Prediction GWS THE FUTURE

[Scrapporet]

They have a history in the sport and are much closer to Vic.

The club was supposed to be about long term growth and a second club for Sydney.

Want easier then great can GWS and move the Giants to Canberra.

This piecemeal rubbish will get the club nowhere.

You are 100% correct the people of Western Sydney are proud people they want no truck with half a football club. That is not what we were sold when the team was being set up.

The idea was to grow the game grow the supporter base but once it got to hard we took the easy Canberra cash it is embarrassing. We re told GWS was the only true Sydney team which at the moment I find laughable as the other Sydney team play all their home games in Sydney.

This is not a dig at the people of Canberra they also deserve better this is our club (the afl) making decision from Victoria with no insight into how the Sydney/Western Sydney sporting market operates.

 

[GWS Goose]

Disagree, we hadn’t really been building anything.
We had gotten to a 12k average and stayed that way.

If all the fans of AFL had jumped onto the Giants in WS we would be selling out the place.
We look as if we have one foot out the door “just in case” and concentrating on the grassroots in the Capital and the border because it’s easier.
Not what the original intent was.

We aren’t winning is an excuse, not a good one.
We aren’t last.
Swans had rough years and still had the biggest crowds of any code in Sydney.

We continue with this WS and Canberra effort then we won’t exist here in another decade.

It takes a generation. A lot fans had a club 10 years ago and didn't switch.
It takes years to have kids who grown up supporting the team to become rusted on fans. Took Sydney 20 years, and they had no opposition, it will be the same or a little longer for us.

 

[Colonial]

It takes a generation. A lot fans had a club 10 years ago and didn't switch.
It takes years to have kids who grown up supporting the team to become rusted on fans. Took Sydney 20 years, and they had no opposition, it will be the same or a little longer for us.

Sydney play all their games in Sydney.
As much as I hate to say it, they have bought in to being wholly Sydney. We have not.

 

[Canberra Pear]

You are 100% correct the people of Western Sydney are proud people they want no truck with half a football club. That is not what we were sold when the team was being set up.

The idea was to grow the game grow the supporter base but once it got to hard we took the easy Canberra cash it is embarrassing. We re told GWS was the only true Sydney team which at the moment I find laughable as the other Sydney team play all their home games in Sydney.

This is not a dig at the people of Canberra they also deserve better this is our club (the afl) making decision from Victoria with no insight into how the Sydney/Western Sydney sporting market operates.

As a Canberran, I definitely don't take it as a dig.

Personally, I want a full-time Canberra team. If the Giants moved to Canberra, I'd embrace them as Canberran, but I would much prefer a brand new entity come in as Team 20. I'd love to see 33 games a year in NSW/ACT.

Canberra seems to average just below 6k GWS members (me included). My guess would be that no more than a third of those have GWS as their first team.

In 2018, GWS had about 19k Sydney-based members. I don't have the breakdown for 2022, but given the record membership and GWS having no chance of providing grand final tickets, my guess is that's at least 20-21k Sydney-based members. The majority of those would have GWS as their first team.

Canberrans will rock up regardless, but GWS has a much bigger primary supporter base in Sydney (just need to convert them to attending fans), and I think straddling the two markets is a disservice to them.

 

[precarious]

If the AFL plans to bring in Canberra as a twentieth team after Tasmania as the nineteenth (which hopefully is the case), the current giants situation probably makes sense.

Sharing giants games between western Sydney and Canberra helps ride out the 20+ years it takes to seed support in western Sydney while maintaining relevance in Canberra knowing that if a standalone Canberra team came in, it would be fairly easy for both groups to say "thanks, guys, but it's time we both had teams of our own now". As a secondary effect, each supporter group would probably have a soft spot for the other, helping interest in those games in NSW/ACT.

As giants or AFL supporters in western Sydney, the current situation is frustrating in many ways, and it's hard to disagree with many of the negative aspects highlighted in this and other threads. Personally, I find the AFL media's Melbourne-centrism and the AFL's apparent willingness to play to it a bigger frustration than anything specific to the giants. But that, too, may just be long-term strategy.

