Prediction GWS THE FUTURE

[PaythePerryman]

Was it actually Shepherd's idea?

I listened to the podcast and Healy asked him about moving games and his response was like 'aw, yeah, it's something we're looking into'. My interpretation was that he didn't sound that keen on it.

Edit: But I'm unsure whether or not Shepherd had raised it previously.

Yeah correct. He just sort of mumbled along with it saying 'we look at everything blah blah'. Made a mountain out of a mole hill...I understand wanting to look 'open' to everything...but I would have though venue is something that the Giants have going for them....it's called GIANTS STADIUM...and we need to start packing it out.

 

[BarryAglett]

...but I would have though venue is something that the Giants have going for them....it's called GIANTS STADIUM...and we need to start packing it out.

This.
The whole Western Sydney and Canberra split will be decided once we average at least 15k per game at GS.
Simple economics will force more games from Canberra to GS.
Until then, things will remain as they are.

 

[Colonial]

This.
The whole Western Sydney and Canberra split will be decided once we average at least 15k per game at GS.
Simple economics will force more games from Canberra to GS.
Until then, things will remain as they are.

Won’t average that much with the split.
Need to go all in on Western Sydney. Otherwise the fan base won’t buy it as our club.

 

[Colonial]

You're back with a vengeance.

Just wondering what you thought of Shepherd's idea (assuming it was his) of playing home games at the SCG?

Not really.

It’s the usual stupid idea from the noggin of someone who doesn’t know a thing about Western Sydney.

 

[Land of the Giants]

...but I would have though venue is something that the Giants have going for them....it's called GIANTS STADIUM...and we need to start packing it out.

We were doing just fine with crowds at Homebush between 2016-2019. They were averaging 12-13K during the season. If you add finals it was higher.

That seems a long time ago, because we've gone backwards since then. The way the men's team fell apart is the main reason. Playing an extra game at Canberra this year was probably one game more than the market could tolerate. The same thing happened to the Swans when they started playing four games at Olympic Park. The members stayed away and they got the message.

So just go back to the 8-3 split, and make sure we've got a men's team worth coming to watch. That will fix it.

 

[Scrapporet]

Need to go all in on Western Sydney. Otherwise the fan base won’t buy it as our club

Agree 100% if you want buy in in an expansion area you have to commit fully to that area. Also can we drop the idea of the USA game it's a joke of an idea an another game a supporter base you want to grow would lose.

 

[dlanod]

I feel like COVID really blew a hole in our growth too. We get/got a lot of casuals. If there's a degree of conservativeness because of COVID, you cut the things you're casual about - and GWS got hit.

 

[GWS Goose]

I feel like COVID really blew a hole in our growth too. We get/got a lot of casuals. If there's a degree of conservativeness because of COVID, you cut the things you're casual about - and GWS got hit.

That is very true.

GWS, more than most, has a lot of casual observers who are sports fans and Western Sydney fans, rather than Giants fans.

I have a lot of mates in this boat, many of which have a 4 game membership, and will again next year, but only go to games when it appeals. This year, the team wasnt good, we had rubbish weather and the covid cloud. Those causal observers just dont get to the games in years like that.
However those fans are your future and super valuable to the AFL, they watch more games than they used to , they expose it to the next generation and will jump on the bandwagon. Some will become rusted on fans (I have, despite starting as a casual observer), but most wont.

The 8/4 split doesnt negatively impact that at all.

 

[Drezdyn]

I don't know how hard GWS tried to retain its current member base.

I was a foundation member and continuously bought the "Sydney Giant" membership package for over 11 years. I even paid my full membership during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
This year I didn't renew my membership - partly because I needed to spend the money elsewhere, and partly because I came to the conclusion that this comp is way too heavily skewed in favour of Melbourne - Gillon Mclachlan weighing in on the Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

suspension at the end of last year was the final straw (yet they give trent cotchin

9

Trent Cotchin

Age

34

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.4

5star

K

13.8

5star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

5.2

5star

D

19.0

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.5

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

4.3

5star

CL

3.5

4star

D

16.6

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

8.6

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.0

3star

a free pass after he took out Shiel in the semi finals a few years back). I guess I just wanted to give the AFL the middle finger by voting with my feet.

I didn't so much as get a phonecall or even an email from the membership team asking me to renew. If I had at least tried to reach out, there's a good chance I would have renewed as a Supporter member at the very least.

I don't mean to be negative, and I know I'm not special - but I was what you would have called a (somewhat) die hard fan.

