Polo Gill hopes in time to emulate the Sydney soccer rivalry

[sherb]

There's two major things that could have been done right; the name of the team, and the guernsey design.

I don't think either of those made much of a difference to be honest.

Don't underestimate the importance of winning. The Wanderers have been pretty much successful from the start. Whereas the Giants - rightly or wrongly - made the choice to go young with their list and as a result have been anything successful since their inception.

Also - Western Sydney has always had a strong soccer culture (at least at the junior level) and in my opinion it was an area just waiting to be represented by that game. Australian football has a far tougher task getting its foot in the door, at the grass roots level the interest isn't comparable.

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

We're partnering with the Thunder in the BBL - discount membership, cross promotions etc. they play a different sport in a different season too but we get along with them. I'll be going to a couple of Thunder games this year because of my Giants membership. Who knows, next year during the completely non competing season known as winter, there might be a little reciprocation from a couple of Thunder members. The game is grown. Everybody wins.

Why wouldn't we try to get along with the Wanderers?

 

[sherb]

As sherb has made clear GWS can't even be bothered to hold their main club functions in the area.

Yeah, that one I just don't get, it is really strange.

I mean they have to organize the functions anyway, so it's no extra work to have them in the GWS area instead of the CBD.

Therefore it's a pretty simple way of demonstrating how committed to the west of the city they are. And gets community (esp pollies) onside, nice publicity in the local papers, etc.

Unless they think that there aren't any suitable venues in the GWS area. I don't pretend to be an expert on function venues out this way, but I'd be amazed if that were the case.

 

[hairy biker]

We're partnering with the Thunder in the BBL - discount membership, cross promotions etc. they play a different sport in a different season too but we get along with them. I'll be going to a couple of Thunder games this year because of my Giants membership. Who knows, next year during the completely non competing season known as winter, there might be a little reciprocation from a couple of Thunder members. The game is grown. Everybody wins.

Why wouldn't we try to get along with the Wanderers?

I see the BBL and the AFL/soccer as two different sporting experiences.

The AFL/soccer is tribal, passionate, you're a supporter.
The BBL is more about being a casual fan, going along for the experience.

Whether your team wins in the AFL/soccer it matters, far less so in the BBL.
It's more a day out.
I never see cricket as a competitor to the AFL for the 'hearts and minds.'

Membership. merchandising, travel costs etc is where I see the consumer dollars battleground being.
A far greater competitor IMO in those areas for the GWS is the WSW in comparison to the Thunder.

No problem getting along with the Wanderers, but I see no advantage for the WSW in 'partnering' the Giants as suggested by Gill.

 

[musha_13]

We're partnering with the Thunder in the BBL - discount membership, cross promotions etc. they play a different sport in a different season too but we get along with them. I'll be going to a couple of Thunder games this year because of my Giants membership. Who knows, next year during the completely non competing season known as winter, there might be a little reciprocation from a couple of Thunder members. The game is grown. Everybody wins.

Why wouldn't we try to get along with the Wanderers?

Because the Wanderers wouldn't want anything to do with it - they sell out and have a membership cap, the stand to benefit nothing. They're the most successful start-up club in Australian sport history IMO; GWS are probably the worst.

 

[TheMase]

Yeah, that one I just don't get, it is really strange.

I mean they have to organize the functions anyway, so it's no extra work to have them in the GWS area instead of the CBD.

Therefore it's a pretty simple way of demonstrating how committed to the west of the city they are. And gets community (esp pollies) onside, nice publicity in the local papers, etc.

Unless they think that there aren't any suitable venues in the GWS area. I don't pretend to be an expert on function venues out this way, but I'd be amazed if that were the case.

I work in the liquor industry and know the scene quite well. I suspect Rooty Hill RSL could easily accommodate them and would be a perfect location too.....

 

[sherb]

I work in the liquor industry and know the scene quite well. I suspect Rooty Hill RSL could easily accommodate them and would be a perfect location too.....

I only noticed it this year when I got a Facebook notification about the Kevin Sheedy medal and had a good read up about it.

I had no idea where the Ivy Ballroom was, I assumed it was in western Sydney somewhere and was amazed to see it was in the CBD.

