Not sure if that was directed at me wr but I lived in Sydney, north, east and west suburbs all up for 15 years between 1992-2010 - the rest in SE Queensland.
When the AFL said they were going to put a side in western sydney I told D_One, and I think I even posted it on the main board, that there is only one nickname for a western sydney team that is relevant to the 1.8 million people who live in the 14 councils and that would be Traffic. The Greater Western Sydney Traffic would have been a catchy name IMHO. Traffic over Sydney, but especially Western Sydney is diabolical. Shit planning caused that and its why people dont travel to watch their NRL teams in large numbers. Ok having 2 city/near city based stadiums in Melbourne helps boost the numbers for the AFL but pre Docklands days Vic/Melbourne people traveled to watch their team - home and away - so much more than Sydney.
Plus the great weather in winter time and the habour means there are so many other things you can in June/July/August than go watch a footy game.
COLA is needed at the bottom end of the scale, but players on $500k+ (even $300k) dont need it. The guys getting the big $$$ set themselves up in the eastern suburbs and hardly have to leave a 10-15 km radius from their - mainly when they have to play out Homebusch, and they get a lifestyle they wouldnt be able to get in Melbourne. How many AFL footballers in Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide can have surf in the morning for an hour before they head off to work and drive 10 minutes from Bondi and Bronte and 15 from Marouba. Plus there are other advantages in Sin City close to town that other cities dont offer - or offer as regularly.
I said from day 1 when the AFL said they were going to put a second side in Sydney that setting up the GWS in Blacktown was rubbish. No 18 year old would want to live there if he got decent money. Wrote about that on the main board and got criticized. Great idea whoever came up with it to set the GWS guys up at the decade old suburb of Breakfast Point - in a US College type set up - right on the harbour - right on the edge of what is called inner western Sydney - 15 kms from town, 20kms from the beach, 3 kms to work at Sydney Olympic Park and 25 kms away from Blacktown.