No second team in Sydney and waste millions!

[chadjaja]

The AFL only throws chump change at established clubs like my own with nearly 30,000 members in a still flooded AFL market but it continually pushes the secod Sydney team idea.

Just how much of a factor is travel that outer suburb people don't want to see the Swans.

The lowest AFL final crowd since 1927

This is despite the AFL spending the most money and air time promoting this game above all others in this finals round

And still no one gave a ****

And the AFL is spending millions on the game in South Africa too in its quest for world domination

What next? A team in Singapore??

NRL fans don't give a **** about AFL and it isn't going to change.

The Storm win the NRL and few Melbournians give a **** also. Success doesn't change much.

 

[cricket_cox]

NSW will always be a rugby state! Cant change that quickly

 

[Clegs11]

They've gotten some fairly big crowds over the past few years out at Homebush and I'm pretty sure they'd had torrential rain for about a week or two so I'm guessing that is going to effect the crowd of any game. Bit rich of a Melbourne supporter to criticise a small crowd in torrential rain, the majority of Demon 'fans' just stay home rain hail or shine.

I wouldn't have thought travel was a factor as isn't that the whole point of them putting a team in West Sydney at Homebush because thats where a fair chunk of the supporter base lives they're trying to attract?

I think to many people are ignoring the effect a bit of rivalry will brew up in a town. Freo and Port's supporter bases have boomed along, and while I know they're football towns, alot of Sydney siders probably hate the Swans just as much as some love them, so a rival team to supporter might work wonders. They would be playing probably two games a year there against each other and you'd expect a 50,000+ crowd to each game.

As for 'what next, a team in singapore'? Hate to tell ya but they're already talking up a team in India!! hehe. Even I think that one is crazy but with a billion people living there, it'd be a pretty nice market to break into.

NRL is definately on the skids. It's boring and isn't attracting new supporters. It'll be lucky to survive another 10 years let alone 20. They have to hold their Grand Final on a Sunday night just to attract anywhere near the TV audience the AFL Grand Final does.

 

[nenjabin]

Agreed Chad. It's a joke. They should help prop up teams that are currently in the league rather than try and sell to a market that's not wanting. It'd be like trying to sell baths in Geelong!

 

[1967Sharks]

In the crowds defence, i had 2 tickets prepaid @ $65 each and i still stayed home to watch on TV. Weather was absolutiely horrible Oh yeah no second Sydney team is needed.

 

[Alistair]

The AFL is better off looking at Tasmania.

 

[Darpy]

i think if u see the average crowd for the swans, its still larger than any rugby league crowd at a game

that said, i would prefer a tasmanian team

 

[adz2332]

and the teams currently in the AFL will suffer for awhile with the new team... less draft picks... losing some players.... Less cash to go around etc etc etc

 

[Matt26]

Chad,

There were plenty of factors at play for the poor turnout on Saturday night.

1) It had been raining heavily all day Saturday which would have turned a lot of people off going, especially when it was on TV (even with 30 minute delay).

2) People are struggling a bit financially at the moment and it would have been an easy decision for a lot of people to stay at home in the warmth get a couple of pizzas a few beers and spend max $50-100 on the night compared to going to ANZ Stadium (that’s what its called this week) to pay $75 each for the ticket, $75 for a beer, $75 for a Pie and miss the 2nd and 3rd quarters queuing up for the privilege. Not to mention having to use the third world public transport here in Sydney.

3) ANZ Stadium is probably the worst ground to play at. It has the buzz and the atmosphere of the Simpson Desert and really is a hole of a place. Had the game been at the SCG it would have got at least 30,000 people. See the article written below about that wonderful ground at Homebush….

http://blogs.news.com.au/jackmarxlive/index.php/news/comments/homebush/

4) More importantly the Swans themselves….they have been going backwards the last few weeks and people really don’t think they have a chance of winning…..as fickle as it sounds most Swans supporters like it much better when they are winning!

Most Swans fans are Fickle....me included!

5) Promotion…….there was none in Sydney………it wasn’t at least until Thursday that I saw an ad for the game!

I do think that the AFL can succeed in Western Sydney; the game is growing at a rapid rate. I have never seen so many grounds that were previously Rugby league grounds now being converted into AFL grounds.

When the AFL puts in its own Western Sydney team the AFL has a huge chance to make it work…..having been a long standing NRL fan, I have given up on the game….its dying ever so slowly. You only have to look at the players in the NRL to see why people are turning it off.

The problem is that like the NRL situation on the Central Coast (where there are plenty of people wanting a team and they got one…..except its an A league side), people want to support their own team….not another team parachuted in from another area….had the NRL put a BRAND NEW side on the Central Coast it would have a huge following.