So I got interested in where they held their other functions. They held another one at the Ivy as well (the ladies' lunch I think) and and another (the Grand Final do) was held at Doltone House in Pyrmont.

Bugger it, they should hold the Sheedy Medal at Panthers. Would do them good.

 

[fabulousphil]

Polo boy wants to partner with the Wanderers to grow aussie rules.
.

so, they play at different times of the year, it has been done before, doubt whether it will work, but maybe he is saying it to disprove the old theory that the AFL wants to destroy every other sports team in the universe.

Do you really think that the AFL has not been blindsided by the success of WSW?
A club formed after GWS.

Maybe, maybe not, AFAICS they are different demos, and the AFL aim for family demos and that is reflected by GWS having the highest % of members who are kids in the league.

Also a generational change would surely have concentrated at the base, the youth, get them playing AFL, get the AFL into local state schools, embrace exiting aussie rules clubs in their entirety.
Become involved in the community.
As sherb has made clear GWS can't even be bothered to hold their main club functions in the area.
.

Considering generational change takes a generation then it is hardly fair to have a go at GWS, I am sure they are trying as hard as they can and that is reflected by the 10/15 % pick up in teams across the GWS comp.

Finally I've noticed on the HTB you seem to be an individual who prefers less to debate/discuss, but rather one who takes affront when someone takes a view contrary to your own.
It seems the pattern is being followed here.

Finally I couldn't give a stuff what you think of me[/QUOTE]

 

[WagonBang]

We're partnering with the Thunder in the BBL - discount membership, cross promotions etc. they play a different sport in a different season too but we get along with them. I'll be going to a couple of Thunder games this year because of my Giants membership. Who knows, next year during the completely non competing season known as winter, there might be a little reciprocation from a couple of Thunder members. The game is grown. Everybody wins.

Why wouldn't we try to get along with the Wanderers?

I think one Kevin Sheedy killed any chance of a relationship between the two clubs after his offensive outburst in 2013 after another thrashing at home in front of 5k fans v Adelaide.

"It's going to tell everybody how tough it's going to be to build this club – as simple as that.

"We don't have the recruiting officer called the immigration department recruiting fans for the West Sydney Wanderers. We don't have that on our side"

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...to-immigration-department-20130512-2jgnj.html

 

[fabulousphil]

I think one Kevin Sheedy killed any chance of a relationship between the two clubs after his offensive outburst in 2013 after another thrashing at home in front of 5k fans v Adelaide.

"It's going to tell everybody how tough it's going to be to build this club – as simple as that.

"We don't have the recruiting officer called the immigration department recruiting fans for the West Sydney Wanderers. We don't have that on our side"

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/sheedy-links-wanderers-success-to-immigration-department-20130512-2jgnj.html

Do you actually find that statement offensive ?

 

[Rob]

Because the Wanderers wouldn't want anything to do with it - they sell out and have a membership cap, the stand to benefit nothing. They're the most successful start-up club in Australian sport history IMO; GWS are probably the worst.

Interesting a Crows supporter claiming this given they filled Football Park for their first practice match.

 

[fabulousphil]

Because the Wanderers wouldn't want anything to do with it - they sell out and have a membership cap, the stand to benefit nothing. They're the most successful start-up club in Australian sport history IMO; GWS are probably the worst.

GWS are still going and appear that they will for quite a while yet.

I could name 10 or so off the top of my head sports teams that went so bad, that they are actually not with us any more.

GC soccer team, a couple of RL teams in QLD, a RL team in Adelaide and Perth, numerous soccer teams from the NSL, a stack of basketball teams, probably heaps of baseball teams ( state)

GWS average crowd is not much less than Penrith's NRL team.

I guess when you are a AFL team the expectations are high.

BTW Collingwood had a first up crowd of over 16,000 in 1892, that's not to shabby.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Reckon GWS is up their with Gold Coast United in terms of losing money per year. that probably makes them one of the worst. All the others are small fry compared to those 2. i would think GWS is small fry to the disaster of Clives GCU. admitting the GWS were never going to make profit in its start up. still they dont any closer.

Admitting, GWS purpose is more grow the game rather than make a profit but my point still stands. after all, most business aim to grow. Without AFL support, their would be no GWS club, something the long list of NSL, NRL and NBL clubs would have loved to have.

