GWS Giants

[ugg]

I'm also going! Mark down a win

[Xie Shan]

I think they'll be a bit flat after thrashing Carlton on the weekend (often happens the week after a team has an easy win), but it should still be a good game.

[Hotpotato]

Be interesting to see how many Swannies Caps at Spotless on Sat arvo ....

[stellation]

Another TV double header with the Swans, too!

I'm thinking of heading down with Stella junior for the game- they had a decent crowd for Hawthorn (14k, I think?) so hopefully they can back it up with something over 12k.

I've been pretty impressed with James Stewart for the Giants over the last couple of weeks, looks to be fairly agile and have decent skills for a big guy.

[Mug Punter]

The crowd will be telling.

I vowed to never give that mob a dollar or set foot in that joint, especially when Sheedy was mouthing off.'

But now I cannot wait - if there's a bandwagon to be jumped on I'm the man And if this continues we'll have to pay praise to Gonzo's vision, something the current clown at HQ does not have an ounce of.

It is an enticing clash and with two good teams at a plum timeslot. The size of the crowd will reflect the number of people like me being converted - if it is over 10K then they should be happy. Over 15K and this team have truly arrived.

I'll be out there with three other blokes making their first visit

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GWS could be Eddie's worst ever nightmare

[Hotpotato]

So, they are currently $67 to win the Premiership ... $20 could add a bit of excitement to the remainder of watching them go round this year.
I was impressed how well they played against Sydney

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And The Swans are $4.50

[stellation]

Great to see Jon Patton back in today. Cam McCarthy starting as sub so am guessing Patton's on some kind of time restriction.

[AnnieH]

I refuse to give them money.
I'll be watching from home in a few weeks.
Bugger them.

[KTigers]

I think you are bit harsh on them. We go to two of three games at Spotless to get a footy fix,
and when they are on song they are great to watch. They look they are having a good time out there. Better than watching us most games this year it pains me to admit. Their recruiting of senior players the last few years like Patfull, Griffin, Mumford, Shaw etc has been masterful. They have the ability to score heavily very quickly and finish opponents off in ten minutes the way good teams can. I guess I admire their resilience in overcoming getting wiped out week in, week out for the first two seasons. I think payback time for them is just about here, and they will be in the top 4 next year.

I refuse to give them money.
I'll be watching from home in a few weeks.
Bugger them.

[snajik]

Went to the Giants - Brisbane game a while back and even though the standard of the game wasn't brilliant it was a cracking day nevertheless. Giants play an exciting style of footy and their skill level is superb albeit inconsistent. The day we were there it was about 24 degrees warm sunshine, t-shirt weather. Perfect. The other thing is its such a great ground for watching footy at. Has a real suburban feel as opposed to a stadium environment. Love being able to walk around the whole ground, watching from different vantage points.

Looking forward to seeing Giants and Swans there next weekend.

Oh and the Giants song is easily one of the best, and kick to kick is the ideal way to cap off the day. Thinking about a 3 game footy fix membership for next year.

[AnnieH]

I think you are bit harsh on them. We go to two of three games at Spotless to get a footy fix,
and when they are on song they are great to watch. They look they are having a good time out there. Better than watching us most games this year it pains me to admit. Their recruiting of senior players the last few years like Patfull, Griffin, Mumford, Shaw etc has been masterful. They have the ability to score heavily very quickly and finish opponents off in ten minutes the way good teams can. I guess I admire their resilience in overcoming getting wiped out week in, week out for the first two seasons. I think payback time for them is just about here, and they will be in the top 4 next year.

Still don't care.
Bums on seats is how they make money.
I'd rather give my money to charity.
Oh. Wait....

[Mug Punter]

The GWS Giants are a complete nightmare in the making for the AFL and the thing is I'm not sure if I'm happy about it or not

I can see the big picture of growing the game and the fact that there is potentially an untapped market but I think the AFL have over-estimated the appetite for an additional AFL team in Sydney and under-estimated massively how hard it will be. Typical patronising Melbournian arrogance about the game and how we should be grateful for a second team. Total under-estimation of how entrenched NRL is and the Western Sydney Wanderers have been a nasty little competitor they didn't bargain for quite so quickly. The arrogance they showed with Sheedy mouthing off at everyone here plus their complete lack of local engagement in Sydney (I'll ignore their idiotic sponsorship of Manly) does not help either.

Whilst there are certainly some other teams' supporters in Sydney who may well change their second team allegiances most genuine AFL fans in Sydney are already rusted on Swans fans and not for changing. GWS therefore need to generate a new support base from scratch and whilst success will help I think its anticipated effect (because GWS are heading for the top for a long long time) will not be a great as some predict.

So the AFL will have an unstoppable team with one of the deepest lists in the modern era - their ability to trade will be unsurpassed - that will be playing in front of a sterile environment with I reckon 10,000 as a baseline maximum. Sure they'll sell out the Swans derby and finals but most of their games will be in a half empty ground.

All the time the AFL shelling out multi-millions a year for a team that is flogging its poorer cousins down south. Can you imagine the reaction when they start winning flags and I reckon from 2017 on they will be in the premiership window for a good decade.

I do believe that GWS could eventually be viable and successful but it will take 20 years and many millions of extra AFL funding to achieve this aim. And add a similar figure for Gold Coast who I think have ZERO chance of a long term successful future being in the sporting graveyard of Australia - as soon as Ablett retires they are simply gooooone.

[cos789]

I do believe that GWS could eventually be viable and successful.

So why the whinge?

[Mug Punter]

So why the whinge?

If you read my comment properly you would note the word eventually - because if they are it will be a long time in the future and after hundreds of millions of AFL dollars. It's a question of whether a potentially viable club is worth all that cash..

Only time will tell.

I'm nor ambivalent re GWS but they will be a thorn in the AFLs side for decades ahead I believe - this is a 20 - 30 year project and I have massive doubts if they AFL has the guts to back in the face of the vested Victorian interests it will face

[cos789]

I believe - this is a 20 - 30 year project

So what's your whinge?