Expansion NSW starting to solidly contribute to the game at the highest level

[Matchu]

We've just witnessed arguably the biggest Aussie rules game in NSW history with the first Sydney derby played in the finals. There were more than 60,000 in attendance for the historic game and of course that meant both the Swans and Giants finished top 4 on the home and away ladder for the first time. Last night we saw the two boys from Temora, NSW set up what would have been an amazing finish to a finals match when Luke Bruest found Isaac Smith in the forward 50. Not to be but the pieces were there. Another New South Welshman in Taylor Walker will lead out the Adelaide Crows tonight and in all likelihood will have a big night. We saw Sydney product Callum Mills win the Rising Star Medal earlier this week and the Swans are starting to bring through a lot more juniors from NSW. Just look at their starting 22 today:

Sydney line up
FB: Rampe (East Sydney, NSW), Aliir (Aspley, QLD), Nick Smith (Oakleigh, VIC)
HB: Lloyd (North Ballarat, VIC), Grundy (Norwood, SA), Mills (North Shore, NSW)
C: Heeney (Cardiff, NSW), Kennedy (Sandringham, VIC), McVeigh (Pennant Hills, NSW)
HF: Rohan (Geelong, VIC), Franklin (Perth, WA), Hewett (North Adelaide, SA)
FF: Richards (Sandringham, VIC), Tippett (Southport, QLD), Parker (Dandenong, VIC)
Fol: Naismith (North Shore, NSW), Jack (Pennant Hills, NSW), Hannebery (Oakleigh, VIC)
INT: Mitchell (Claremont, WA), McGlynn (Bendigo, VIC), Marsh (East Fremantle, WA), Papley (Gippsland, VIC)

VIC: 9/22 (41%)
NSW: 6/22 (27%)
WA: 3/22 (14%)
QLD: 2/22 (9%)
SA 2/22 (9%)

However, despite drafting several New South Welshmen out of their academy in recent years, the same cannot be said for GWS:

Greater Western Sydney line up
FB: Haynes (Dandenong, VIC), Davis (North Adelaide, SA), Shaw (Northern Knights, VIC)
HB: Williams (Narranderra, NSW), Tomlinson (Oakleigh, VIC), Patfull (Norwood, SA)
C: Kelly (Sandringham, VIC), Ward (Western Jets, VIC), Scully (Dandenong, VIC)
HF: Cameron (North Ballarat, VIC), Lobb (Swan Districts, WA), Greene (Oakleigh, VIC)
FF: Smith (Geelong, VIC), Patton (Eastern Ranges, VIC), Johnson (Murray, VIC)
Fol: Mumford (Bunyip, VIC), Griffen (South Adelaide, SA), Coniglio (Swan Districts, WA)
INT: Hopper (Leeton, NSW), Shiel (Dandenong, VIC), Whitfield (Dandenong, VIC), Wilson (Peel, WA)

VIC: 14/22 (63%)
SA: 3/22 (14%)
WA: 3/22 (14%)
NSW: 2/22 (9%)

Most of the NSW players on the Giants' list are still relatively young and they are still benefitting greatly from their initial concessions so expect that to change in the next 3-5 years.

Anyway, it does seem to be that NSW is beginning to contribute a lot more on the big stage when compared to years gone by. Opinions?

 

[Skipper_]

You have way too much free time.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Naismith is actually from Gunnendah which is in NSW but in the middle of nowhere - somewhere in north western NSW.

Davis from GWS is from Canberra

 

[Garlic muncher]

As you say most of GWS's NSW boys are not playing in the senior team ATM

 

[Cmarsh]

Now watch this thread become yet another derailment about acadamies

 

[Upgrayedd]

Now watch this thread become yet another derailment about acadamies

Acadamies are awesome for the game. Just wish we could have the AFL have the ability yo run them half as professionally and efficiently as gws/sydney

 

[Cuzdup]

And the Swans are officially the "other" team of NSW nd they should get used to it

 

[grouse mate]

More evidence academies need to stay. Thanks OP.

