SMFC

[Big Al]

You serious?

What's your argument here??

I am a member of the Wests Tigers in the NRL and will be a GWS member next year. I will support GWS against every other club except one. That's my choice which I hope people respect as I respect peoples choice not to support GWS in anyway. I know a few passionate Swans supporters (some on this forum) that will attending GWS matches. So I can't see what the issue is.

[Cheer Squad]

I had a great time with some of the old South Melbourne supporters on Saturday at the Geelong game. I think it's fantastic we've got so many members in Melbourne. It's heartening to see.

I don't know about being a member of two separate clubs though. Who would you support when they played each other? Turnabout? Toss of the coin? How could you reconcile something like that?

[Velour&Ruffles]

What's your argument here??

I am a member of the Wests Tigers in the NRL and will be a GWS member next year. I will support GWS against every other club except one. That's my choice which I hope people respect as I respect peoples choice not to support GWS in anyway. I know a few passionate Swans supporters (some on this forum) that will attending GWS matches. So I can't see what the issue is.

I didn't think I was making an argument or raising an issue. I thought I was was asking a question.

[Big Al]

I had a great time with some of the old South Melbourne supporters on Saturday at the Geelong game. I think it's fantastic we've got so many members in Melbourne. It's heartening to see.

I don't know about being a member of two separate clubs though. Who would you support when they played each other? Turnabout? Toss of the coin? How could you reconcile something like that?

A lot of the older supporters at games in Sydney, especially in the area I sit in, were brought up in the pre Sydney days so a lot of them support other clubs. Some of them will support their first club but aren't too upset if Sydney get up. Some are quite neutral. It's an interesting dynamic with these supporters. With GWS being new, 99% of supporters will support GWS against every club except their own.

[basher williams]

Indeed. I'm a Sydney girl, but our clubs dual history is something I'm exceptionally proud of. Our South Melbourne roots should not be discarded or forgotten.

As the banner flew in our 2005 grand final: 'Two cities, One team, Together living the dream'.

On a related point, when Kevin Sheedy and other naive GWS fans flog the 'there will be only one true Sydney team I roll my eyes. This club is as much about South Melbourne as it is about Sydney and vice versa. GWS on the other hand like pretending that Canberra and Orange are all a part of Greater West Sydney. As long-standing resident of Western Sydney I find it both hilarious and insulting to my intelligence. I understand why they need to, but don't be hypocrites and try and diminish what the Swans mean to this city and its people.

Well Put DLB. The Sydney Swans and South Melbourne are one and the same club. As a passionate supporter since the early forties it was heartbreaking to see the club on the point of extinction until the league decided to virtually dump the club in Sydney with not a great deal of support. It"s great to see the build up of a wonderful supporter base that the club has acquired in Sydney.I"m sure most of the old Sth Melb supporters are as passionate about the club as when it was in Melb.

The Brisbane Lions or Bears as they were originally are a different story. The Fitzroy football club didnt relocate to Brisbane. It was a cosmopolitan side made up of only a handful of Fitzroy players and players from other clubs. Very disappointing for the old die hard Fitzroy supporters and a lot of them including some of my mates had no affinity with Brisbane and no interest in following them. The Sth Melb supporters are fortunate

[Big Al]

I didn't think I was making an argument or raising an issue. I thought I was was asking a question.

Hopefully I answered the question for you.

[Kirkari]

"...with the advent of the Greater Western Sydney side, it might be time to lose or try and erase the transplant scar?"

Why on earth would we want to do that? As everybody knows, chicks dig scars. And besides, we'd rather be good than pretty.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Hopefully I answered the question for you.

I thought Bas made the original comment, not you, but it seems I was wrong. Thanks for answering my question Bas/Big Al. I suppose having two personalities on this board is a piece of cake if you can support two teams.

[Big Al]

"...with the advent of the Greater Western Sydney side, it might be time to lose or try and erase the transplant scar?"

Why on earth would we want to do that? As everybody knows, chicks dig scars. And besides, we'd rather be good than pretty.

So if I wear a midriff top to show off my appendix scar I'll have better luck with the ladies??

