Are the Swans a powerhouse club?

[Deadly Assassin]

They've missed finals just six times in 30 years, and have the most supporters of any club according to the Roy Morgan surveys. They've been a destination club with big signings over the years such as Lockett, Hall, Franklin and Curnow, would they be considered to be a powerhouse club?

 

[MF]

What's the definition of a powerhouse?

 

[Teen Wolf]

A powerhouse, sure. But what level of power?!

If you categorise clubs based on two key metrics (number of AFL premierships won in the past 25 years and average AFL home game attendance post-covid), you get this:

Superpower (multiple flags in the past 25 years, 40k+ home game attendance)
Collingwood
West Coast
Richmond - Status in jeopardy. Form and decision to sell home game to Hobart likely to impact attendance.

Great power (multiple flags in the past 25 years)
Brisbane
Geelong
Hawthorn
Sydney

Regional power (40k+ home game attendance)
Adelaide
Carlton
Essendon
Fremantle

Middle power (1 flag in the past 25 years)
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Western Bulldogs

Small power
Gold Coast
GWS Giants
North Melbourne
St Kilda

Looks about right to me.

 

[Fadge]

I have them second only to Collingwood when considering both on field and off field performance.

Right now, with the recent demise of West Coast, the four powerhouse clubs of the competition are Collingwood, Sydney, Geelong and Hawthorn.

 

[iameviljez]

Superpower (multiple flags in the past 25 years, 40k+ home game attendance)
Collingwood
West Coast
Richmond - Status in jeopardy. Form and decision to sell home game to Hobart likely to impact attendance.

Hawthorn also qualifies for that metric.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Hawthorn also qualifies for that metric.

No they don't:

average AFL home game attendance post-covid

i.e. from 2023 onwards. They are sub-38k. Lower than Melbourne and Port Adelaide. And also lower than Geelong's average since the completion of the KP redevelopment.

 

[iameviljez]

No they don't:

i.e. from 2023 onwards. They are sub-38k. Lower than Melbourne and Port Adelaide. And also lower than Geelong's average since the completion of the KP redevelopment.

Ah yeah I missed your caveat. Anyway, this whole 'big club' and 'powerhouse' thing is a bit of a relic from the days where wealth determined flags in the VFL.

 

[jakson68]

They've missed finals just six times in 30 years, and have the most supporters of any club according to the Roy Morgan surveys. They've been a destination club with big signings over the years such as Lockett, Hall, Franklin and Curnow, would they be considered to be a powerhouse club?

I think the most supporter stat is cute .
Most populated city in Australia, and they ask who they support in the AFL.
Most Sydneysiders couldn't spell AFL, let alone name 5 players that play for Sydney.
The reason they support Sydney, is because that is the only team they know.

It is similar to people in Melbourne supporting Melbourne Storm but have no idea who the players are.

A club to struggle to even be top 10 for memberships, is not a powerhouse.
Two team town with 5mil people and can't get 80k members.

 

[Cyclops]

No, but the AFL is a power to be reckoned with if they decide to give you success. For a while the Giants had more support, but they have slipped and its GCS and Sydney.

From 2015 (inclusive) we have played them at the Gabba and the Adelaide oval once each, the G twice and in Sydney 10 times. The AFL uses us to boost viewing numbers in NSW, fairness be damned.

We also receive huge concessions (eg ANZAC Day Mothers Day etc), but they are mostly at the request of other clubs, and the league would go broke if we didn't accept.

So Sydney get empowered as part of a pissing contest with the NRL and to complete the hand of cards need to claim national broadcast advertising income. they are not essential as Orange Club can be force fed success too.