Swans vs Giants - general match discussion

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  • liz
    Veteran
    Site Admin
    • Jan 2003
    • 16758

    Originally posted by ugg
    The Arsenal game kicked off at 8pm, should have finished around 9:50 which would have been around 15-20 minutes before our game. The line to buses were short (definitely shorter than the SCG ones) but I noticed the direct path from Spotless to the train station was blocked and they forced everyone to walk around the block to get to the entrance.
    They did, which was irritating.

    However, the train frequency seemed to be much better than "normal" leaving Olympic Park. Even with relatively big crowds at Swans games, there would usually be a five minute gap - at least - between trains. On Saturday, once we were in sight of the platform, the trains seemed to be arriving with a much shorter gap, probably as short as can be managed safely. Indeed, at one stage it felt like we were ages from even entering the barricaded part of the queue, yet barely ten minutes later we were on a train. It really wasn't all that bad in the end.

    Comment

    • mcs
      Travelling Swannie!!
      • Jul 2007
      • 8161

      Originally posted by Billericay
      I left Spotless straight after the game, and was un-pleasantly surprised to find they'd scheduled both games to finish at the same time. There was an appalling scrum of people trying to get a train from Olympic Park, but the whole trip, door to door (to Newtown, including a 15 minute walk) took me an hour.
      We couldn't believe how quick we got away from P1. We thought with everything on it would be a nightmare, but we were lucky to get a park right near the secondary spiral out, and were out of the homebush bay precinct in less than 10 minutes and onto the motorway home.
      "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

      Comment

      • Doctor J.
        Senior Player
        • Feb 2003
        • 1310

        Originally posted by KTigers
        Sorry Doc, I think your maths may be a little awry. At the recent GWS game against Geelong there were at most 1,500 to
        2,000 people supporting the Cats out of the 15,000 crowd, so 10% to 15% of the crowd were supporting the away team.
        If Geelong played us at the SCG then a similar ratio would show up there to support the Cats. The average crowd at a non
        derby GWS game at Spotless this year is about 12,000, I'd say about 9,000 or so are GWS members. The rest are away
        team supporters and one-off footy attenders and neutrals.
        So about half their membership show up for a game. It's very similar ratio for us at the SCG. There are Swans members
        whose first team is not the Swans, it's probably not as high a ratio of GWS members whose first team is not the Giants, but
        you know, the Swans have been around just a little longer than the Giants.
        In the five seasons from 1990 to 1994, the Swans played 54 games at the SCG, the team had been in Sydney for a decade,
        we were the only AFL team in Sydney and the average SCG crowd for that entire period was 9,932
        . And some of them
        were supporting the opposition. Sure we weren't much chop then, but if you really care, you show up regardless.
        I'm not sure we should get too much joy or be on our high horse from GWS low-ish crowd numbers compared to ours.
        We have had a thirty year head start in Sydney.
        I reckon on Saturday night the crowd was basically 50/50. 9,000 a piece for us and the Giants, and the remaining 3,000
        were neutrals/first-timers and a few that got the stadiums mixed up and were disappointed to find Arsenal weren't
        playing.
        I was trying to demonstrate that you can take numbers and make them say whatever you want. I could take your numbers and make them say the same as I said before at a bit of a stretch. Without concrete evidence, they are just numbers.

        You cannot compare our beginnings in Sydney with GWS's. No benefits, (draft or salary cap) no zone, no academy, no training facilities, and no support from HQ. Nothing. Translates to no success and no support. I get so annoyed how people dismiss so easily the struggles that we had when we first arrived, and then proceeded to say GWS have done well to develop a fan base. Spare me, they've developed nothing. To date they've managed to gather as their membership a few AFL tragics who are members of both clubs or a few dissatisfied Swans members who feel that the Sydney Swans have got too big and don't stroke their little egos enough. 18,000 members, spare me.

        Comment

        • barry
          Veterans List
          • Jan 2003
          • 8499

          I think the swans average of 9000 during the early 1990's is very generous. That was a time when all codes were inflating figures for political purposes. If it was a man over 5000 of be surprised.

          Anyway, as mentioned, it's impossible to compare beginnings between GWS and swans. Both are from different eras.

          Comment

          • barry
            Veterans List
            • Jan 2003
            • 8499

            Giants growth has been slow and steady. 2 records in two weeks. (Non-derby, and all the ground record) First sell out. If it continues they can justify the extra 6000 stand they want to build at the scoreboard end to get it up to 30,000 which is a good size for a new team, and means they can host finals.

