Paul Roos @ On the Couch

[Damien]

Was stunned at the general ignorance of both Mike and Gerard (esp Gerard he has played here!) last night in relation to what Roosy was saying about the harm a very non competitive GWS can do to the brand in the northern states. After 29 years, so many people do not get this market.

The GC at least have a base of fans and a huge ex-pat AFL state population, Western Sydney barely has any minor interest and losing by 100 points a week for a few years isn't going to exactly get the excitement going!

[BSA5]

Was stunned at the general ignorance of both Mike and Gerard (esp Gerard he has played here!) last night in relation to what Roosy was saying about the harm a very non competitive GWS can do to the brand in the northern states. After 29 years, so many people do not get this market.

The GC at least have a base of fans and a huge ex-pat AFL state population, Western Sydney barely has any minor interest and losing by 100 points a week for a few years isn't going to exactly get the excitement going!

Yep. To me, the Gold Coast have taken a gamble on youth in the hope for a Premiership in the mid-term. They can probably get away with this. GWS can't do this. They will need to trade the majority of their early picks for established players, they will need to throw money at uncontracted players, they will need to sacrifice some long term talent for some immediate experience and ability if they are going to be viable off the bat. They can't debut whatever ridiculous number of players GC did in Rd 1, they should be looking at three or four debutants max.

GWS can still be viable, but they will have to play their cards pretty much perfectly.

[Doctor]

Yep. To me, the Gold Coast have taken a gamble on youth in the hope for a Premiership in the mid-term. They can probably get away with this. GWS can't do this. They will need to trade the majority of their early picks for established players, they will need to throw money at uncontracted players, they will need to sacrifice some long term talent for some immediate experience and ability if they are going to be viable off the bat. They can't debut whatever ridiculous number of players GC did in Rd 1, they should be looking at three or four debutants max.

GWS can still be viable, but they will have to play their cards pretty much perfectly.

+1

[RogueSwan]

For those without pay-tv, and with an itunes account, the audio podcasts have finally been caught up on itunes, including the 2nd May.

[Bas]

Was stunned at the general ignorance of both Mike and Gerard (esp Gerard he has played here!) last night in relation to what Roosy was saying about the harm a very non competitive GWS can do to the brand in the northern states. After 29 years, so many people do not get this market.

The GC at least have a base of fans and a huge ex-pat AFL state population, Western Sydney barely has any minor interest and losing by 100 points a week for a few years isn't going to exactly get the excitement going!

I don't think it was ignorance but they for whatever reason are not going to put down the AFL whereas Roos being the ex-Sydney coach was showing his loyalty to the Swans over the AFL.

Roos is 100% right, GWS can't do what GCS has done. Different market. GWS will need to be competitive and have a chance of winning games. Apart from the uncontracted players they may snare, they will need to trade some good youngsters for established players. This is where it could be very handy for Sydney to trade a player or two and get a big advantage from another compromised draft..

[msb]

Yeah its going to be mighty embarrassing next year when GWS start up and get flogged week in week out, the no neck brigade up there in syd will be loving it, the AFL should learn and look at GC who should not even be in the competition this year IMO, they are clearly not ready and perhaps another year to develop this year in readiness for a debut in 2012 would of been a much better option. I dont even want to imagine what collingwood will do to the GC later in the year, especially if essendon can kick 31 goals against them.

[giant]

I guess the more important qn for us (and I imagine what Roosy was getting at) will GWS prolonged misery have an impact on the Swans' development? Will we pick up contagion from a damaged brand? Not for the likes of us, but you could imagine impacting growth and general media coverage.

[mcs]

I guess the more important qn for us (and I imagine what Roosy was getting at) will GWS prolonged misery have an impact on the Swans' development? Will we pick up contagion from a damaged brand? Not for the likes of us, but you could imagine impacting growth and general media coverage.

Only if we continue to be a mid table team. If we can have a good year this year (Which is looking 50/50 at the moment, but well we didn't start 05 particulary well either!) and then kick on again next year, then no I don't think so. But if we don't make the progress we hope and stay a mid table team, then yes it isn't going to help.

[liz]

I guess the more important qn for us (and I imagine what Roosy was getting at) will GWS prolonged misery have an impact on the Swans' development? Will we pick up contagion from a damaged brand? Not for the likes of us, but you could imagine impacting growth and general media coverage.

