Sheedy's Open Letter to Swans Fans

[Primmy]

Thank y ou ugg. Exactly right.

I note that most of you who found this funny live east of the 'bridge'. Not so funny viewed from the other side though. I hate the discriminatory undertones, and I resent the fact that the Swans as a club have let Sheedy and the AFL get away with it.

I have made my thoughts clear to the media department. I am not up for trade. And the weird thing is I am not even 'against' the Giants. I am against Sheeds.

So, redandwhiters, back to the game, and its round 1. ANZ. Red Zone for me again, and I can't wait. Got me bag packed, got me chew bar ready, got me tiikkytek ticket - got me prepaid voucher for P1 (shimmy shimmy), and still not sure if I should wear my red top, my red shirt, my red jumper and/or my red cardigan. Its just not as nippy this start of the season as usual - not sure what to wear.

and ugg

IMO the Swans will always either be ignored or loved in this city. GWS though, I can't see very much more than hate. or complete indifference. I predict you may be right here.

[stellation]

I don't hate them, nor am I indifferent to them. I hope they do well, I'm keen for them to succeed.

I haven't bought our tickets for Saturday yet (thought it was probably pretty safe!), and in all honesty I'm considering a 3 match membership with them- it's going to cost me about $60 more than it would cost for the 1 off set of family tickets for Round 1 and I can toddle along to Skoda for a couple of games. I don't know I will, but if I do I don't think it would make me any less of a Swans fan.

[Primmy]

Stella, they are selling the tickets half price (check other thread, can't remember what its called), but you have to go into the Giants side of things through tickkytec for a redzone seat, or any other seat. Nothing like half price to get you through the doors.

And no I do not hate the Giants. The kids haven't done anything to deserve that. What I find insulting is that Sheeds has not bothered to work out where this "bridge" actually is, and had decided to include the whole state of NSW six K west of the SCG as his in battle. Bugger off Kevin.

[Triple B]

...and in all honesty I'm considering a 3 match membership with them- it's going to cost me about $60 more than it would cost for the 1 off set of family tickets for Round 1 and I can toddle along to Skoda for a couple of games.

It's a good deal if you also consider it also gives you entrance to the show on Saturday (as well as last Sun and Wed). I'm a full member but I bought the Minister for War and Finance a 3-match pass for that reason. Entrance to Rd 1, entry to the show + I now have a spare ticket to take a mate to a couple of games at Skoda with me for a lazy day at the footy and a few drinks and all for $75.

[RogueSwan]

Brilliant ugg

+1. Fantastic...

Thank y ou ugg. Exactly right....

Dave likes this.
A much better read than Kev's letter.

[desredandwhite]

I note that most of you who found this funny live east of the 'bridge'.

Ahem. I live about 40km WEST of the Anzac Bridge and I found it funny (well... it got a small chuckle from me anyway). If you're taking offence, you are just getting sucked in.

[magic.merkin]

Goof old sheeds, let him have his fun.

I didn't like this one line, so I now hope we drill em by 100 and break some kids hearts:
"It was a brilliant effort in a sensational Grand Final. I thought Hawthorn was the team to beat last year and still do. So well done.??"
Sure they were the team to beat, so we did. Hence NOW we are the bestest chuck out the restest!

Anyways... H eh as me worried, and questioning my alleigence, I have yet to renew our memberships and just bought a Skoda, supporting the swans i'm doing it wrong. (in my defence, Skoda is sold here by VW Australia, and i aim to renew before game time )

[wolftone57]

I like Sheeds he always speaks his mind and there is always a bit of tongue in cheek in most things he says. He IS extremely about racing though. He is good for the game and he is promoting a match which would only get a few lines in our news up here but due to his comments gets pages. It also brings JL out of his shell and he also gets involved in the word play as happened last year. The interaction between him and Sheeds on the press conference was really good and there was some good tongue in cheek from both.

[jono2707]

I think what annoys me most is the insistence that Sheeds is still referred to as GWS' coach. He isn't. Call him Coaching Director, PR mouthpiece or whatever, but I find the AFL passing him off as their coach to be a misrepresentation.