            Given this game only just sold out and the swans fans general dislike of the area and history of poor attendance out there, I'd say it has the green light for hosting a giants/swans final.

            Comment

            • KTigers
              Senior Player
              • Apr 2012
              • 2499

              In relation to our average home crowds from 1990 to 1994, the figures in the previous post come from
              the AFL Tables site. My understanding is their figures come from the AFL. I guess it's possible they and/or the AFL
              just make these numbers up, but having attended most of those games from that not-so-wonderful era I would have
              guessed similar numbers to what was reported. When you look at the historical home crowd numbers for all the northern
              states teams it seems to say that building on going support for them through the turnstiles is quite a slow process.
              We have the advantage of having a history of playing in Melbourne, and have obviously held onto a lot of that support
              judging by how many Swans members live in Melbourne and the support we get at games there. GWS and the Suns
              have the relative advantage that the AFL may have learnt something from our and the Bears early years.
              Last edited by KTigers; 17 July 2017, 05:44 PM.

              Comment

              • mcs
                Travelling Swannie!!
                • Jul 2007
                • 8161

                [QUOTE=barry;732449] First sell out. [QUOTE]

                If that was a true 'sell out', I'll walk backwards to Bourke. Yes I know there are allowances for members and the like, but by god there were a hell of a lot of empty seats for a so called 'sell out', all around the ground. I would hazard a guess of 5,000ish. I know there are many a mystery in the ticketing systems that may make it a 'technical' sell out, but in reality it didn't appear that way.
                Last edited by mcs; 17 July 2017, 09:56 PM.
                "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

                Comment

                • Billericay
                  Regular in the Side
                  • May 2013
                  • 712

                  [QUOTE=mcs;732473][QUOTE=barry;732449] First sell out.

                  If that was a true 'sell out', I'll walk backwards to Bourke. Yes I know there are allowances for members and the like, but by god there were a hell of a lot of empty seats for a so called 'sell out', all around the ground. I would hazard a guess of 5,000ish. I know there are many a mystery in the ticketing systems that may make it a 'technical' sell out, but in reality it didn't appear that way.
                  I agree. There were a lot of empty seats, but then there were probably 5,000 people standing in the enormous queues for food and drink.

                  Comment

                  • barry
                    Veterans List
                    • Jan 2003
                    • 8499

                    Well I know people who didnt go because tickets weren't available. But crowd of 21k in a ground that takes 24k means 3000 empty seats.

                    Crowd was probably 55/45 to giants, but the game never reached levels to get them going. The draw and Richmond win were much louder in the final quarter with only 12k

                    Comment

                    • jono2707
                      Goes up to 11
                      • Oct 2007
                      • 3326

                      Originally posted by barry

                      Crowd was probably 55/45 to giants, but the game never reached levels to get them going. The draw and Richmond win were much louder in the final quarter with only 12k
                      Sounds like you've been to a few games at Spotless this year, so can you give us a comparison between there and the SCG games you've been to this year on atmosphere, crowd engagement etc? It'd be interesting to hear how experiences at the two grounds this year would compare.

                      Comment

                      • mcs
                        Travelling Swannie!!
                        • Jul 2007
                        • 8161

                        Originally posted by jono2707
                        Sounds like you've been to a few games at Spotless this year, so can you give us a comparison between there and the SCG games you've been to this year on atmosphere, crowd engagement etc? It'd be interesting to hear how experiences at the two grounds this year would compare.
                        Your making a dangerous assumption there Jono that Barry has actually been to any games at the SCG this year, given his previously stated disdain for the place

                        - - - Updated - - -

                        [QUOTE=Billericay;732477][QUOTE=mcs;732473]
                        Originally posted by barry
                        First sell out.

                        I agree. There were a lot of empty seats, but then there were probably 5,000 people standing in the enormous queues for food and drink.
                        Haha Billericay maybe you are right

                        We got there early and thus ate at half time in the Ressies game so no lines at all - but could see the very long lines later on. We then enjoyed our usual toasted sandwiches at the BP Marulan Roadhouse on the way home (they taste so much better after a big win!)

                        - - - Updated - - -

                        Originally posted by barry
                        Well I know people who didnt go because tickets weren't available. But crowd of 21k in a ground that takes 24k means 3000 empty seats.