 

[fabulousphil]

Reckon GWS is up their with Gold Coast United in terms of losing money per year. that probably makes them one of the worst. All the others are small fry compared to those 2. i would think GWS is small fry to the disaster of Clives GCU. admitting the GWS were never going to make profit in its start up. still they dont any closer.

Admitting, GWS purpose is more grow the game rather than make a profit but my point still stands. after all, most business aim to grow. Without AFL support, their would be no GWS club, something the long list of NSL, NRL and NBL clubs would have loved to have.

That would be precisely what GWS is attempting to do, I would imagine if GWS started like WSW whom have probably thousands of thousands of juniors within their zone/catchment area and a ready made support base then they may have been overnight successes.

Since 2012 when there were around 65 junior AF teams playing within GWS's zone/catchment ( under 9's to 17's) they have lifted that to around 100 teams this year, you would imagine that club auskick underpinning it has increased as well.

Similarly in Canberra junior participation has lifted 10% yearly in the last few years, like wise a Giants junior club started in the Riverina town of Griffith doubling the amount of junior teams in the town.

All small potatoes admittedly but If the Giants did not exist I doubt these initiatives would have happened, the state of NSW is just to big for one club ( Swans ) to do all the ground work.

 

[fabulousphil]

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2014-10-27/west-is-best

The CEOs of Western Sydney’s biggest sporting clubs have come together at an event hosted by the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS.
Western Sydney Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas, Parramatta Eels CEO Scott Seward and Sydney Thunder CEO Nick Cummins joined GIANTS CEO David Matthews and AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan at a lunch for the Western Sydney Business Chamber, held at the GIANTS’ Learning Life Centre in Sydney Olympic Park.
McLachlan addressed the lunch of almost 100 of Western Sydney’s most influential business people and reinforced the AFL and the GIANTS’ commitment to the region and the local community.
“When the AFL made the decision to start a club in Western Sydney, we said it was more than just about setting up a football team,” McLachlan said.
“We wanted to establish a footprint across the communities of Western Sydney and contribute to the economic and social fabric of this important region.
“Hopefully wherever you look across Western Sydney, the GIANTS are contributing to local communities.”
Also at the lunch were GIANTS Director Kevin Sheedy, Head Coach Leon Cameron and AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Craig Bolton. They were joined by Auburn GIANTS President and player Amna K-Hassan.
“It’s inspiring and indeed humbling for us to see the connections being made with local communities through clubs like the Auburn GIANTS, a team of predominately young Muslim women wearing the GIANTS colours,” McLachlan said.
With the Wanderers, Eels and Thunder represented at the lunch, as well as Cricket NSW CEO Andrew Jones, McLachlan reinforced that the AFL were not trying to compete with the other sports.
“Western Sydney has a rich and proud sporting heritage and has produced some of Australia’s greatest sporting champions such as Michael Clarke, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill just to name a few,” McLachlan said.
“Some ask if we’re concerned about the success of the Western Sydney Wanderers. Quite the contrary – we are delighted by what they have achieved as it only further enhances Western Sydney’s status as one of the great sporting regions of Australia.
“Next week staff and players from the Sydney Thunder will begin moving into this very facility and play two Big Bash games at the GIANTS home ground, Spotless Stadium, in January.
“This is a unique partnership and a great example of collaboration between sporting clubs in Western Sydney that will have benefits for everyone including the fans.”
Also in attendance were Dyldam Group Development Manager Remon Fayad, News Corp State Director Brett Clegg, Parramatta City Council Lord Mayor Clr Scott Lloyd and CEO Greg Dyer and Director of the Western Sydney Business Chamber David Borger.
“What is good for Western Sydney is good for all of NSW and, indeed, Australia,” McLachlan said.
“With its growing population, cultural diversity and open space, Western Sydney is the place to be for an increasing number of families.
“The AFL and the GIANTS are proud to be part of this great region and we want to play our part to make it even greater and enrich the lives of the people who live and work here.”

 

[mcgarnacle]

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2014-10-27/west-is-best

95% of folks who follow the AFL know that the AFL will do what ultimately benefits them. the other 5% lap it up.

everything that is said is mere lip service in order to grease the wheels to make what they want to happen.