First-gen giants supporters were always going to be pioneers in a long process. There'll be times when it seems the AFL and Giants themselves are playing dead in western Sydney. The lulls are part of growing the club. Attract some new young fans. Wallow for a bit. Attract another batch of young fans. Wallow a bit. Etc. The wallowing hardens the support base.

It's been rougher for suns supporters than us because, being a stronger AFL area to begin with, the AFL knows it can afford to have them wallow a lot more of the time. When the suns do finally make a final, it will likely have big impact in the Gold Coast.

Regarding stories like moving a home game to the SCG or private ownership (that's the one thing that would lose my support of the AFL for good), and so on, they're probably best taken with a grain of salt as efforts to get into the ridiculous media circus rotation. The media in general is a joke, and the AFL media circus is no exception.

 

[Maximus 2011]

If the AFL plans to bring in Canberra as a twentieth team after Tasmania as the nineteenth (which hopefully is the case), the current giants situation probably makes sense.

Sharing giants games between western Sydney and Canberra helps ride out the 20+ years it takes to seed support in western Sydney while maintaining relevance in Canberra knowing that if a standalone Canberra team came in, it would be fairly easy for both groups to say "thanks, guys, but it's time we both had teams of our own now". As a secondary effect, each supporter group would probably have a soft spot for the other, helping interest in those games in NSW/ACT.

As giants or AFL supporters in western Sydney, the current situation is frustrating in many ways, and it's hard to disagree with many of the negative aspects highlighted in this and other threads. Personally, I find the AFL media's Melbourne-centrism and the AFL's apparent willingness to play to it a bigger frustration than anything specific to the giants. But that, too, may just be long-term strategy.

First-gen giants supporters were always going to be pioneers in a long process. There'll be times when it seems the AFL and Giants themselves are playing dead in western Sydney. The lulls are part of growing the club. Attract some new young fans. Wallow for a bit. Attract another batch of young fans. Wallow a bit. Etc. The wallowing hardens the support base.

It's been rougher for suns supporters than us because, being a stronger AFL area to begin with, the AFL knows it can afford to have them wallow a lot more of the time. When the suns do finally make a final, it will likely have big impact in the Gold Coast.

Regarding stories like moving a home game to the SCG or private ownership (that's the one thing that would lose my support of the AFL for good), and so on, they're probably best taken with a grain of salt as efforts to get into the ridiculous media circus rotation. The media in general is a joke, and the AFL media circus is no exception.

There is no chance Canberra get a team before a team in the N.T. So Canberra would be the 21st team which would be a long long way down the track.
Thinking about it 21 teams would mean we could have a 20 game season whereby every team plays each other once and finally fix the fixture which is so uneven it isn't funny.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Sydney play all their games in Sydney.
As much as I hate to say it, they have bought in to being wholly Sydney. We have not.

Where are we supposed to play early in the season, when the Showground is not available?

Playing at Manuka during Easter solved that problem. There's no other credible venue in Sydney.

I'm more concerned about reports of foundation members not renewing, and then no-one from the club follow up to ask why. It's as if they don't care. That's far more worrying.

 

[Canberra Pear]

There is no chance Canberra get a team before a team in the N.T. So Canberra would be the 21st team which would be a long long way down the track.
Thinking about it 21 teams would mean we could have a 20 game season whereby every team play each other once and finally fix the fixture which is so uneven it isn't funny.

Canberra makes way more sense than the NT.

The AFL NT's scoping report admitted there'd be a $15m gap every year, on top of generous distribution funding.

Canberra has quadruple the population of Darwin, more money, more AFL fans. Canberra makes more sense in nearly every single way.

 

[Canberra Pear]

Where are we supposed to play early in the season, when the Showground is not available?

Playing at Manuka during Easter solved that problem. There's no other credible venue in Sydney.

I'm more concerned about reports of foundation members not renewing, and then no-one from the club follow up to ask why. It's as if they don't care. That's far more worrying.

I mentioned this on another thread (and I've even contacted the club), but I think GWS should play a game at Accor during the Easter Show.

75k people attend the Easter Show daily, right next door. Give them free or discounted tickets and funnel them into Accor after the Show.

Make it retroactive for anybody who's already bought a Show ticket and you've got 700k people, they've already proven they're capable of getting to the stadium, and they likely have kids.