[Big Al]

I thought Bas made the original comment, not you, but it seems I was wrong. Thanks for answering my question Bas/Big Al. I suppose having two personalities on this board is a piece of cake if you can support two teams.

We're interchangeable. He got the brains and I got the looks.

btw: Supporting 2 teams isn't really an intellectual challenge. I'm a member of a club of another code and my head hasn't exploded. It can be done.

[erica]

So if I wear a midriff top to show off my appendix scar I'll have better luck with the ladies??

Be still my heart...

[Big Al]

Be still my heart...

Since you've met me Erica may I suggest these...

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[erica]

Since you've met me Erica may I suggest these...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]445[/ATTACH]

Surely you're not suggesting I need assistance from the umpires' sponsors, Al?

[Big Al]

Surely you're not suggesting I need assistance from the umpires' sponsors, Al?

I would never suggest that to a lady (Please refer to Line 3 of my Signature).

[DLBIA14]

Sheedy never said that at all to the best of my knowledge. It certainly wasn't said in the article at the top of the page so where did you come up with that idea?

I would like to think I am of slightly higher intelligence and can not only support two teams in the same code, in the same city but also teams of differnt codes.

The AFL need to feed money into GWS because they are trying to attract a whole new demographic supporter to the AFL. The Swans have accessed the blank cheque of funds in the past. They play out of Canberra and Wagga so as to attract future players as per their demographic entitlements.

As a person from the western suburbs, I would have thought that you would feel proud that Sydney does have it's own Sydney born team.

The Swans have made major inroads. You think Grand Finals equates with success. Tell that to Clubs from Melbourne that haven't won a Grand Final in 40 years. One win in 2005 does not make a premiership era.

So I don't think your alternative opinion has considered all the alternatives but certainly do buy another Swans membership.

The South Melbourne link with our Club should always be cherished because we are the only Club that has relocated and retained its identity. However, if you follow that tradition then GWS will be the only true Sydney origin team because it was born in Rooty Hill. So what is the big deal in that?

Sheedy said it. Just because you haven't read that article does not mean it does not exist. Go find it yourself if you want to waste the time. Though, I also remember that they used that 'true Sydney team' line when they were flogging memberships on their website. Maybe you should have read it when you were buying yours.

On your second point, by all means do what you like. Frankly I couldn't care less. I personally don't have the ability to support 2 teams in the same competition, because I love the Swans too much not becasue I lack your so-called higher intelligence. The point I was arguing was that investing in GWS financially on the sole basis of the fact you think it would grow the game, is flawed.

Also I don't care how many teams from different codes you support either and I think it is an irrelevant point. I love all sport including league.

I also made the point that I completely understand GWS's motives and zoning advantages ect. I'm currently living in Canberra so I do know this part of Australia wants and needs more AFL action, no question. However, I find it a little foolish, opportunist and hypocritical that they've sold some of their games for an extended period of time and see Canberra as their second 'home'.

As a person of the Western suburbs I already have a team that represents me proudly. That's the Sydney Swans. However, I have NO qualms about GWS's existence. It's clearly beneficial for area and the game in the long term.

The Grand final should have brought more recognition to the club, more members, bigger attendance's ect. That's a fact. Melbournian clubs face a complete different situation to the Swans. They don't have to fight for 3 inches of space in the paper. It's hardly comparable.

Also by premiership era I'm talking about 03-06. Perhaps it wasn't worded correctly, but yes I realise one premiership doesn't make an era. Arbitrary point.

'So I don't think your alternative opinion has considered all the alternatives' Give me a break! My alternative opinion is just as valid as yours. My perception of things is clearly different to you, but don't sit on your high horse.

GWS is an AFL franchise. South Melbourne/Sydney Swans was a football club first and a part of the VFL/AFL later. Sure GWS is the first Sydney born team in the AFL if you want to think of it that way, but that does not make it Sydney's only true AFL team. How about this alternative you haven't considered - GWS was created in a the halls of AFL HQ in Victoria and is being set up by Victorians. By your logic does that still make it a 'true' Sydney team?

Overall, I don't appreciate your presumption of my opinions. You've misconstrued much of what I've said in my earlier post.