I do believe that a second AFL team in Sydney would work, but it will be at the expense of some of the Melbourne teams. If you need an example of 2 teams working well close together.....look at the Broncos and the Titans in the NRL...both doing very well side by side in sth east qld in a sport that is dying elsewhere!

Cheers
Matt

 

[adz2332]

hmmm yer at the expensive of some vis teams.... are we now going to see a couple killed off?

 

[33WING]

The crowd at the Sydney Swans match against Nth Melb was bigger than the 3 NRL Finals put together this weekend but I think the weather was a big put off for alot of people also, it was raining very heavily for a day or 2. Weather wouldn't make a difference for myself however this is Sydney we're talking about.

I think we will see some Victorian clubs suffer to the stage of tin rattling very soon thanks to these new changes. I think the money should be put back into the Victorian teams that are doing it tough. Do we want to see the Melb/Haw scenario again?..............Not me.

 

[Clegs11]

Why do we want the money to go back into Melbourne clubs? Just seems selfish to support one or two clubs at the expense of expanding the game just to appease 30,000 supporters at each of those clubs who aren't willing to put their money up or appear at games.

If the AFL's expansion fails in West Sydney well so be at. It's at least worth trying.

 

[adz2332]

I agree with that... mayb instead of proping up the melb teams... again... they get rid of a couple....

 

[33WING]

Why do we want the money to go back into Melbourne clubs? Just seems selfish to support one or two clubs at the expense of expanding the game just to appease 30,000 supporters at each of those clubs who aren't willing to put their money up or appear at games.

If the AFL's expansion fails in West Sydney well so be at. It's at least worth trying.

I think the move out here will be a success and I never mentioned failure, however I would hate to see a few Vic clubs go down in the process. Imagine your own team going out of the competition or moving interstate. I'm thinking back to the days of Footscray, Fitzroy, Melb/Haw, they were sad days for alot of people but on the other hand we may never see the Vic clubs fall and the 2 new teams prosper. I'm all for the change but not at the expense of a few Vic teams.

 

[chadjaja]

Its a final after all. I'd certainly bet if the Demons were in the finals and played in the rain they would get a crowd. Just like the horrid rainy night against StKilda 2 years ago for us and we got 50K plus on a Friday night ;-)

The money the AFL is spending on the expansion is just way out of wack with what is needed to help out all clubs. Our stadium deals suck so much that we have to have a crowd of 40k at the MCG BEFORE we make any money. If the Swans or even a few Victorian clubs had to get those crowd numbers week in week out they would lose money too. Thats the stark reality.

And finals prices are the same each year. We all know they cost more but it seems some fans take playing finals for granted.

And Matt the AFL stated they bombarded the Sydney market with advertising for the game etc. But you say you saw hardly anything??

If fans wont turn out for the Swans then simply why would they for a new second team??

And is it selfish to ask for a few million (maybe 3-5M) when the AFL is throwing 100's of millions at unproven markets?? Is 3-5% really that big a deal and not work keeping foundation clubs with history and 30K members in business??

 

[postgsl]

The so called advertising for this game was a disgrace.

All the AFL bothered with was a small strip of advertising under the AFL section in the paper, whilst on the next page there was afull page by the NRL advertising their grand final tickets

I was at the game and like all games at ANZ, you always freeze to death.

Right now a second team in Sydney will not work because they are either targetting the wrong area or they need to get some one of high profile as the face of West Sydney.

As much as I hate to say this there is only one person who can make the second team work. It may mean we lose our coach, but the game will be better for it.

Paul Roos must be the face of West Sydney

 

[SheedyStar]

Let's not forget it wasn't that long ago where 12,000 people turned up to watch a game of Netball and only 8,000 turned up at the same time to watch the Bulldogs/St George game. If NSW is the home of NRL and can only get 8,000 to watch two big clubs in a home and away game, then I fail to see how the AFL could possibly hope to get big numbers to a second Sydney team.

I just do not understand why the AFL doesn't go for markets that are crying out for a team, and that is not only Tasmania (who truly deserve a team) but I would suggest a team in the Northern Territory would also get bigger crowds then a second Sydney team (and a Gold Coast team for that matter).

 

[Diggaz TC]

The crowd at the Sydney Swans match against Nth Melb was bigger than the 3 NRL Finals put together this weekend

There were no NRL finals this weekend.

Personally, i think the 2nd AFL team in Sydney is going to struggle. If the AFL seriously commits for better or worse, then it may turn out to be a success in about 20 years.

Yes Tasmania is the better choice in terms of support for the game....it just doesn't sit well with the corporate sponsors and they are the ones that practically own the game.