 

[Land of the Giants]

I mentioned this on another thread (and I've even contacted the club), but I think GWS should play a game at Accor during the Easter Show.

75k people attend the Easter Show daily, right next door. Give them free or discounted tickets and funnel them into Accor after the Show.

Make it retroactive for anybody who's already bought a Show ticket and you've got 700k people, they've already proven they're capable of getting to the stadium, and they likely have kids.

We tried this for a couple of years with the Swans and it didn't really work. We'd get between 20-25K.

People were there for the Show and nothing else.

 

[dlanod]

I mentioned this on another thread (and I've even contacted the club), but I think GWS should play a game at Accor during the Easter Show.

75k people attend the Easter Show daily, right next door. Give them free or discounted tickets and funnel them into Accor after the Show.

Make it retroactive for anybody who's already bought a Show ticket and you've got 700k people, they've already proven they're capable of getting to the stadium, and they likely have kids.

They've done that once back in 2013 (2012 was technically before the show opened, though Skoda might not have been available because of prepping). Against the Swans it still only got 24k in attendance (and re-cemented my dislike of Accor as a location).

 

[Colonial]

Where are we supposed to play early in the season, when the Showground is not available?

Playing at Manuka during Easter solved that problem. There's no other credible venue in Sydney.

I'm more concerned about reports of foundation members not renewing, and then no-one from the club follow up to ask why. It's as if they don't care. That's far more worrying.

Can play all away games during that time.

Can play 1 home game during that time and have the American game, or a low drawing game at Blacktown, or a game in the central west/western NSW.

Plenty of options.

To be honest the more I think about it why not 1 big game at the SCG. At least it’s a stadium in our city.

Everyone keeps saying be patient, but then says we can’t be patient in building this club that’s supposed to be for Western Sydney.

 

[Giant Pete]

Can play all away games during that time.

Can play 1 home game during that time and have the American game, or a low drawing game at Blacktown, or a game in the central west/western NSW.

Plenty of options.

To be honest the more I think about it why not 1 big game at the SCG. At least it’s a stadium in our city.

Everyone keeps saying be patient, but then says we can’t be patient in building this club that’s supposed to be for Western Sydney.

Have a game over in LA! Get an airline sponsor to flyover any members who want to go. That will increase membership in a heartbeat. Those people have to attend a minimum of 3 home games.
All of a sudden we’ll have 50000 members and full houses!

 

[Colonial]

Have a game over in LA! Get an airline sponsor to flyover any members who want to go. That will increase membership in a heartbeat. Those people have to attend a minimum of 3 home games.
All of a sudden we’ll have 50000 members and full houses!

Ok smart ass. Our membership is fine from what we have been told anyway. Record breaking yeah? I mean if you want to drink the clubs cool aid.

Bring in a ton of money. After all I mean that’s what I keep getting told that’s why we need to keep Canberra. At least it’s not giving away 3 games to another state.

But am more than happy with the other options such as playing away games during that period or a game at Blacktown.

Continue as we are and we won’t exist.

 

[Giant Pete]

Ok smart ass. Our membership is fine from what we have been told anyway. Record breaking yeah? I mean if you want to drink the clubs cool aid.

Bring in a ton of money. After all I mean that’s what I keep getting told that’s why we need to keep Canberra. At least it’s not giving away 3 games to another state.

But am more than happy with the other options such as playing away games during that period or a game at Blacktown.

Continue as we are and we won’t exist.

How am I being a smart arse?

 

[Giant Pete]

How am I being a smart arse?

It was a genuine idea.

 

[sydney_gws]

Canberra makes way more sense than the NT.

The AFL NT's scoping report admitted there'd be a $15m gap every year, on top of generous distribution funding.

Canberra has quadruple the population of Darwin, more money, more AFL fans. Canberra makes more sense in nearly every single way.

It also has other people within 2 hours drive that would love to go to a game in Canberra.

 

[Orangeutan]

It also has other people within 2 hours drive that would love to go to a game in Canberra.

An NT side would have to cover Alice Springs and most likely Far North QLD to be viable.
The travel just for "home" games would be considerable.

