entire performance, yes he can run fast, tackles very well & always trys his best. Bevan cannot out mark an opponent & rarely wins a fifty fifty ball, he gives away far too many free when he plays in defence, he just doesn't have a footy brain

[1%ers]

I think you're speaking with a forked tongue, mate.

You're the one trying to pigeon-hole the Sydney Swans as an exclusively eastern suburbs outfit. I come from the western suburbs and I've never perceived the club to be like that. All this romanticised twaddle about the eastern suburbs being a "heartland". The only reason the club played at the SCG in the first place was that there was no other suitable ground in Sydney when the club moved north.

If the eastern suburbs is the club's "heartland", it was beating very faintly in the late 80s and early 90s, wasn't it? Hardly anyone had the heart - or the stomach - to show up on match day.

If we follow your logic about east and west, we may as well rename the club "The Eastern Sydney Swans". Yuck!

As far as Ranga is concerned, I'd want him to support the Swans, not the western Sydney whatevers.

Cheersquad: After the Swans v Collingwood game go to the Novotel and chat to several people in Magpie gear & ask them where they come from & see how many live in Sydney & how they came to barrack for the Pies. And post the main responses.
Cheers

[1%ers]

And chances are the majority won't relate to a Western Suburbs team either, because they're just not interested in AFL.

To really see how much interest there will be in a Western Sydney team go to the AFL Greater Sydney Juniors Grand Final.

I went to the Junior Grand Final day at Macquarie last year and was surprised at the number of families involved and passionate about junior AFL from a such a variety of backgrounds, who just loved playing the game.

SportingPulse Homepage for AFL Greater Sydney Juniors

[Bear]

To really see how much interest there will be in a Western Sydney team go to the AFL Greater Sydney Juniors Grand Final.

I went to the Junior Grand Final day at Macquarie last year and was surprised at the number of families involved and passionate about junior AFL from a such a variety of backgrounds, who just loved playing the game.

SportingPulse Homepage for AFL Greater Sydney Juniors

True 1%ers... and in the Hills district at the new ground when we played the Bulldogs in pre-season. Heaps of young families and pre-teen kids.. but they are only now being introduced to the game, so it will take time.

[Cheer Squad]

True 1%ers... and in the Hills district at the new ground when we played the Bulldogs in pre-season. Heaps of young families and pre-teen kids.. but they are only now being introduced to the game, so it will take time.

Only now being introduced to the game? Don't be misleading. The crowd of 3,000 or so were completely decked out in red-and-white. It was a classic Swans crowd. I know because I was there.

It's these people you're apparently happy to see the back of. I wonder how the club would feel about that, let alone the countless supporters who've worked so hard over the years to build up interest in the club.

[Cheer Squad]

Cheersquad: After the Swans v Collingwood game go to the Novotel and chat to several people in Magpie gear & ask them where they come from & see how many live in Sydney & how they came to barrack for the Pies. And post the main responses.
Cheers

Perhaps I should ask how many intend to abandon Collingwood in favour of the new western Sydney team?

[xpression]

i'm from the west, and i can tell you that i know many people whom are interested in AFL just as much as NRL. For those who say the westerners are not interested, what information are you basing these assumptions on ?

[Cheer Squad]

And chances are the majority won't relate to a Western Suburbs team either, because they're just not interested in AFL.

This "East-West" rivalry/disdain that exists has been a real eye-opener for me. I've lived in Sydney for 15 years now and it is only this week that is has become apparent it's an unbridgeable divide.

Unfortunately, the east-west divide is a fact of life in Sydney. It's mainly driven by people in the east who dislike and fear the west. Especially if they have to travel there.

[hot potato]

Our family are strong Swans supporters. We can't wait for the AFL product to be played every week in Sydney.
It means there will other exciting teams to watch who are versing THE WESTERN SYDNEY ECHIDNAS, some of us just like to watch good footy, after all a SwAns premieRSHIP comes aROUND PRETTY INFREQUENTLY.
Another Sydney team will make the Swans lift their game, that's the nature of sport.
Don't panic Roosey, have a cuppa with Sheeds....

HP

[Bear]

Only now being introduced to the game? Don't be misleading. The crowd of 3,000 or so were completely decked out in red-and-white. It was a classic Swans crowd. I know because I was there.

It's these people you're apparently happy to see the back of. I wonder how the club would feel about that, let alone the countless supporters who've worked so hard over the years to build up interest in the club.

Completely? What a crock. You obviously got stuck into the beers and got your flag wrapped around your head.

I was there and actually circled the whole crowd to have a PROPER look.

Of course there were some people in red and white, but more importantly it was mainly made up of young families (with kids 7-11 including plenty of non-anglo) from the area who's kids are playing Auskick and got priority ticket access through the NSW/ACT AFL. In the end I was sitting at one end which was almost exclusively made up of these young families. There were few if any in Swans colours and would be bugger all full or part members of the Swans in that group.

[Bear]

Perhaps I should ask how many intend to abandon Collingwood in favour of the new western Sydney team?

There are plenty of Swans members who have changed from other teams, because they now have a team in their local area to follow.

Same will happen in the West.

[Bear]

Jared Crouch has been the leader of Team Swans for about 10 years now, and visited more schools and areas of Sydney than anyone else at the football club.

He is in the know when he says:

On West Sydney:
It is something that does need to happen. There are more people living in Western Sydney than in Adelaide or Perth. People support teams when they make an emotional attachment to them so it?s important to have a team in that area that is very active in the local community. This is something the Swans find hard to do throughout Sydney because of the size and population of the area.

Leadership Locker - Jared Crouch | AFL Players' Association

Puts everything into perspective - we cannot cover the whole area well enough and need support from another club to grow the game.

Finally, a view from the Swans without the hidden agenda of wanting more money or draft picks from the AFL.