Battle lines drawn

[Asterix]

At least there will be four games in Sydney for a while, because you can bet they will schedule the Swans and the Flannos (Westies) to play each other twice in the first year or two.

Actually, a flannelette jersey might be the go for Team GWS. With ugg boots. Stereotypical I know, but fun nonetheless.

[Lucky Knickers]

Again, all fair points.

I also accept the fact that the Swans will now need to service their members better. Who knows one day we may even be grown up enough up here to vote in our own chairman once Mao-Tse Colless falls off the perch....

From my view this is a big big play by the AFL. It will either be a miserable failure that will leave them looking like fools and cause massive ructions or it will open up what is the last substantial untapped AFL market in Australia. The stakes are high and despite what they say they are taking on the NRL front on.

I personally think they have massively under-estimated the task at hand and how they react in Season 3 when they are playing in front of 5,000 people on freebies at the Sydney Showgrounds (what a soulless place compared to the SCG) will be telling.

In a perverse way the Swans are really in a no-lose situation here. If the AFL do _really_ open up the West it will create a pie probably double than what the Swans have now and they both benefit. If the Swans are decimated corporate-wise and supporter-wise then the AFL are, I believe, morally bound to underwrite them whilst this circus is going on.

What would be totally unaceptable to the Swans and everyone that has stuck it out there since 1982 is for the AFL to bankroll a completely unviable entity that makes the Swans future uncertain....

You can't have it both ways. The new team will do more for securing the "loyal" Sydney fans to the club in that it will create competition and rivalry.
Why do you think I'm buying a membership? I am going to enjoy watching the local derby from my prime seats amongst the GWS faithful on their home game.
Not saying there isn't tough times ahead but our membership has been slowly dropping off since 05/06 without any hint of GWS. This might be the injection the Swans need.

[Bas]

I was bringing my elderly Mum home from her friday outing at Blacktown. As we were driving through an outer suberb of Blacktown (Maryong) the local school were out playing sport and I nearly drove off the road when I noticed TWO aussie rules fields set up and there were lots of kids playing and a pack following the ball.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of kids. As I have written before, there are many Islander kids playing league. They are huge. My sister who is a teacher at a primary school in outer Blacktown says that some deliberately lower their ages so they can play.

Parents of the "smaller" kids are not sending the kids to play league because who wants their kid crushed. So it's either soccer or aussie rules. There is a huge market out west for new converts to aussie rules.

What the AFL needs is a smart marketing campaign. The 'westies' against the world mentality. A new collingwood type team. GWS will work because it is not a fly in team. Like what Roy Masters did with Wests in the league many years ago. It gave an identity to many people who didn't have one.

BTW you can get cheap moccasins at Parklea Markets.

[goswannie14]

Spoilt. You can breath AFL if you want. Head down to your local oval and watch a game, watch VFL or head to MCG if it takes your fancy to see a big blockbuster (where is the green with envy smilie).

But that goes against what I was saying. Victorians will support their team, not the AFL. That's why the SOO concept (Thought up by the head honchos of the VFL and made successful by the NRL) failed in the AFL stronghold states. No self respecting supporter/member of a Victorian club will become a member of any other opposing club.

[Lucky Knickers]

What is SOO?
I know heaps of Victorians who are financial members of more than one club. Particularly the strugglers (Dogs, North and Dees). I know heaps of WCE supporters that are Freo members because they can watch a live game of footy. I know an enormous amount of ex-pats from other football states who support other clubs who are also Swans members.
I certainly wouldn't level a charge at them of not being a self-respecting fans - having sat with some of them at the football quite the opposite infact. I'd say that they are fans eager for a slice of live footy and are prepared to get it. Some of them are buying memberships to reducing the cost of going games. Whatever your driver is.

[goswannie14]

What is SOO?

State of Origin.

[laughingnome]

What is SOO?

And it was a WANFL concept. Prior to that if a Sandgroper was playing in the VFL he played for Victoria in State games, for example.

[Jewels]

What is SOO?
I know heaps of Victorians who are financial members of more than one club. Particularly the strugglers (Dogs, North and Dees). I know heaps of WCE supporters that are Freo members because they can watch a live game of footy. I know an enormous amount of ex-pats from other football states who support other clubs who are also Swans members.
I certainly wouldn't level a charge at them of not being a self-respecting fans - having sat with some of them at the football quite the opposite infact. I'd say that they are fans eager for a slice of live footy and are prepared to get it. Some of them are buying memberships to reducing the cost of going games. Whatever your driver is.

I plan on joining the bogans so I can get my fix every week.
Doesn't mean I'll love the Swannies any less, I'm devoted and EXTREMELY passionate about my team but I also love the game and as such, look forward to being able to see a live game every week.

Having said that, I'm uncertain of just how GWS will go. I think the biggest problem they will face and one that I'm not convinced the AFL has really addressed is the ethnicity of the area they are pitching to.
Blacktown, Penrith and their environs have a large population of people of Asian, the Sub-Continent and Middle Eastern descent and I just don't see these people embracing AFL.

[barry]

Team GWS is the 3rd best thing to happen to Sydney AFL after the swans moving here, and the 2005 GF. (Narrowly beating the plugga mania).

The growth potential for AFL will increase substantially with WS involved.

Its a fantastic (and brave) decision.

[SCGonasunnyday]

I'm wary of the effect it will have on the swans, particularly the inevitable pigeonholing of the swans as the team of the north/east elites. But what can you do.

For the sport generally I think it will be fantastic and it will work in the long term in the interests of the sport. It is a generational thing. I think it is marked how much more exposure of AFL there is in Sydney now compared with even 5 years ago.

[waterfowl]

My main concern is that the Swans may not be shown so often in NSW on free to air.

[laughingnome]

My main concern is that the Swans may not be shown so often in NSW on free to air.

I doubt they (the AFL) would double up the timeslots like that. I strongly suspect that the two teams will have different timeslots in the Saturday Afternoon, Saturday Night, Sunday Afternoon options. There is a reason the AFL is very keen on seeing if Saturday Afternoon works at the SCG, after all.

Then it's a matter of broadcasting, and all the networks have shown a reluctance to broadcast their scheduled game into Sydney and/or Brisbane when a local team is playing on Foxtel. I can't see that changing with the introduction of GWS.

TL;DR: I believe all GWS and Swans games will be broadcast into Sydney on FTA.

[Primmy]

My main concern is that the Swans may not be shown so often in NSW on free to air.

Love your avatar.

I think we should be ok re fta, its just the actual presentation from 7 that's so poor. And mean. And inappropriately timed (gardening!!!!). They can't drop out of their contract, which should mean we get as much as we did before (at least in Sydney).

Signed, Little Miss Sunshine!

[monopoly19]

I can't imagine ever supporting another team like I support Sydney, but I'm looking forward to being able to see more AFL in this city. Not sure if I would buy a membership to Western Syd but I would definitely go and see a few games.

[Cheer Squad]

I certainly bloody hope so! Isn't that a good thing - that they don't repeat old mistakes and try and give this new club every opportunity to succeed?

As long as it's not at the Swans expense.