                        Crowd was probably 55/45 to giants, but the game never reached levels to get them going. The draw and Richmond win were much louder in the final quarter with only 12k
                        I thought there was around 18-19K there, and that the 21K was a pretty generous estimation (as both the AFL and NRL are now experts at doing!) - still a very good crowd overall though.
                        "You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."

                        Comment

                        • barry
                          Veterans List
                          • Jan 2003
                          • 8499

                          Originally posted by mcs
                          Your making a dangerous assumption there Jono that Barry has actually been to any games at the SCG this year, given his previously stated disdain for the place
                          A very dangerous assumption.

                          Comment

                          • barry
                            Veterans List
                            • Jan 2003
                            • 8499

                            My usual match day experience involves.
                            Easy 1/2 hour drive to ground. Parking ($15) 5 minutes from ground, arriving 5 minutes before game. Waltz in, grab a beer from the members bar, choose to either suit on the fence or up in the stand. No line for food if half time avoided. Tip: food stalls at level 4, if open, no lines.
                            Game. No annoying old music. Good comps ( Toyota tyres), kick to kick afterwards. No queue to get out of parking. Home.

                            Currently only one ground can give me all that.

                            Comment

                            • KTigers
                              Senior Player
                              • Apr 2012
                              • 2499

                              I know you directed this question at Barry, but having gone to most of their games at Spotless over the last few
                              years I thought I?d add my two cents worth. Overall I would say the home crowd is a bit quieter than the Swans home crowd.
                              Obviously it depends on the state the game is at and where you sit. The people around us at Spotless are 95%
                              Giants fans, they are all merch-ed up and are actually quite loud, and spend most of the game complaining about the
                              umpiring. The free kick count could be 20 to 5 in the Giants favour and they still aren?t happy. They know every umpire by
                              name, and the umps are the root of all evil. Y?know, just the usual footy stuff.
                              There are some young (mid 20s) guys behind us who obviously know some of Giants players personally and will spend an entire
                              game ?picking on? one of them. According to them, Tim Taranto shouldn?t even be playing footy. Anywhere. They are quite
                              funny sometimes. The loudest game there was the prelim last year against the Dogs, but a lot of that was the Dogs fans
                              and it was a frantic, very close game and the place was pretty much full. It?s definitely a younger crowd than our home
                              crowd. There is a higher ratio of families with young kids than at the SCG. Their intro song is ?Hell?s Bells? (AC/DC), a clear
                              winner over ?Sweet Caroline?.
                              They have these competitions during the breaks that involve fans kicking and marking a ball. A guy won $100,000 last year
                              for kicking a ball into a stack of tyres from about 35M. I think he has become some sort of local identity because of it. They
                              have kick-to-kick after every game. They have a women?s team and are tied up with a netball team. There seems to be a
                              lot of cross promoting between these teams.
                              Even though it?s a modern stadium, the smaller crowd where most people are quite close to the boundary makes it feel
                              more like a suburban game. We like going there, it?s much more relaxing to watch a game where you aren?t as invested
                              in the result. Obviously GWS are quite good at footy, and you get to see more of the interstate teams live than if you just
                              go to the SCG every second week. I?m always interested to see the better players from the other teams at the peak of their
                              powers (when they are not playing us).


                              Originally posted by jono2707
                              Sounds like you've been to a few games at Spotless this year, so can you give us a comparison between there and the SCG games you've been to this year on atmosphere, crowd engagement etc? It'd be interesting to hear how experiences at the two grounds this year would compare.

                              Comment

                              • Hotpotato
                                Senior Player
                                • Jun 2014
                                • 2267

                                I'm really much in line with KT,
                                It's only 1/2 drive from our place and despite the 100k warning visiting the area that night, there were no hold ups.
                                I parked , cycled the rest of the way.
                                On the way back drunk girls try to get on the pannier which I don't allow . But it's pretty funny.
                                I too went to the Dogs v Giants Prelim which was a memorable footy game.
                                The Dogs fans go berko .
                                I really enjoy it .
                                Seeing Buddy and the boys live win on Sat night was bloody fabulous.
                                I took a client from New York , and into'd him to kicktokick ... he was amazed .
                                I like watching other good players too.
                                The Giants aren't going anywhere, so I'll be back .
                                Looking forward to Sat night at the SCG .

                                Comment

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