Expansion Any Gold Coast or West Sydney fans in waiting.........

[Philhawk]

I think everyone understands that the success of the Western Sydney team is going to be a long and expensive process.

I'll support it to the hilt as anyone involved in the grassroots in western Sydney should, whether they're Swans supporters or not, as they'll need all the support they can get. I'll always be first and foremost a North fan though.

No doubt they'll blitz every last school in western Sydney to within an inch of their lives and pick up the generational support over time.

It's the only possible way they can succeed.

It's going to be a very long-term process, though.

Having volounteered for AusKick in West Sydney schools, I know first hand how apathetic the kids are about AFL.

It'll take around 15 years, at least.

 

[Mickdog]

I'll be supporting West Sydney for certain. Never really liked the Swans but thats all that I got. Will be getting membership and buying my first guernsey. Can't wait for it

 

[Deenamite]

I'll be supporting West Sydney for certain. Never really liked the Swans but thats all that I got. Will be getting membership and buying my first guernsey. Can't wait for it

Interesting...like most i think if the Gold Coast team is handled correctly they could be a big team which would be good for the competition but i have my doubts over WS. Have the AFL undertaken ny studies in the area which would actually support them putting a team in there?

 

[cos789]

Interesting...like most i think if the Gold Coast team is handled correctly they could be a big team which would be good for the competition but i have my doubts over WS. Have the AFL undertaken ny studies in the area which would actually support them putting a team in there?

Yes .

.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Weird.

North offered to play 8 games a year up there but all the GC types said that wouldn't work because people would want a team they could call their own.

Now all the GC types are saying their first loyalty will always be to an existing team.

Slight disconnect.

Anyway, I hope both teams do well and not too many millions are poured into those money holes before they become profitable.

 

[Father Jack]

Weird.

North offered to play 8 games a year up there but all the GC types said that wouldn't work because people would want a team they could call their own.

Now all the GC types are saying their first loyalty will always be to an existing team.

Slight disconnect.

Anyway, I hope both teams do well and not too many millions are poured into those money holes before they become profitable.

I think GC types just wanted a team that would commit to the GC, something that North weren't willing to do, which is fine.

Anyway, you shouldn't complain about millions being poured into money holes otherwise you could look a bit hypocritical.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

We were prepared to commit to the Gold Coast - eight games a year.

Far more money has been poured into other teams than mine, and far, far, far more will be poured into the GC and West Sydney teams. I just hope the AFL gets a similar return on its investment that it has from North - an innovative club that has been very succesful on field.

God forbid we get another couple of basket cases like Sydney and Brisbane that require decades of bail out and draft picks and salary cap rigging.

 

[Father Jack]

No, the GC wanted a club that would commit to the city permanently, whereas North looked like they were having a bob each way. They would have cut and run sooner or later, it just happened to be sooner once they had to make a decision.

And it would seem to me that the AFL are doing their utmost to ensure that the new GC team doesn't start off like the Bears. At least this team will actually be called the "Gold Coast".

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

No, the GC wanted a club that would commit to the city permanently, whereas North looked like they were having a bob each way. They would have cut and run sooner or later, it just happened to be sooner once they had to make a decision.

Fair enough. I must say I think what the GC needs is its own dedicated team ... with a dedicated stadium.

But its weird that so many pro-GCers run the line that GC needs its own team the place can throw their heart and soul behind ... but then say that they'll always support Carlton etc first.

You can't be half pregnant.

 

[Father Jack]

I think most of us will come aboard with the whole 'second team' thing, which is fine if we buy memberships etc, but as for the city getting behind the team, and picking up fans that may be either unaligned or whatever, you need the long-term commitment. It's not really us existing fans that the AFL is basing this whole exercise on.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

I think most of us will come aboard with the whole 'second team' thing, which is fine if we buy memberships etc, but as for the city getting behind the team, and picking up fans that may be either unaligned or whatever, you need the long-term commitment. It's not really us existing fans that the AFL is basing this whole exercise on.