That has been a consistent message coming from the club since the definite introduction of GWS was announced, and Roos has been the main spokesperson. As well as pushing the Swans' case in terms of them continuing to need support from the AFL to remain a strong enough club (financially), he has been trying to point out that if the GWS project doesn't succeed (however that is measured), its failure has the potential to take the Swans down with it. And if GWS does succeed but at the expense of the Swans, then the whole thing is a waste of tine and money.

Only if we continue to be a mid table team. If we can have a good year this year (Which is looking 50/50 at the moment, but well we didn't start 05 particulary well either!) and then kick on again next year, then no I don't think so. But if we don't make the progress we hope and stay a mid table team, then yes it isn't going to help.

Yes and no. The GWS project is a long term one and during that period the Swans are bound to have some ups and downs, even if the downs aren't as regular and deep as the Melbourne media seems to always predict they will be. During the periods of onfield poor or mediocre performance that the Swans are bound to experience over the next 10-20 years, the whole code is vulnerable if GWS is continually wallowing down at the bottom of the league.

I don't think Roos' message has necessarily been an anti-GWS message, but he has been trying to point out that the GWS is not just a relatively risky project in itself, but for the whole code in the state. I have no doubt that there are at least some within the AFL hierarchy who get this but the fact that Roos has repeated this observation so regularly suggests he and/or the Swans are worried that not enough of them get it.

[Doctor]

I'm really enjoying the occasional insights into the mentality/culture of the Swans that you get from reading between the lines of what Roosy is saying while On The Couch.

I'm also enjoying the habit he has of saying three things but only actually finishing the sentence of one of them. You know what he's saying in the other two but he moves on to the next one well before he's done. It's endearing. It was almost cute last week when Ross Lyon was on because they both did it!

[Auntie.Gerald]

LIZ -

I don't think Roos' message has necessarily been an anti-GWS message, but he has been trying to point out that the GWS is not just a relatively risky project in itself, but for the whole code in the state. I have no doubt that there are at least some within the AFL hierarchy who get this but the fact that Roos has repeated this observation so regularly suggests he and/or the Swans are worried that not enough of them get it.

I am 99% sure it will succeed as the AFL took a tremendously long term view with the Swans and the Lions.........So too will be the long term strategy with GWS and the Suns.

For the AFL it is all about stealing market share to prosper for the now and decades from the now.............as the TV stations only have so much dosh

Yet for us the fans it is the Journey !...........not a destination...............I hope that all the young ones out west enjoy the journey from playing Aus kick in primary school thru to seeing their GWS making their first GF in yrs to come..........it might be 10 yrs from now if not 20.........thats all ok

cause its just great to have a team that represents your region !

[aardvark]

It was good to hear Roosy give JPK a big mention, said he is now one of the" stars of the competition ". Its about time he was given recognition for his ability.

[dimelb]

LIZ -

I am 99% sure it will succeed as the AFL took a tremendously long term view with the Swans and the Lions. So too will be the long term strategy with GWS and the Suns.

For the AFL it is all about stealing market share to prosper for the now and decades from the now, as the TV stations only have so much dosh ...

To give the AFL the benefit of the doubt, I think their assumption is not so much that they can steal market share (despite poaching NRL players), but that the population base is so big that there is room for a successful club. And if they put enough money into the grass roots over a long enough time, they might be right. That's the gamble, and I agree that if it doesn't come off, it could be bad news for the Swans and the AFL both. All the more reason to be pleased that the club is going ahead with initiatives like the Swans Academy: it's not only about keeping up with the Joneses (Collingwood and all the other clubs who will be financed by pokies under new legislation), it's about strengthening the club so it remains viable on its own terms and for its own sake, not the AFL's.

[GongSwan]

I get the podcasrs and Roos is definitely a person the media should be looking to. I like the way he brings the Swans into the show too, most shows are so Melbourne biased, I'd love to seee a Sydney based AFL show, but I suppose we don't have the supporter base to justify it in terms of ratings

[jono2707]

It was good to hear Roosy give JPK a big mention, said he is now one of the" stars of the competition ". Its about time he was given recognition for his ability.

I love him but hope he can continue to deliver those big Dream Team scores like last weekend. He's in my star-studded midfield and his scores have been a bit up and down so far...