If they don't make the effort to retain their established fans, what hope do they have of attracting the casuals.

 

[BarryAglett]

You are not alone and not negative. You're a symptom of the issues many of us have had since the end of 2019.
The Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

suspension was pure VFL HQ bullsh*t.

If you want to be heard, copy and paste your post in an email to the club. This is the sort of feedback the club needs.

 

[Giant Strides]

I don't know how hard GWS tried to retain its current member base.

I was a foundation member and continuously bought the "Sydney Giant" membership package for over 11 years. I even paid my full membership during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
This year I didn't renew my membership - partly because I needed to spend the money elsewhere, and partly because I came to the conclusion that this comp is way too heavily skewed in favour of Melbourne - Gillon Mclachlan weighing in on the Toby Greene suspension at the end of last year was the final straw (yet they give trent cotchin a free pass after he took out Shiel in the semi finals a few years back). I guess I just wanted to give the AFL the middle finger by voting with my feet.

I didn't so much as get a phonecall or even an email from the membership team asking me to renew. If I had at least tried to reach out, there's a good chance I would have renewed as a Supporter member at the very least.

I don't mean to be negative, and I know I'm not special - but I was what you would have called a (somewhat) die hard fan.

If they don't make the effort to retain their established fans, what hope do they have of attracting the casuals.

I must admit, I have felt (and still feel) a lot of these same things - especially the VFL-centric nature of everything that happens. Very disappointing to hear, though, that the club didn't even contact you after not renewing.

I did in fact ask my family recently if we wanted to renew next year or drop out. (Wife is SA so brought up on AFL, but I'm a Queenslander so league/union, and two children are now in their early 20s and can make their own decisions, but we go to the footy in Canberra as a family. We've decided to stay, but those same thoughts will linger.)

As Barry said, it would be worthwhile sending an email to the club expressing your sentiments and asking why they didn't even try to retain you. It's one thing to not be pushy (which I don't like from organisations), but it's another not to even try or want to understand reasons.

 

[Land of the Giants]

I didn't so much as get a phonecall or even an email from the membership team asking me to renew. If I had at least tried to reach out, there's a good chance I would have renewed as a Supporter member at the very least.

I don't mean to be negative, and I know I'm not special - but I was what you would have called a (somewhat) die hard fan.

If they don't make the effort to retain their established fans, what hope do they have of attracting the casuals.

Sorry to hear you didn't renew, but your experience of not being contacted doesn't surprise me.

Staff at the club are not reflective of society as a whole. They are young and tend to operate like a clique.

If you're not their age, or perceived to the "wrong" demographic, they either ignore you, or hope that you will just go away.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Break out the champagne everyone:

GIANTS Celebrate Membership Record

32,614 members joined the Big Big Sound in 2022, breaking the GIANTS’ all-time membership record!

www.gwsgiants.com.au

32,614 members.

Average attendances:

Giants Stadium - 6103
Manuka Oval - 9804

The Canberra figures aren't bad considering the year we've had, but something doesn't add up somewhere.

 

[dlanod]

Break out the champagne everyone:

GIANTS Celebrate Membership Record

32,614 members joined the Big Big Sound in 2022, breaking the GIANTS’ all-time membership record!

www.gwsgiants.com.au

32,614 members.

Average attendances:

Giants Stadium - 6103
Manuka Oval - 9804

The Canberra figures aren't bad considering the year we've had, but something doesn't add up somewhere.

We've got six members (four of us, but a family is automatically six because you get four kids members regardless).

We averaged less than one person per home game attending this year.

My wife is COVID nervous and AFL ambivalent (generally comes along with the rest of the family, but work/life has been s**t this year).

Kids were up and down like they are most years - one went to two, one went to three.

I struggled with motivation because of how crap the team's effort was if no kids were going.

I doubt we're all that alone to be honest.

 

[GWS Goose]

Break out the champagne everyone:

GIANTS Celebrate Membership Record

32,614 members joined the Big Big Sound in 2022, breaking the GIANTS’ all-time membership record!

www.gwsgiants.com.au

32,614 members.

Average attendances:

Giants Stadium - 6103
Manuka Oval - 9804

The Canberra figures aren't bad considering the year we've had, but something doesn't add up somewhere.

I have 2 memberships (a spare for whoever I bring) and only got to 2 games, my other pass got used once.
4 of my mates are members but not really fans and did get to any games. We were all going to the Hawthorne game but weren't prepared to do it in the rain.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Break out the champagne everyone:

GIANTS Celebrate Membership Record

32,614 members joined the Big Big Sound in 2022, breaking the GIANTS’ all-time membership record!

www.gwsgiants.com.au

32,614 members.