Because the Wanderers wouldn't want anything to do with it - they sell out and have a membership cap, the stand to benefit nothing. They're the most successful start-up club in Australian sport history IMO; GWS are probably the worst.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...ont-collaborate-with-afl-20141029-11dnvq.html

Gallop knows that the AFL are simply trying to USE the FFA and the Wanderers to build their own profile.

I doubt the AFL would be so compliant if the scenario was reversed. How about releasing Docklands Stadium for a possible 2015 A-league Grand Final at the venue?

 

[SM]

What?! Obviously we come from different cultures. Try as I might Soccer will never emulate the excitement of an AFL game live for me.

Any atmosphere generated in a Soccer game is directly from the entertaining antics of the crowd not from the game itself. Its a bit like when the Barmy army comes to town, you spend more time watching them and listening in to their songs that watching the cricket.

When Soccer fans finally realise that they are a minnow sport in this country the better. They had to move their sport to summer because it was the only way they would get any attention in this country and if they moved it back to the winter again you would watch those crowds and ratings disappear.

Soccer is a summer sport which does not compete with either Rugby codes or the AFL. You can enjoy both. The Wanders are no more a threat to the GWS as the Sydney Sixers or Sydney Kings.

Newsflash - You can enjoy more than one sport across a year!!! Believe it or not I like AFL, Cricket, Soccer, tennis and even horse racing at different stages of the year and watch/enjoy them all because they are played AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR.

You call yourself a 'soccer fan' and then say that said fans need to realise they're a minnow sport in this country?

A-League will outstrip NRL for crowds soon, and overtake AFL in NSW. That's hardly a minnow sport.

For someone who doesn't appreciate a game of football though, I don't really expect you to understand.

 

[Pessimistic]

To be fair wsw licence came from a failed gold coast team (palmer united) so it wasnt quite an overnight success

 

[CotchNCo]

You call yourself a 'soccer fan' and then say that said fans need to realise they're a minnow sport in this country?

A-League will outstrip NRL for crowds soon, and overtake AFL in NSW. That's hardly a minnow sport.

For someone who doesn't appreciate a game of football though, I don't really expect you to understand.

He calls them the Wanders and has a fundamental miss-understanding of fan culture. Big big fan of the sport.

 

[SM]

To be fair wsw licence came from a failed gold coast team (palmer united) so it wasnt quite an overnight success

What does the source of its licence have to do with the speed of its success?

 

[fabulousphil]

95% of folks who follow the AFL know that the AFL will do what ultimately benefits them. the other 5% lap it up.

everything that is said is mere lip service in order to grease the wheels to make what they want to happen.
?

Do you actually have a point ?, or do you just want to tell me how big business operates.

Or are you suggesting I lap up what the AFL says ?.

What I am suggesting is that GWS and the AFL are doing everything within their power to make GWS a success, to make that happen they are trying to get the community onside, whether that works or not remains to be seen.

But I am pretty sure they will leave no stone unturned, but I am also pretty sure they have made and will continue to make plenty of mistakes.

 

[Cylon7]

But I am pretty sure they will leave no stone unturned, but I am also pretty sure they have made and will continue to make plenty of mistakes.

Yes, they have made mistakes.

When you make mistakes, the decent thing to do is to apologise to those you have harmed and to make amends.

 

[fabulousphil]

Yes, they have made mistakes.

When you make mistakes, the decent thing to do is to apologise to those you have harmed and to make amends.

I would agree with that.

 

[Colonial]

Yes, they have made mistakes.

When you make mistakes, the decent thing to do is to apologise to those you have harmed and to make amends.

And how many clubs have done this. Hell who have we harmed? Mistakes yes but harmed? Please

 

[bombersfan4000]

We're partnering with the Thunder in the BBL - discount membership, cross promotions etc. they play a different sport in a different season too but we get along with them. I'll be going to a couple of Thunder games this year because of my Giants membership. Who knows, next year during the completely non competing season known as winter, there might be a little reciprocation from a couple of Thunder members. The game is grown. Everybody wins.

Why wouldn't we try to get along with the Wanderers?

i think the situation might have helped with the Thunder using Spotless stadium for several of their games this coming season of the BBL, both teams don't exactly get long queues of people attending their games yet. But never the less its a good idea if each team or club can benefit out of it