Round 3: the other games. The look who's 0/3 round.

[Bloods05]

More likely Hawthorn.

GWS.

- - - Updated - - -

there is no way GWS will fold, but they do have to address their relevance (OR LACK OF) in Sydney. They have done great things in Canberra. They kind of have a norf feel about them, while being successful there was always negative press around mainly about losing player all the time, which hinders growth in supporters. The AFL were partly to blame by cutting their cap too early.
You reap what you sow.

Just send them to Canberra. Greater Western Sydney was always a ridiculous contrivance.

[Rod_]

Swans learnt that the Sydney market is fickle and it took 20+ years to be established.

GWS need a plan B. This is there first downturn and need to survive.. Canberra is not the solution for home games.

(Tassie (Roos?? ) and ACT / or NT 19th and 20th sides in the long haul)

[KTigers]

Swans learnt that the Sydney market is fickle and it took 20+ years to be established.

GWS need a plan B. This is there first downturn and need to survive.. Canberra is not the solution for home games.

(Tassie (Roos?? ) and ACT / or NT 19th and 20th sides in the long haul)

Interest in the game in Sydney is still so patchy. The east and inner west are strong but the north, west and south are not.
Sure, there are pockets of support in these other areas but they are just that, pockets. Footy just hasn't really taken hold
everywhere.
It seems unjust that there isn't a team in Tasmania but even there support for footy is not what it used to be. There were
more people at TFL Grand Finals at North Hobart Oval in the 70s than there were at our game against Adelaide in Round 2.
Canberra is too small to support 11 home games and a permanent team. I don't know the answer.

[Aprilbr]

"GWS - Just send them to Canberra. Greater Western Sydney was always a ridiculous contrivance".

Around the time of the formation of GWS, I happened to be at a corporate function where Kevin Sheedy, their inaugural coach, was the main speaker. I managed to have a short discussion with him about where they thought they would garner their support. I expressed the view to him that I thought the vast majority of support for AFL in Sydney (especially spectators/ members) was already captured by the Swans. His response was that there was a lot of untapped support in the outer western suburbs with many unwilling to travel to the SCG. He also mentioned that a large army base was present in that part of outer Sydney and it drew many people from AFL states. He also mentioned Canberra as another drawing place.

He then challenged me (which is typical Sheeds if you have ever met him) to provide an alternative view of where they should get their supporters. My response was that I thought that they would struggle to garner sufficient support to be viable long-term. We agreed to disagree. He was very nice about it. I have a lot of admiration for him.

When I reflect now on that conversation from 10 years ago, I feel that GWS have done much better than I thought they would in attracting spectators/ members. Their membership in 2020 of 25,000 was pretty impressive for such a young club in a northern state. Having a strong team for most of the past 6 or so years has certainly helped. Gold Coast, in comparison, have failed dismally on that front as we know and so lack any great support.

Having said all of that, GWS look like being less successful in the coming 2-3 years. If that is the case then their greatest challenge in their short history is ahead of them and will be to hang onto that hard won support.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Sure, they had some injuries yesterday.

But GWS can’t ever get their best players consistently on the park. They keep drafting good kids and losing them within two years. They’ve lost the ability to play with any speed. Their coach resembles Forrest Gump.

The only two bits of interest with them for the year are when they sack the coach, and whether their crowd average is 6000 or 4000.

A farcical, plastic creation going nowhere.

Why would you think their crowds will double this year, when they look like being so much less successful?