Average attendances:

Giants Stadium - 6103
Manuka Oval - 9804

The Canberra figures aren't bad considering the year we've had, but something doesn't add up somewhere.

It's good that despite the poor crowds, people are clearly still invested in the Giants to the point that they're willing to pay for memberships.

The old cliché used to be that the Giants' membership numbers were only so high because people wanted an easy grand final ticket. After this year's performance, I think we can safely say that's not the case any more.

People are clearly willing to pay for memberships, the question is how do we get them back into the stadium (beyond winning and altering the weather)?

As a Canberra-based member, I've only made it to Sydney for a few finals. Are Sydney transport options still the same? Has there been a drop in promotion? Or is it mostly just a mix of poor on-field performance, Covid hesitancy and poor weather?

 

[Land of the Giants]

As a Canberra-based member, I've only made it to Sydney for a few finals. Are Sydney transport options still the same? Has there been a drop in promotion? Or is it mostly just a mix of poor on-field performance, Covid hesitancy and poor weather?

We're not a story worth watching at the moment.

Kingsley's job is to change that.

 

[Canberra Pear]

We're not a story worth watching at the moment.

Kingsley's job is to change that.

Very keen for next year.

The talent is there, just the execution is missing. With waning Covid hesitancy and (hopefully) a better team to watch, I think getting back to 10k crowds is achievable in 2023.

 

[GWS Goose]

There was a stack working against crowds this year.
Results, Covid and weather to start with.
I don't know about everyone else, but I had so many rescheduled things (Covid and weather) it was difficult to plan for anything.

 

[Canberra Pear]

There was a stack working against crowds this year.
Results, Covid and weather to start with.
I don't know about everyone else, but I had so many rescheduled things (Covid and weather) it was difficult to plan for anything.

They're good points. Competing priorities after years of cancelled events.

I also heard that the Giants only re-started school visits in the past couple of months. I'm sure it's only minor, but there would have been fewer ticket giveaways at schools, no kids excitedly coming home from meeting the players and convincing their parents to take them to a game. Reduced capacity for community engagement would have had an an effect, but the Giants should bounce back pretty well in that department.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Competing priorities after years of cancelled events.

Then attending our games is obviously well down the list of priorities for a lot of members.

 

[dlanod]

Then attending our games is obviously well down the list of priorities for a lot of members.

I don't think that's a controversial statement.

 

[GWS Goose]

Then attending our games is obviously well down the list of priorities for a lot of members.

this is probably true of most fans, but more so for us.

Ive said this a few times, I think the Giants have more casual fans than most clubs. Sports fans who support Western Sydney as opposed to Giants fans.

I started that way myself, and have a number of mates who that applies to.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Sanity prevails. Home games at the SCG have been ruled out.

That article also brushes on the Canberra deal, which looks like it'll remain at three men's games a year, but make the women's game officially in the contract, too. I'd heard rumours of only a 5-year extension, but the final quote from Dave Matthews shows it's more likely to be the 10-year extension.

"We see a lot of merit in going again, and putting roots down even stronger with another 10-year deal." - Dave Matthews

According to this article, it's "understood" that the ACT government is willing to spend more than the current $2.3m per year. But apparently the Giants will lose a few other perks.

But while the Giants are expected to bank extra cash, they will likely lose Manuka Oval naming-rights options, a host of logistical privileges and will no longer have the power to say no to other sports using the venue during the AFL season.

The Giants will also lose Manuka Oval "pourage rights", which are apparently lucrative. The article says many of these perks were given to the Giants to offset the expected small Canberra crowds in a limited capacity stadium, but Canberra would likely have more leverage now than they did at initial negotiations.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Sanity prevails. Home games at the SCG have been ruled out.

That article also brushes on the Canberra deal, which looks like it'll remain at three men's games a year, but make the women's game officially in the contract, too. I'd heard rumours of only a 5-year extension, but the final quote from Dave Matthews shows it's more likely to be the 10-year extension.



According to this article, it's "understood" that the ACT government is willing to spend more than the current $2.3m per year. But apparently the Giants will lose a few other perks.



The Giants will also lose Manuka Oval "pourage rights", which are apparently lucrative. The article says many of these perks were given to the Giants to offset the expected small Canberra crowds in a limited capacity stadium, but Canberra would likely have more leverage now than they did at initial negotiations.

Three games a year we can live with. The extra game was one too many.