I went to Cirque Du Soleil in the city on Friday night and thanks to the rain it took me 2.5 hours to get to Moore Park (middle of the city and normally a 40 min trip for me). It was woeful weather and Melbournites may be used to it, but Sydneysiders seem to be very picky about walking out their front door into misery like that.

 

[martyaud]

They've gotten some fairly big crowds over the past few years out at Homebush and I'm pretty sure they'd had torrential rain for about a week or two so I'm guessing that is going to effect the crowd of any game. Bit rich of a Melbourne supporter to criticise a small crowd in torrential rain, the majority of Demon 'fans' just stay home rain hail or shine.

I wouldn't have thought travel was a factor as isn't that the whole point of them putting a team in West Sydney at Homebush because thats where a fair chunk of the supporter base lives they're trying to attract?

.....

NRL is definately on the skids. It's boring and isn't attracting new supporters. It'll be lucky to survive another 10 years let alone 20. They have to hold their Grand Final on a Sunday night just to attract anywhere near the TV audience the AFL Grand Final does.

The Swans supporters are from the Easts... & hence the Swans plays out at the cricket ground.... whereas Western Sydney is a nursery for the rugby codes with a large population of Islanders....

The second point... each to their own... I still think NRL is exciting... but maybe its because my team is doing well....

Chad,

....
5) Promotion…….there was none in Sydney………it wasn’t at least until Thursday that I saw an ad for the game!

I do think that the AFL can succeed in Western Sydney; the game is growing at a rapid rate. I have never seen so many grounds that were previously Rugby league grounds now being converted into AFL grounds.
When the AFL puts in its own Western Sydney team the AFL has a huge chance to make it work…..having been a long standing NRL fan, I have given up on the game….its dying ever so slowly. You only have to look at the players in the NRL to see why people are turning it off.

The problem is that like the NRL situation on the Central Coast (where there are plenty of people wanting a team and they got one…..except its an A league side), people want to support their own team….not another team parachuted in from another area….had the NRL put a BRAND NEW side on the Central Coast it would have a huge following.

I do believe that a second AFL team in Sydney would work, but it will be at the expense of some of the Melbourne teams. If you need an example of 2 teams working well close together.....look at the Broncos and the Titans in the NRL...both doing very well side by side in sth east qld in a sport that is dying elsewhere!

Cheers
Matt

Agreed.... no promotion was on for the game.... the radio sports show that I listen to that usually gives the Swan a fair go were hardly giving them airtime this week....

The changing grounds is the AFL Western Sydney invasion $$$ at work....

The crowd at the Sydney Swans match against Nth Melb was bigger than the 3 NRL Finals put together this weekend but I think the weather was a big put off for alot of people also, it was raining very heavily for a day or 2. Weather wouldn't make a difference for myself however this is Sydney we're talking about.

I think we will see some Victorian clubs suffer to the stage of tin rattling very soon thanks to these new changes. I think the money should be put back into the Victorian teams that are doing it tough. Do we want to see the Melb/Haw scenario again?..............Not me.

The three NRL games that were played on Sat were not finals.. but rather the final round of the regular season.... & two of the three home sides (Parramatta & Penrith - both western sydney) were out of the finals race...

Let's not forget it wasn't that long ago where 12,000 people turned up to watch a game of Netball and only 8,000 turned up at the same time to watch the Bulldogs/St George game. If NSW is the home of NRL and can only get 8,000 to watch two big clubs in a home and away game, then I fail to see how the AFL could possibly hope to get big numbers to a second Sydney team.

I just do not understand why the AFL doesn't go for markets that are crying out for a team, and that is not only Tasmania (who truly deserve a team) but I would suggest a team in the Northern Territory would also get bigger crowds then a second Sydney team (and a Gold Coast team for that matter).

Despite thinking a second team will flop in Sydney... I do understand the economics of it... Sydney is a 4m people town & the corporate $$$ will be a lot more than all the places mentioned in the thread put together... Gold Coast has 500k ppl... Tasmania 495k & Darwin 200k....

I say.... AFL stick to Vic/SA/WA & Tas.... & a novelty sport for NSW & QLD....
& vice versa for NRL....

Australia is now big & mature enough to have two national footy comps but the non stronghold states would only be able to support one team in the main city....

 

[Fixxxer]

Yeah a team in Tassie much better option, atleast the people there all love AFL already. the AFL need to start thinking about the people who are already fans, rather than trying to buy new 1's.

The crowd in Sydney was a joke, but u cant blame the weather, last a knew AFL was a winter sport!

God i remember going to Waverly to watch my team in horribal conditions yeah i hated the ground and thankfully Essendon didnt play there too much but it didnt stop me from going to support my team.