Rnd.12 Match Day Thread. GWS V Sydney. 4.40pm at Spotless.

[ScottH]

The direction the cameras are facing were full of Swans supporters with only a smattering of Giants. I was amazed at the bare seats in the Giants areas. About one third empty.

The club also needs to look at the policy of shutting all the gates and saying they won't open til 3pm when we arrive for the ressies game. Even though the ticket says otherwise. Have to walk up to Gate D, then all the way back to Gate A, which is a goodly distance for those with issues. Won't go again. Nice raking tho I'll give the stadium that. Very very close to the action and hearing them on the ground.

The boys were leg weary, that's for sure. Tough to watch.

My parents were turned away as the ground was full, but "there may be some seats available later".
As they are only a 15-20 minute walk from the ground. They went home and watched it on TV, and then observed the many empty seats.

[barry]

Its going to be embarrassing when they play a final at home and its 1/4 filled, if that. I am sure they will give out free tickets to anyone but the giants are doing more harm than good atm. I dont know one single person who has any interest in them and 99% of their fanbase are swans supporters anyway. When they do win the flag its going to be even more cringey when they show up and only 100 true fans are there with the rest being hired by the AFL as fillers.

That sounds a little bitter kilroy. I understand your anger, but blindly lashing out only reflects poorly on you.

Several on this very forum has told you they are GWS regulars, so I'm guessing thats at least an interest.

If and when they get a home final, they can worry that when it happens. No need to loose sleep on it. Cant be worse than the 19,000 who went to Swans v North a few years back.

[barry]

More may well have traveled but were lied to by the AFL owned GWS Giants about how many seats were available. That is the most vacant seat sellout I have ever seen in my 40 plus years of watching footy.

I find this slagging off GWS because of crowd figures very odd from Swans supporters. Swans supporters with short memories. Even now SCG sellouts have been 10,000 below capacity. Its all to do with members, and their right to waltz up without pre-booking. Giants have a very cheap membership deal, so amplifies the problem a bit.

Anyway, I doubt the crowd would have been much more than the 21,000 even if their was extra capacity.

[kilroy]

The direction the cameras are facing were full of Swans supporters with only a smattering of Giants. I was amazed at the bare seats in the Giants areas. About one third empty.

The club also needs to look at the policy of shutting all the gates and saying they won't open til 3pm when we arrive for the ressies game. Even though the ticket says otherwise. Have to walk up to Gate D, then all the way back to Gate A, which is a goodly distance for those with issues. Won't go again. Nice raking tho I'll give the stadium that. Very very close to the action and hearing them on the ground.

The boys were leg weary, that's for sure. Tough to watch.

The opening bounce is always a great indication on how well we are pumped for the game. As soon as the first contest happened i knew we were in for a long day becasue that intensity you normally see was not there at all and they looked tired even in the first q. People under estimate how taxing playing in massive puddles is to the body, especially when it feels like you are running fast but going no where in torrential rain.

[kilroy]

I find this slagging off GWS because of crowd figures very odd from Swans supporters. Swans supporters with short memories. Even now SCG sellouts have been 10,000 below capacity. Its all to do with members, and their right to waltz up without pre-booking. Giants have a very cheap membership deal, so amplifies the problem a bit.

Anyway, I doubt the crowd would have been much more than the 21,000 even if their was extra capacity.

Just as odd as calling a well respected player, captain and servant of the club, a hack.

[liz]

The opening bounce is always a great indication on how well we are pumped for the game. As soon as the first contest happened i knew we were in for a long day becasue that intensity you normally see was not there at all and they looked tired even in the first q. People under estimate how taxing playing in massive puddles is to the body, especially when it feels like you are running fast but going no where in torrential rain.

I actually thought they did OK in the first quarter - maybe not the opening few minutes, but they warmed into it. The intensity around the contest was insane.

Problem is, when a good side is playing well, the Swans need to maintain that insane intensity for a whole game to beat them. It's the team's main weapon, given our footskills aren't as good as most of the other top teams. Whether for mental or physical reasons, the team wasn't able to do it for long enough on Saturday. Not a disgrace, but a reminder of what they need to do well to compete.

[kilroy]

I actually thought they did OK in the first quarter - maybe not the opening few minutes, but they warmed into it. The intensity around the contest was insane.

Problem is, when a good side is playing well, the Swans need to maintain that insane intensity for a whole game to beat them. It's the team's main weapon, given our footskills aren't as good as most of the other top teams. Whether for mental or physical reasons, the team wasn't able to do it for long enough on Saturday. Not a disgrace, but a reminder of what they need to do well to compete.

Yeah good point, i just think they seemed a little flat foot, not a biggie at this stage.

