Has support for GWS grown in Sydney this year?

Sep 8, 2010
4,768
6,723
3134
AFL Club
Essendon
I'm a Bombers supporter who has more so followed the league since 2012, I think GWS doing well this year is really good for the league. Was wondering if you guys had noticed increased support this year? Or more talk about GWS in the Sydney media? Being from Vic, it's harder to see how the Giants are actually growing :)
 

Melbourne Giant

Team Captain
Aug 6, 2016
394
333
AFL Club
GWS
I'm a Bombers supporter who has more so followed the league since 2012, I think GWS doing well this year is really good for the league. Was wondering if you guys had noticed increased support this year? Or more talk about GWS in the Sydney media? Being from Vic, it's harder to see how the Giants are actually growing :)
I'm absolutely munted.

So here is the long-winded response;

It's got nothing to do with GWS support this year.

The Giants are a generational project which will take 20 years to be ingrained upon the sports psyche of the people of Western Sydney and Canverra and beyond.

The "success" of this year actually means nothing. It might mean a few more members and a few more "bums on seats" but at the end of the day, the club is set-up for the likes of Ichabod Noodle's kids, not us.

Would I expect a ticker tape parade down Parramatta Rd if we win the flag this year?

No. Not at all.

We're a team for 2036, not 2016.

Any success we may have now is not the goal.

It's a nice pit-stop, but it's not our end game.
 
Nov 23, 2015
11,654
17,070
AFL Club
GWS
Certainly. Media reporting in traditionally league-centric publications has had more AFL and specifically more GWS. There have been extra radio programs on AFL commence. GWS and Swans memberships have both grown, as have home crowds. Canberra games have sold out and set attendance records. So, yes support is growing. Can't personally say whether it's just jumping on the winning bandwagon or more fundamental support, but it's there.

But as MG said above, GWS has been set up to build its support base over 20 years not 5 years. But always nice to see improvement being made.
 
May 24, 2014
3,555
2,892
Canberra Region
AFL Club
GWS
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Ricciardo#3, Sydney Thunder
I think short term success is vitally important. While this is a long game for the AFL, we need the Giants brand to stand for more than just family oriented, representative of GWS diversity etc. Being successful needs to part of it - particularly in the Sydney catchment. Also, the early success brings more sponsors and that helps us become more self reliant earlier.
 

Bokonon

Cancelled
May 3, 2016
4,376
2,703
AFL Club
GWS
Surely the publicity we get from playing finals will penetrate to non AFL fans, and that will matter. I think the view is skewed from inside the AFL world. I still speak to people all the time that aren't aware of us or are only vaguely aware.
 

Cmarsh

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 23, 2012
7,689
10,422
NSW
AFL Club
GWS
Surely the publicity we get from playing finals will penetrate to non AFL fans, and that will matter. I think the view is skewed from inside the AFL world. I still speak to people all the time that aren't aware of us or are only vaguely aware.
Which AFL world are you talking about? BF is always deriding GWS as having no fans.
 

Bokonon

Cancelled
May 3, 2016
4,376
2,703
AFL Club
GWS
Which AFL world are you talking about? BF is always deriding GWS as having no fans.
I meant AFL fans everywhere, rhey may not like us but that is different to not being aware of us and what we are. My point was oir growrh is about penetrating the world that isn't.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Surely the publicity we get from playing finals will penetrate to non AFL fans, and that will matter. I think the view is skewed from inside the AFL world. I still speak to people all the time that aren't aware of us or are only vaguely aware.
Got to disagree there mate.

Whenever i say i follow the Giants. Theres no confusion.
They know who we are.
Sae as when i say i follow GWS or Greater Western Sydney.
 

Bokonon

Cancelled
May 3, 2016
4,376
2,703
AFL Club
GWS
Got to disagree there mate.

Whenever i say i follow the Giants. Theres no confusion.
They know who we are.
Sae as when i say i follow GWS or Greater Western Sydney.
Maybe you work with a better educated group. I've seen someone wearing our tartan scarf to work who didn't know what it was, said it was a gift.
I try to educate when I can. I was probably exaggerating a lottle though
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Maybe you work with a better educated group. I've seen someone wearing our tartan scarf to work who didn't know what it was, said it was a gift.
I try to educate when I can. I was probably exaggerating a lottle though
Im the guard on the lithgow to central train, i dont think your 1st sentance applies.

As i said. On the whole most people who comment are good natured about the club (wear my hat at work, naughty naughty) and know who and what we are.
 
Sep 6, 2012
3,055
4,738
Sydney
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Thunder
I'm a Bombers supporter who has more so followed the league since 2012, I think GWS doing well this year is really good for the league. Was wondering if you guys had noticed increased support this year? Or more talk about GWS in the Sydney media? Being from Vic, it's harder to see how the Giants are actually growing :)

Our membership surged this year to 15,311, which is up about 13-14%, and well on the way to the club's medium term target of 17,000 members. We've probably picked up a few people - admittedly late in the piece - who see a membership as a way of guaranteeing access to finals tickets.

Our crowds in Canberra are excellent, we now hold the ground record at Manuka Oval. Our non-derby crowds in Sydney are up as well. We have an excellent home ground in Spotless Stadium - one of the best boutique venues you'll see - and word-of-mouth is working for us.

So, yes, there is increased support for the club all round. We've won respect and are now seen as credible.
 
Would also be interested to know how many of you guys are from Western Sydney?
IIRC all of us are either are or were Western Sydney or GWS-affiliated area (Canberra, Orange or maybe further afield) based.
 

Ichabod Noodle

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 13, 2011
9,402
14,246
The Riff
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Raiders, Brumbies
Would also be interested to know how many of you guys are from Western Sydney?

Does it matter though? How many Essendon supported are from Essendon? Only guy I ever met who lived in Essendon was a Geelong supporter. We are allowed to have members and supporters who don't live in the region.
 

Big Stinky Monk

All Australian
Aug 26, 2004
900
1,432
Sydney
AFL Club
GWS
I'm definitely seeing more support this year but I don't think it is necessarily just due to the on field success this year.

The club is great at getting players into a the schools and running sessions with the kids. From the perspective of working with Auskick kids, we are getting a lot more kids (and parents) showing up with Giants jumpers, hats, etc. Talking to some of the parents of new kids, getting answers like "Cal Ward came to little Jonnys school and played a game with them so now Little Jonny wants to give it a go" is pretty common.

It takes time, effort and patience, but we are building.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Would also be interested to know how many of you guys are from Western Sydney?
Grew up in Mt Druitt, was in Cranebrook when i became a Giant.
Never followed AFL till Giants joined.
Now live in Mudgee (home of the Black Swans) which is really really west of Sydney.

Pretty much covers the usual questions we get every few weeks.

That old How did you become a Giant thread needs to be pinned.
 
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