How the AFL lost the battle for Sydney

[Deadly Assassin]

Shocking proof the Swans and GWS have failed to attract fans.

AFL loses the battle for Sydney: Swans and GWS fail to attract fans

Hundreds of millions of dollars in AFL cash has not been enough to win the battle of Sydney against the NRL. New figures have shown the Swans and GWS are AFL liabilities and fans are tuning out

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Hoops]

Daily Mail?

 

[Walshawk]

The AFL is right in the battle for inner west and inner Northern Sydney, where support might be 80/20 RL/AFL. But they have made little progress in Western Sydney and probably never will. It would still be 99% RL there.

 

[MF]

So the previous grand final having low ratings is proof that AFL in Sydney has failed, yet all 4 of the highest ever rated grand finals have featured the Sydney Swans.

Solid logic

 

[Kwality]

Shocking proof the Swans and GWS have failed to attract fans.

AFL loses the battle for Sydney: Swans and GWS fail to attract fans

Hundreds of millions of dollars in AFL cash has not been enough to win the battle of Sydney against the NRL. New figures have shown the Swans and GWS are AFL liabilities and fans are tuning out

www.dailymail.co.uk

The Swans didnt fire a shot. Not a worthwhile contest to keep the casual sports fan viewing.

 

[HaroLad]

Swans are doing fine.

GWS are a TV team and always will be.

 

[master bate]

Swans absolutely flying and the TV rights deal is incredible.

No one really cares about taking over all of Western Sydney. Just like most of the people in the post suburbs of Sydney don’t care about Western Sydney.

 

[Kappa]

Shocking proof the Swans and GWS have failed to attract fans.

AFL loses the battle for Sydney: Swans and GWS fail to attract fans

Hundreds of millions of dollars in AFL cash has not been enough to win the battle of Sydney against the NRL. New figures have shown the Swans and GWS are AFL liabilities and fans are tuning out

www.dailymail.co.uk

Lost implies the battle is over, what an incredibly dumb title and article.

 

[Colonial]

No.
Swans are the biggest club of any sport here and if the Giants wake up and go all in, instead of the
Chicken s**t easy way of cheap dollars from the south(Canberra), they will get there too.
There is no battle, just a really big pie that can be eaten by all.

 

[PhatBoy]

The giants have a bigger footprint than what they’re given credit for

 

[Sky]

The giants have a bigger footprint than what they’re given credit for

The orange team honestly have good membership numbers. Decent colours and great song but think the G / Greater in their name does them no favours.

 

[AustraliaIIKA6]

It’s far far to soon to discuss the impact GWS are making in Sydney . The fact that exist at all is astonishing. The Swans have been Sydney for 40 years and have had to endure some lean lean times . The VFL/AFL did the Swans no favours in it’s first 10 years . GWS remind me of the Winston Churchill quote ‘ It’s not the end. It’s not even the beginning of the the end . It is perhaps the end of the beginning’ Give it 15 years or so .

 

[Kappa]

The giants have a bigger footprint than what they’re given credit for

Yep, compare them to the smaller NRL clubs or the entire A League and they're doing just fine... Half the problem is people like to compare their crowds to Collingwood/Richmond ect when those clubs had over 100 years to grow support... Giants are fine, and will continue to grow slowly. They won't be a good size for another 15-20 years... but that was always the AFL's plan, no one with a brain ever expected this to be an instant success.

 

[MVille Swan]

The NRL has embraced 20 somethings big time with cheaper ticket prices and an almost rock concert atmosphere
at games. Swans supporters in Sydney are almost exclusively an Anglo crowd largely from the Eastern and Inner West
suburbs. GWS supporters are mostly from the West and there are 1,500 or so footy tragic Swans fans who also go to
GWS games because one game a fortnight is not enough footy. NRL crowds are a bit more multi-cultural and probably
reflect the demographic makeup of Sydney a bit better.