Oh and I don't like how everything seems to be a bit of a joke to him too..... This footy thing is deadly serious

[Doctor]

I loved it. It's all PT Barnum stuff so let him have his fun. Good natured banter is all part of the build up to any derby and I think it all adds to the theatre of it. I loved ugg's reply too.

No mention anywhere of those of us living south of the bridge though!

[Bloody Hell]

I feel I need to respond to Sheeds, though since it's the weekend where I am I can't be as eloquent as Ugg, please bear with me.

Dear @@@@wit,

You have a struggle ahead of you.

Despite your protestations GWS is not a well defined area. You have theoretically planted a flag in the main street of Lithgow and proclaimed the surrounding 1000km as GWS territory. I have a close friend who lives in the main street of Lithgow who is a rabid Swans supporter and takes umbridge with your ill proclaimed assertion. In NSW you actually have to earn respect, it is not given to you for wearing a Guernsey, though you have probably never experienced this with your previous treatment at Richmond and Essendon.

To be fair you are not the first 80 year old to move to Sydney after living the early years of their life in Melbourne with the belief they own the place. This is not unexpected and actually common amongst Melbournites moving North.

I hope you do well, but understand that demanding, rather than winning peoples allegiance never ends well. Allegiance is earned and not given. The Swans have earned their supporters...how about you?

If I were you I would focus on gaining the allegiance of the people of Lithgow, then the Mountain Men, then Penrith, prior to moving onto the plains. How you understood GWS meaning to the west of ANZAC Bridge is beyond me and I am still waiting for an acceptable explanation. I am convinced you are an idiot.

I hope you are not an idiot, as it may well mean the death of the game in NSW,

Regards,

Bloody Hell

P.s Mods - I have referred to Kev as as @@@@wit - I personally believe this should be allowed on moral grounds, as he is truly a @@@@wit.

[Triple B]

He is just doing his job, which is to raise awareness of the Giants and AFL in NSW and the Sydney market in particular. Make no mistake, the Swans also benefit from his rantings.

The real @@@@wits are the people who are continually affronted by his mostly tongue in cheek comments and rantings...

[jono2707]

The real @@@@wits are the people who are continually affronted by his mostly tongue in cheek comments and rantings...

Guilty as charged then. Most people in Sydney are not sucked in by tongue in cheek comments and ratings.....
He should be treating the heathens who don't follow AFL in this town a little more respectfully if he wants to win them over.

[Big Al]

He is just doing his job, which is to raise awareness of the Giants and AFL in NSW and the Sydney market in particular. Make no mistake, the Swans also benefit from his rantings.

The real @@@@wits are the people who are continually affronted by his mostly tongue in cheek comments and rantings...

I think it's a @@@@ing disgrace that Sheedy supported the Swans in the Grand Final because it was good for footy in NSW. Just terrible from Sheedy.

[Swansongster]

Sheedy's OK by me. He has the runs on the board as a player, a coach and now a publicity agent for a pioneering franchise. He's "done good, played strong". I like his "open letters". They always seem to create a news story and that has to be good for the game in Sydney and Greater NSW.

As far as the Swans fans being restricted to the eastern suburbs, well, that is just ridiculous. When I come to Sydney for games I stay at my parents' place in Chatswood. If catching the train to the SCG, there is always fans in red and white coming from the North Shore, North West, Northern Beaches, Central Coast and even Newcastle.

How do I know this? Because I chat to them when I see that they share my passion for the Swans.

In addition, when I catch the special events buses to Homebush, they are packed with fans that have been picked up from the Northern Beaches and Northern Suburbs along the Forest corridor. Just try to get onto a route 1A bus after a big game and there is a huge queue waiting to distribute fans back home in that direction.

I don't think too many AFL fans who were Swans supporters will be (or have) switching their allegiance to GWS, irrespective of where they live and that is the beauty of the new franchise. I reckon most of the Giants fans are new fans to the game or those who enjoyed the game without having any previous strong allegiance until a team turned up in their backyard.

I actually hope they do well enough for me to hate them one day but, at the moment, I find myself wishing them well whenever they are not playing the Swans. As an ex-pat Sydney-sider living in Melbourne, I'd go so far as to say that they are my second team.

That said, I'd love to see us pump them by 70-80 points on Saturday.