I am just bummed out about Tippett and the same players who are injured again. We need to do something about Reid. To injury prone and the reids seem to be prone to soft tissue injuries. And I am now resigned to the fact that Rohan will play 3 good games and then spend 5 weeks in rehab recovering. Every time he goes for a sprint i think his hammies are just gonna go in a big way.

[AnnieH]

Have the swans turned up yet?

[bungwahl]

And I am now resigned to the fact that Rohan will play 3 good games and then spend 5 weeks in rehab recovering. Every time he goes for a sprint i think his hammies are just gonna go in a big way.

We just need to hold Rohan back until the 2nd week of finals, then he'll be good until the end of the granny.

[barry]

Just as odd as calling a well respected player, captain and servant of the club, a hack.

Oh, I see what this is about.

[KTigers]

I don't quite understand the preoccupation with how many members GWS have got, and how many of them are "real" members
(ie not Swans members as well, not on some really cheap deal, still go to games when the team is losing... blah blah). Apparently we have 53,000 members, and sure a bunch of them are in Melbourne, but every game at the SCG there are ten or fifteen thousand empty seats. It's the same for all the Melbourne clubs. Apparently you can sign up your dog to be a Western Bulldogs member. It's pretty clear that the published membership numbers for AFL clubs are rubbery at best, and they will all go to any lengths to pump them up.

[Doctor J.]

Interesting experience watching an AFL controlled team go about its business in the AFL competition. The AFL own the GWS Giants, and it is so important for this team to be successful in every sense of the word. The whole show reeks of AFL endorsement right down to the way the game is umpired. Fireworks pre game, Steve Waugh decked out in GWS colours at the end of the game, the AFLGWS Giants players "representing" respective Western suburbs football teams. Seriously we just needed Leon Cameron kissing babies at the end of the game. This is a sideshow that has more contrived and staged events than an election campaign.

As for that AFLGWS banner amongst the sparse crowd that read "Sydney created not relocated". I guess if you call Board room bastardisation "creation" then yes GWS were created.

Another thing that irked me no end was the constant references made to the "huge crowd". Without even an acknowledgement to the Swans fans who turned up to make it their largest home crowd ever.

I did like the kick to kick at the end of the game. Sydney need to do the same at the end of every game. There is no reason not to have it.

There you have it my enjoyable day at the footy. NOT!!!

[barry]

True KTigers. Rebecca Wilson (who I never agree with) wrote some gibberish about whether the Swans were really as established as they seem.

The facts are interesting, when you consider we are premiership favourites and have the most marketable player on our side
- Only average 20,000 more fans than lowly GWS.
- Only 12,000 are rusted-on enough to travel 30km to see a top of the table clash.


Everyone thought Brisbane lions had established themselves after the 3 peat, but members and fans have slowly deserted them in poor years since, and now are not much better than GWS. Financially or fan numbers.

Dont think the swans are immune from poor years. The Melbourne establishment are after us, and will wear us down slowly whether it be cap, one-off trade bans, academy changes, etc. These add up over time.

[Swanny40519]

Interesting experience watching an AFL controlled team go about its business in the AFL competition. The AFL own the GWS Giants, and it is so important for this team to be successful in every sense of the word. The whole show reeks of AFL endorsement right down to the way the game is umpired. Fireworks pre game, Steve Waugh decked out in GWS colours at the end of the game, the AFLGWS Giants players "representing" respective Western suburbs football teams. Seriously we just needed Leon Cameron kissing babies at the end of the game. This is a sideshow that has more contrived and staged events than an election campaign.

As for that AFLGWS banner amongst the sparse crowd that read "Sydney created not relocated". I guess if you call Board room bastardisation "creation" then yes GWS were created.

Another thing that irked me no end was the constant references made to the "huge crowd". Without even an acknowledgement to the Swans fans who turned up to make it their largest home crowd ever.

I did like the kick to kick at the end of the game. Sydney need to do the same at the end of every game. There is no reason not to have it.

There you have it my enjoyable day at the footy. NOT!!!

I am on the same page. The whole "experience" felt very contrived.

The sell out game that was not sold out.

The huge support for GWS which is a farce as the majority of the crowd were Swans supporters. Yes there was no acknowledgement of that by the GWS officials after the game.

The NRL style of fireworks as Giants entered stadium.

The large number of empty GWS members seats.

The terrible non stop commentators who yelled crap at every available second of every break.

Having to walk all the way around the ground to get to our seats as entrances and exits were closed.

Umpiring of Schmidt - disgusting and very one sided.

[KTigers]

Steve Waugh wearing a GWS scarf! What an outrage. I believe he has met with the Giants leadership group in the past and talked to them about leadership in a sporting team. I would think he would know a little about the subject.