 

[Engimal v3]

It’s far far to soon to discuss the impact GWS are making in Sydney . The fact that exist at all is astonishing. The Swans have been Sydney for 40 years and have had to endure some lean lean times . The VFL/AFL did the Swans no favours in it’s first 10 years . GWS remind me of the Winston Churchill quote ‘ It’s not the end. It’s not even the beginning of the the end . It is perhaps the end of the beginning’ Give it 15 years or so .

Those who say that GC and GWS have failed have a very simplistic view of things. Those two teams are investments over decades, not years. Like you said, having a team in Western Sydney is an achievement in itself.

 

[Bartel84]

There wasn’t ever a fair fight NRL was always going to prevail and easily. The AFL have gotten a pass mark for the fact that GWS have lasted 10 years.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Why does there have to be a battle with a winner? The Swans have done fine in establishing themselves in an NRL city.

 

[Kwality]

The giants have a bigger footprint than what they’re given credit for

Footprint not deep yet.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

AFLs issue with Western Sydney is that the nrl won't play ball.
Compare the giants in nsw with the storm in Melbourne
The AFL actively cross promotes the sport, often having clubs work with the storm.

You're lucky in nsw if the nrl ever acknowledge the afl though

 

[Barrybran]

It’s far far to soon to discuss the impact GWS are making in Sydney . The fact that exist at all is astonishing. The Swans have been Sydney for 40 years and have had to endure some lean lean times . The VFL/AFL did the Swans no favours in it’s first 10 years . GWS remind me of the Winston Churchill quote ‘ It’s not the end. It’s not even the beginning of the the end . It is perhaps the end of the beginning’ Give it 15 years or so .

15 years is about right. Most hard-core fans of any sport or team grow up with that sport or team, so you're targeting school kids. A 12 year old in 2011 is 23 now. A young adult with other interests. Give it another ten years and they'll start having kids. 15 and their kids start school themselves. It's that second generation that will start to solidify the Giants.

 

[Fire]

This is just oppinion and not very through out one at that.

Ratings for the GF were average. Not bad, just average. For a terrible game. At a terrible time. From that, everything was extrapolated.

The record broadcast deal was hand waved away. No discussion of participation. Or crowds. Or analysis of what 'success' for the AFL should look like. What were the AFL's goals in coming to Sydney? Have they fallen short? Who knows.

I kept reading that article waiting for the meat to come, but then it just ended and I am embarrassed for clicking on it.

 

[WillHayward]

The AFL is right in the battle for inner west and inner Northern Sydney, where supoort might be 20/80 RL/AFL. But they have made little progress in Western Sydney and probably never will. It would still be 99% RL there.

You mean 80/20 RL/AFL?

Also agree AFL has made zero progress in WS.

I'd move GWS to Canberra. GWS is a white elephant and classic example of "Concord fallacy".

 

[Belnakor]

It’s far far to soon to discuss the impact GWS are making in Sydney . The fact that exist at all is astonishing. The Swans have been Sydney for 40 years and have had to endure some lean lean times . The VFL/AFL did the Swans no favours in it’s first 10 years . GWS remind me of the Winston Churchill quote ‘ It’s not the end. It’s not even the beginning of the the end . It is perhaps the end of the beginning’ Give it 15 years or so .

i remember early 90s swans were a complete basket case. People have short memories. People said the exact same thing about the swans as they are saying about GWS.

 

[Belnakor]

You mean 80/20 RL/AFL?

Also agree AFL has made zero progress in WS.

I'd move GWS to Canberra. GWS is a white elephant and classic example of "Concord fallacy".

check out Hotelling's law. Part of the reason the AFL have the teams in NSW is also to take away potential fans from the NRL which reduces their ability to push into Victoria.

i'm sure you felt clever using the phrase concord fallacy though when sunk cost would do

 

[Walshawk]

You mean 80/20 RL/AFL?

Also agree AFL has made zero progress in WS.

I'd move GWS to Canberra. GWS is a white elephant and classic example of "Concord fallacy".

Yep. 80/20. Never heard of the Concord Fallacy. So, in other words - 'don't throw good money after bad' or 'cut your losses'? GWS has no hope of ever growing with the current set up. Anyone east of Homebush follows the Swans and anyone west will always follow RL.