Western Sydney team to be delayed

[connolly]

As i said, it will be like the cavalry coming to support us and promote Australian Football in the frontier - .

General Custer?

[Bear]

General Custer?

Well Custer had some good and bad days, like any football club, but I was thinking more of Australian history like the Light Horse charge at Beersheba.

It will be interesting to see how your attitude changes if Spevo lasts long enough to be traded to Blacktown for a draft pick.

They'll be helping us in more ways than you would have thought!

[robamiee]

originally from west syd, i think Tassie needs a team before west Sydney..

it will become an anchor in the afl and just be another club that needs constant propping up...

[DST]

We do actually understand what you are saying so no need for the condesending "you just dont get it" type of comments - we do get it but we dont have to agree with it. At first I was all for the new Western side to raise the profile thinking that it would be a great idea, but then I looked into it further - but I'm now of the opinion that if the profile hasnt been raised enough already with the Swans winning the '05 flag then nothing is going to do it. As it is Swans membership is flagging - if they dont do any better in '09 and with a number of members already being disenchanted with the club because of the new memebrship fees, then they are not going to win over many others in fact they will lose more. The Sydney crowd are fickle, as its not the number one code in this city (sadly) so if the Swans dont win, then they dont go. If the Western sydney "insert name here" dont win, then they wont go - its pretty simple.
A western Sydney team would run at a loss for years unless it won a flag in its first year - which we all know is highly unlikely.
Tassie deserves a team - But the AFL have the "the bigger the better' Blinkers on. Sydney may be Australian's largest city - but it also has 2 other dominant codes plus soccer - there is room for all at the moment - but I dont think there is room or enough interest in a second AFL side. Expansion isnt always the way to go. So unless the AFL want to throw away a few million on an idea that is doomed to failure then perhaps its time to get a new crowd in to run the show.

Problem is, I have to be condensending as this has nothing to do with football despite what many people on here and in Melbourne think.

It is a business and tactical decision to make sure that the AFL remains the No.1 sport in Australia.

They played a high risk game 25 years ago when they decided to expand to Sydney and then across Australia. The move paid off and now that they have the funds to do it again and crush whatever else is out there.

They are returning to what they know best, only this time around they know hw to do things properly, due to the mistakes of the past.

Put the money in now and the rewards will be never ending.

DST

[connolly]

It will be interesting to see how your attitude changes if Spevo lasts long enough to be traded to Blacktown for a draft pick.

Well after all we gave Carey to North and the Danihers to Windy Hill. Would be right up there with those disasters.

[Bear]

Well after all we gave Carey to North and the Danihers to Windy Hill. Would be right up there with those disasters.

Stefan Carey?

Don't forget to give #42 a big hello from his 2nd family (RWO) on Xmas day.

[T-bag]

Well Custer had some good and bad days, like any football club, but I was thinking more of Australian history like the Light Horse charge at Beersheba.

MMM Beer!

[Wardy]

Problem is, I have to be condensending as this has nothing to do with football despite what many people on here and in Melbourne think.

It is a business and tactical decision to make sure that the AFL remains the No.1 sport in Australia.

They played a high risk game 25 years ago when they decided to expand to Sydney and then across Australia. The move paid off and now that they have the funds to do it again and crush whatever else is out there.

They are returning to what they know best, only this time around they know hw to do things properly, due to the mistakes of the past.

Put the money in now and the rewards will be never ending.

DST

Put the money in now and the rewards will be never ending you say hmm well they have been at it 25 years and it still isnt the number one code in Sydney is it? So how much time does the AFL require to dominate then and "crush" the other codes?

As much as we would all love it too - AFL will not crush the Sydney market - it will co-exist with the other codes in it but it will never dominate.

[Bear]

Put the money in now and the rewards will be never ending you say hmm well they have been at it 25 years and it still isnt the number one code in Sydney is it? So how much time does the AFL require to dominate then and "crush" the other codes?

As much as we would all love it too - AFL will not crush the Sydney market - it will co-exist with the other codes in it but it will never dominate.

The AFL isn't looking to dominate and it knows it can't, rather get a good representation as one of the main sports in Greater Sydney, which it is not right now.

Don't put the money in now and we will never have another chance.

[BigD]

Actually I can't for the life of me figure why RWOers didn't jump for joy when a new team in Sydney was proposed. Unless you are all Victorians on this forum (or ex Victorians) surely you would want more AFL opportunities in Sydney. Opportunities for the profile of the game, opportunities to see the game and opportunities for our kids to play. That the new team is to be delayed is a blow to the Swans because a raising of the profile can only be a good thing.

That having been said, the AFL have to put alot of time and effort and possibly money into raising the profile. If I lived in Blacktown and had only ever seen AFL on TV (if I made the effort) I wouldn't see what the fuss was about. Watching a good game live is the only way to get people in Blacktown to see why AFL is so much better than league. The AFL have to put on exhibition games for free and as many as they can starting now to get people in the Western Suburbs of Sydney to get enthusiastic.

Because AFL and the Swans have really only gotten a decent foothold in Sydney in the past five to ten years and on that score it would be way too soon to be considering a second team here as it would serve only to dilute the support the Swans have garnered in recent years.(2008 notwithstanding)

[Bear]

Because AFL and the Swans have really only gotten a decent foothold in Sydney in the past five to ten years and on that score it would be way too soon to be considering a second team here as it would serve only to dilute the support the Swans have garnered in recent years.(2008 notwithstanding)

The Swans have generated a decent foothold in inner (mainly Eastern and LNS Sydney) since around 96, but never Greater Sydney.

They are very different markets.

The new team will not dilute the mainly eastern/north shore market that the Swans have relevance in, it will grow the (different) greater sydney market - from a very low base.

[robamiee]

you would be better to allow tassie to come in...
and then eventually one of the melb clubs will need to relocate, then you would do West syd as you already have a fan base to work with..
creating one from scratch in west syd just wont work...
you would be better to even create one in Canberra...

fans there dont want teams to come and go in....
they want permanent established clubs...