Junior Player Zones

[Adelaide Swan]

Livid??? You can be livid over a lot of things (World Hunger, War etc) but to be livid over a temporary junior zoning area that has a nil effect on your level of support shouldn't come close. I live in the Macarthur region which is now designated GWS and you what, it has not affected my love for the club one iota.

It's a fair point BA.

But I'm just a little miffed the noisy neighbours have the lions share of juniors in our own region.

In saying all that, as long as ANZ Stadium for Round 1 is a sea of red and white, I am happy.

[jono2707]

Where are all these people gonna come from to 'grow' the game in Sydney? I guess its all those savages out west who'll see the light and become converted to the one true code. How unenlightened of those who prefer rugby league, union, soccer, hockey, volleyball, tiddlywinks - they will soon see the error of their ways. Why stop there? Why there are untold millions of savages in other parts of the world like China, the US, Brazil, Japan, who have not yet learned the majesty of our game... We must not stop until all souls are saved.....

[Adelaide Swan]

Where are all these people gonna come from to 'grow' the game in Sydney? I guess its all those savages out west who'll see the light and become converted to the one true code. How unenlightened of those who prefer rugby league, union, soccer, hockey, volleyball, tiddlywinks - they will soon see the error of their ways. Why stop there? Why there are untold millions of savages in other parts of the world like China, the US, Brazil, Japan, who have not yet learned the majesty of our game... We must not stop until all souls are saved.....

Nice, very funny stuff, Jono.

[Big Al]

While I despise Eddie McGuire and Collingwood, I think he has a very valid point about GWS.

The biggest thing that grates me is that clubs like North Melbourne and Footscray are really struggling financially and yet the AFL wants to waste millions on a team in an area very hostile to the game.

How does that make Kangaroos and Bulldogs fans feel about that?

I often think about how Fitzroy fans felt when the AFL forced them into that "merger" with the Bears.

Plus I have very long memories of us being almost on the verge of oblivion in 1993 yet the AFL did absolutely nothing to help us.

To me that is very unfair and a sick joke.

North and Footscray are clubs with no hope of ever growing and prospering whereas the AFL is attempting to grow the game in an area with a population of 2 million people. Also if the area was so "hostile" to the game how do explain the growth in junior participation rates especially out west. The AFL did extensive research out west so they know there is a market for the game.

I can fully understand the paranoia that some Swans supporters seem to have over GWS (anything new can be daunting) but rest assured the AFL's intent is to GROW the support game and not cannibalise the support already there. If I see any decisions from the AFL that contradicts this purpose then I'll be the first to shout about it from the roof tops.

[Big Al]

It's a fair point BA.

But I'm just a little miffed the noisy neighbours have the lions share of juniors in our own region.

In saying all that, as long as ANZ Stadium for Round 1 is a sea of red and white, I am happy.

It's what I hope too.

[Big Al]

Where are all these people gonna come from to 'grow' the game in Sydney? I guess its all those savages out west who'll see the light and become converted to the one true code. How unenlightened of those who prefer rugby league, union, soccer, hockey, volleyball, tiddlywinks - they will soon see the error of their ways. Why stop there? Why there are untold millions of savages in other parts of the world like China, the US, Brazil, Japan, who have not yet learned the majesty of our game... We must not stop until all souls are saved.....

Here's a story that the AFL would like repeated in a lot of households not only out west but all over Sydney and NSW. My boss is a Soccer nut and as a reslut his kids play Soccer. He wouldn't recognise an AFL ball if it it hit him the face. His son's school got a visit from some of the Swans players which had an effect on the young bloke. Since the visit he pestered his dad relentlessly to take him to a Swans game. When he told me this I invited them to sit in the Brewongle VIP area. As a result the kid becaome converted to AFL and now wants to play and attend more swans games. His father even admitted this game of AFL isn't so bad. This is what the AFL want in NSW and thus far I have not seen any deciaions that go against that goal.

[Cheer Squad]

GWS is about GROWING the game and not cannibalising the support already here.

Of course, that's why you purchased a GWS Foundation Membership.

[Auntie.Gerald]

I was the same big Al

in 1987 we were living in Brisbane...........dad had a two contract.......i was 13...........only played soccer and tennis each wknd up to that age

the brisbane bears came along and did two skill sessions and games with us.........same day a whole lot of us start kicking the sherrin around........a year later we move back to sydney and my mate who was a state long distance runner said lets go play afl and the rest is history.......loved the next 10yrs of playing AFL.

The Swans need to make this happen more and more......

[desredandwhite]

I'm not sure that this is even really an issue. There have been how many draftees from the area in the last ten years?

The city/state needs to be divvied up somehow, and GWS will need a helping hand in the earlier years so I have no problem with them having access to a larger area, at least to begin with.

I hope that both clubs are active in promoting the game and themselves across all areas of Sydney, and not stick to "our areas" - there are plenty of people in the west who are Swans fans and I assume vice versa.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Once they are going nicely in 5-8 years time, the zone borders should probably be revisited.

I'd like to offer a historical perspective on that assertion. The same thing was said in the late 60's when country zones were set up by the VFL, funny thing was that when it came tme to re-allocate, those teams that got the more bountifull zones thought it unnecasary, and we kept southern NSW (which was considered the short straw at the time).

So don't hold your breath about a boundary change. On the other hand, if we hadn't been quite so incompetent and sold off the Danihers, Carey and Longmire, perhaps we would have done better out of our zone. I think the zone we have been given this time will probably be less important than how we make use of it (just like last time).

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I often think about how Fitzroy fans felt when the AFL forced them into that "merger" with the Bears.

A merger or relocation is always better than extinction (after all the Swans are the result of both and we're still alive.)

[Adelaide Swan]

I'd like to offer a historical perspective on that assertion. The same thing was said in the late 60's when country zones were set up by the VFL, funny thing was that when it came tme to re-allocate, those teams that got the more bountifull zones thought it unnecasary, and we kept southern NSW (which was considered the short straw at the time).

So don't hold your breath about a boundary change. On the other hand, if we hadn't been quite so incompetent and sold off the Danihers, Carey and Longmire, perhaps we would have done better out of our zone. I think the zone we have been given this time will probably be less important than how we make use of it (just like last time).

Which is why I was annoyed in the first place really.

[Big Al]

I attended a GWS information night last year and I'm sure they said the boundaries weren't permanent. They are as 707 says a tool to aid GWS initially.

[Adelaide Swan]

I attended a GWS information night last year and I'm sure they said the boundaries weren't permanent. They are as 707 says a tool to aid GWS initially.

Closet Giants fan, BA?

[MarkD]

History lesson.......South Melbourne relocated and kept their colours,song,players and history as well as embrace a fantastic new frontier market,there was no merger.