 

[Canberra Pear]

We tried this for a couple of years with the Swans and it didn't really work. We'd get between 20-25K.

People were there for the Show and nothing else.

I knew the Giants had a few ANZ games early on, but didn't realise they'd played the 2013 game during the Easter Show. I thought I was a genius for coming up with it, but looks like it's been tried and failed.

 

[selkie]

Just got emailed an invite to a members forum this Thursday :

The GIANTS are delighted to invite members to an exclusive Members Forum with new AFL Head Coach Adam Kingsley

Adam Kingsley

Age

50

Ht

183cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.9

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

16.4

4star

K

10.4

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

, Chief Executive Officer David Matthews, General Manager of Football Jason McCartney

Jason Mccartney

Age

51

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

3.5

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.8

3star

No current season stats available

D

10.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.6

3star

and other key members of the GIANTS' executive team this Thursday evening.

It was a challenging 2022 at times, however there are many things to be proud of - including breaking our membership record with over 32,000 members - and we're looking forward to 2023 with optimism.

To submit a question for one of our panel members, please click the link below. For those members unable to attend, the evening will be recorded for you to catch up on later and you can still submit a question to be answered on the night.

Date: Thursday, September 8
Time: 5:15pm-7pm
Venue: GIANTS HQ, 1 Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park
RSVP: By 5pm on Tuesday, September 6

This is a members only event and RSVPs are essential.

This will be a great time to get some thoughts on so many of the issues we've discussed in this forum

 

[dlanod]

I knew the Giants had a few ANZ games early on, but didn't realise they'd played the 2013 game during the Easter Show. I thought I was a genius for coming up with it, but looks like it's been tried and failed.

It was a good day because that was back when they gave us free show access to a handful of days, and they aligned one of those days for gameday.

 

[Orangeutan]

Date: Thursday, September 8
Time: 5:15pm-7pm
Venue: GIANTS HQ, 1 Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park
RSVP: By 5pm on Tuesday, September 6

This is a members only event and RSVPs are essential.

This will be a great time to get some thoughts on so many of the issues we've discussed in this forum

And 3 f*cking days notice...I could have arranged with work to make time with a bit of notice.

 

[Giant Strides]

Just got emailed an invite to a members forum this Thursday :

The GIANTS are delighted to invite members to an exclusive Members Forum with new AFL Head Coach Adam Kingsley, Chief Executive Officer David Matthews, General Manager of Football Jason McCartney and other key members of the GIANTS' executive team this Thursday evening.

It was a challenging 2022 at times, however there are many things to be proud of - including breaking our membership record with over 32,000 members - and we're looking forward to 2023 with optimism.

To submit a question for one of our panel members, please click the link below. For those members unable to attend, the evening will be recorded for you to catch up on later and you can still submit a question to be answered on the night.

Date: Thursday, September 8
Time: 5:15pm-7pm
Venue: GIANTS HQ, 1 Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park
RSVP: By 5pm on Tuesday, September 6

This is a members only event and RSVPs are essential.

This will be a great time to get some thoughts on so many of the issues we've discussed in this forum

I would ask about the salary cap situation, and continual loss of experienced players. How does club management perceive we get off this self-defeating cycle of continually bleeding talent? Including the question of whether we've confronted or intend to confront AFL House about how they level the playing fields for non-Victorian clubs, particularly in respect of the reduced capacity for players to generate income outside of the cap, and the differences in cost of living (which is particularly bad in Sydney), which helps drive players back to home states (or Victoria more generally).

 

[Giant Pete]

I would ask about the salary cap situation, and continual loss of experienced players. How does club management perceive we get off this self-defeating cycle of continually bleeding talent? Including the question of whether we've confronted or intend to confront AFL House about how they level the playing fields for non-Victorian clubs, particularly in respect of the reduced capacity for players to generate income outside of the cap, and the differences in cost of living (which is particularly bad in Sydney), which helps drive players back to home states (or Victoria more generally).

My questions would be something like:
How can we increase our game day crowds?
Can you give any hints on what the new gamestyle might look like?
Will we look to recruit any mature players?
Who will the support staff be?
Where can I buy tickets to the LA game?

 

[Giant Strides]

Where can I buy tickets to the LA game?