 

[sobrave]

Broken hill is not regarded by anyone as NSW. Carn

 

[SgtSchulz]

Broken hill is not regarded by anyone as NSW. Carn

Make Broken Hill part of SA!

 

[Bokonon]

Broken hill is not regarded by anyone as NSW. Carn

How would you know?

 

[sobrave]

How would you know?

I know people from broken hill?
Its closer to adelaide, gets sa tv and radio, runs on sa time etc etc

 

[Bokonon]

I know people from broken hill?
Its closer to adelaide, gets sa tv and radio, runs on sa time etc etc

My home town
It was in my youth, less so today. Good footy players have always gone to SA though, you're right about that. It's now part of our academy zone though and Walker might be the last for a while.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Broken hill use SA timezone ?.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

NSW is not an issue, it's QLD.

 

[Garlic muncher]

NSW is not an issue, it's QLD.

I reckon if a stat was available then there would be more interest and participation per capita in QLD for footy than NSW

 

[sobrave]

Broken hill use SA timezone ?.

Its only just over the border and more than twice as close to adelaide than it is to sydney

 

[Bokonon]

Broken hill use SA timezone ?.

Absolutely. Technology has kinda brought it into NSW, in terms of media. In days gone by moving to Adelaide wouldn't really be seen as intetstate. Adelaide is less than half the distance to Sydney. I moved to Sydney as a teenager as was genuinely shocked they played Rugby here. I'd seen a grand final on the ABC but assumed it was a minor game.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Absolutely. Technology has kinda brought it into NSW, in terms of media. In days gone by moving to Adelaide wouldn't really be seen as intetstate. Adelaide is less than half the distance to Sydney. I moved to Sydney as a teenager as was genuinely shocked they played Rugby here. I'd seen a grand final on the ABC but assumed it was a minor game.

Closeness to Adelaide is only part of it, Broken hill was settled primarily by south Aussies and Victorians - in that regard it is very similar to Kalgoolie and a lot of WA.

Rail gauges to southern states, headquarters of BHP, movement of people's is all tied to strong cultural tie between footy and Broken Hill, similar to many parts of the riverina

 

[Great8]

Good to see the talent coming through the ranks. For me the crowd was still disappointing though, really should of been 80k for derby between two excellent teams

 

[Blueboys7]

NSW and QLD sides will forever be spoon fed success. Already happened with Brisbane's 3 premierships, Sydney's extended success (academies and COLA) and now GWS and GC unprecedented access to the draft via concessions and salary cap relief.

Ridiculous.

 

[Andrew Mc]

Naismith is actually from Gunnendah which is in NSW but in the middle of nowhere - somewhere in north western NSW.

Davis from GWS is from Canberra

Gunnedah is NE NSW. Not really in the middle of nowhere, comparatively. Close to Tamworth and only 5 or so hours to Sydney.

 

[RUNVS]

Good to see the talent coming through the ranks. For me the crowd was still disappointing though, really should of been 80k for derby between two excellent teams

Disagree entirely. 60k is a huge figure in Sydney, and you would have to go back quite some distance to get 60k crowd in an NRL game (non Grand Final).

 

[Great8]

Disagree entirely. 60k is a huge figure in Sydney, and you would have to go back quite some distance to get 60k crowd in an NRL game (non Grand Final).

Maybe but it just proves further that Sydneysiders don't live and breath sport. If GWS played the Swans at AO yesterday I reckon it would be a sell out

 

[RUNVS]

Maybe but it just proves further that Sydneysiders don't live and breath sport. If GWS played the Swans at AO yesterday I reckon it would be a sell out

Sounds like a lot of pointless complaining to me. If someone told the AFL back in 2012 that in 2016 the Swans and GWS would clash in a finals match and there would be 60,000+ people there the AFL would have taken that every single day of the week.