But its hardly going to set a good example.

I thought one of the key reasons the GC would work is because there are all these expats from footy states who would leap on board because they are starved of footy.

And now we learn that most of these footy state expats will treat the new franchise as a 'second team'. I mean, that's hardly going to get you to travel down to Melbourne in July on a rainy cold day to see the GC boys take on Richmond is it?

 

[desie]

It's going to be a very long-term process, though.

Having volounteered for AusKick in West Sydney schools, I know first hand how apathetic the kids are about AFL.

It'll take around 15 years, at least.

No doubt it will be a generational thing just as they've done with Sydney in general over the past ten years.

So you're right, it will be at least 15 years until it stands on it's own two feet.

That said, I went to a High School of 1200 kids smack bang in the middle of this area where I was quite literally the only one who followed what was then the VFL, and believe me, I copped some crap over it!

Today the same school has footy posts up.

Now I know this doesn't mean that all the kids are now converts, but from an extremely low base (ie: nothing), it has come a fair way.

As you say, we've got an awful long way to go though, but clearly the AFL are determined and have pretty deep pockets.

 

[cos789]

Weird.

North offered to play 8 games a year up there but all the GC types said that wouldn't work because people would want a team they could call their own.

North said flatly that they weren't moving North .
In effect they were playing exhibitiobn games .

.

 

[ssfc0203]

I'll support the WS team when they come in, but I'll certainly never change.

But I will probably have affection for the team watching it be built up from scratch in what's practically my own backyard

 

[Philhawk]

No doubt it will be a generational thing just as they've done with Sydney in general over the past ten years.

So you're right, it will be at least 15 years until it stands on it's own two feet.

That said, I went to a High School of 1200 kids smack bang in the middle of this area where I was quite literally the only one who followed what was then the VFL, and believe me, I copped some crap over it!

Today the same school has footy posts up.

Now I know this doesn't mean that all the kids are now converts, but from an extremely low base (ie: nothing), it has come a fair way.

As you say, we've got an awful long way to go though, but clearly the AFL are determined and have pretty deep pockets.

I'll say this much, if the AFL is able to crack the West Sydney market, there's an absolute minefield of talent there for them to work with.

Particularly if they're able to get some of the young islander kids to play the game.

 

[Professor Knowall]

We (North) were prepared to commit to the Gold Coast - eight games a year. ....

North offered to the Gold Coast what they tried to offer to Sydney about 7-8 years back - eight away games per year, on a fly-in, fly-out basis, and purely to collect $$$, not develop the code locally by being based there.

This dud arrangement was rightly rejected in both instances. Both these markets demand teams that are located in their cites, and truly represent their cities (as they have/will have with the other codes). North "blow in and out" arrangement was never going to be acceptable in the long run.

No doubt it will be a generational thing just as they've done with Sydney in general over the past ten years.

So you're right, it will be at least 15 years until it stands on it's own two feet.

That said, I went to a High School of 1200 kids smack bang in the middle of this area where I was quite literally the only one who followed what was then the VFL, and believe me, I copped some crap over it!

Today the same school has footy posts up.

Now I know this doesn't mean that all the kids are now converts, but from an extremely low base (ie: nothing), it has come a fair way.

As you say, we've got an awful long way to go though, but clearly the AFL are determined and have pretty deep pockets.

Very good post that. Yes, it is clearly "a generational thing", and will probably take well over 10 years to be viable in its own right - but at the grass roots level, progress is being made - albeit with a long way to go as said above.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Fair enough if the GC people didn't want the North deal.

But its obvious there's no deep hunger for their own team.

They'll be a second team and people will turn up to GC matches to see them, but how many of these fans will travel to Melbourne or Perth to see them play? Very, very few.

 

[.Shotties.]

I'd buy a membership the the WS team. For what it's worth, I'm in the inner west and in the past few years I've seen an (admittedly unused) rugby pitch and a soccer pitch turned into footy ovals and my old highscool now has demountable footy posts. Which is pretty good considering they live and die for their league.