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Thread: The Giants Franchise

  1. #1

    The Giants Franchise

    So I see that our friends out at Breakfast Point have added to the their random stable of affiliate clubs by adding the Auburn Women's club.

    I guess that this is the least insidious of their hook-ups as that club clearly need all the help they can get but I fail to see what they are trying to achieve by rebranding the Goannas and Wolves. Especially as Parramatta could easily be promoted to the SFL soon therefore having the farcical position of the Giants playing themselves.

    I also think it's a but of a sellout by the clubs themselves as the history of rebranding local clubs to AFL colours has not been successful on the whole (think Balmain Dockers, St George Crows, Campbelltown Kangaroos). Still we all know the fact that local clubs are living on the breadline and will happily sell their colours for a free set of footy jumpers, which is shamefully about all that Balmain got from their tie up with Freo....

    What I am wondering is what GWS think they will get out of these silly re-brandings? For starters, one is a team so far from their demographic it is not funny. The Goannas kind of makes sense but then you alienate the other clubs in the area by trying to pick winners.

    It's a dumb marketing ploy to try and make people think they actually care about AFL in Sydney. They would have been a lot better off but supporting ALL the clubs in their catchment area (Campbelltown, Liverpool, Penrith, Hawkesbury, Parramatta) equally with substantial but behind the scenes financial and logistical support. It would have been a drop in the ocean to what that mob must be costing.

    If there are any genuine members of Parramatta or Manly on board, how do you feel about your club selling off it's history to these guys? The question would also be equally relevant to other clubs like St George and Balmain who have toyed with this in the past. And before the usual muppets come and shoot me down on here, it's a genuine question......

  2. #2
    I wasn't around when we were the crows but heaps has been said about "going back to our roots", "getting all the old boys down again" and "starting to re engage with the community again".

    I haven't directly asked about it but the vibe I get was it was a bad move for the club (although didn't all clubs have to have an AFL affiliation?).

    This got huge press on big footy with most people involved with sydney afl saying how dumb it was, but giants fans sticking up for it. But I guess when your costing the AFL 18.5m a year you can do stupid @@@@ like make Manly the giants.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mug Punter View Post
    I guess that this is the least insidious of their hook-ups as that club clearly need all the help they can get but I fail to see what they are trying to achieve by rebranding the Goannas and Wolves. Especially as Parramatta could easily be promoted to the SFL soon therefore having the farcical position of the Giants playing themselves.
    That is already happening.

    The Manly Giants will play the Auburn Giants this season in the Womens' Div 2 competition.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mug Punter View Post
    What I am wondering is what GWS think they will get out of these silly re-brandings? For starters, one is a team so far from their demographic it is not funny. The Goannas kind of makes sense but then you alienate the other clubs in the area by trying to pick winners.

    It's a dumb marketing ploy to try and make people think they actually care about AFL in Sydney. They would have been a lot better off but supporting ALL the clubs in their catchment area (Campbelltown, Liverpool, Penrith, Hawkesbury, Parramatta) equally with substantial but behind the scenes financial and logistical support. It would have been a drop in the ocean to what that mob must be costing.
    Clearly the geniuses at the Giants don't care if they alienate people in their own supposed catchment area.

    That's the only conclusion I can draw from the Auburn/Manly affiliations (together with the Macarthur Under 19s side).

    It seems an odd tack to take, I would have thought they needed all the support they could get.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by mountainsofpain View Post
    Clearly the geniuses at the Giants don't care if they alienate people in their own supposed catchment area.

    That's the only conclusion I can draw from the Auburn/Manly affiliations (together with the Macarthur Under 19s side).

    It seems an odd tack to take, I would have thought they needed all the support they could get.
    It is inevitable that they will be a powerhouse on the filed within the next 2-3 years, the problem for the AFL is that they may have a premiership team who no-one cares about.

    I just do not get the Giant re-branding at all, I fail to see how it provide one iota of real benefit to them but rather alienates others and makes them look stupid.

    So mountains have GWS provided anything tangible to your club? Of all the Western Sydney clubs Penrith has the most upside potential imo

    I know they are provided exposure for the game and all that but that is quite simply not enough, they should be at the grassroots in serious numbers.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mug Punter View Post
    It is inevitable that they will be a powerhouse on the filed within the next 2-3 years, the problem for the AFL is that they may have a premiership team who no-one cares about.

    I just do not get the Giant re-branding at all, I fail to see how it provide one iota of real benefit to them but rather alienates others and makes them look stupid.

    So mountains have GWS provided anything tangible to your club? Of all the Western Sydney clubs Penrith has the most upside potential imo

    I know they are provided exposure for the game and all that but that is quite simply not enough, they should be at the grassroots in serious numbers.
    Have a look at the forecast growth in the south west region. Liverpool council has a 2020 vision which includes a potential stadium and all of this precedes GWS. It is the fastest growing region in Sydney at present yet they ignore it. Last night I got to training at Rosedale and turf trucks were leaving the ground - the work they continue to do there is great and it is all cosmetic yet it isnt the venue they have in mind. GWS should really get a grip on their supposed heartland.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by tara View Post
    Have a look at the forecast growth in the south west region. Liverpool council has a 2020 vision which includes a potential stadium and all of this precedes GWS. It is the fastest growing region in Sydney at present yet they ignore it. Last night I got to training at Rosedale and turf trucks were leaving the ground - the work they continue to do there is great and it is all cosmetic yet it isnt the venue they have in mind. GWS should really get a grip on their supposed heartland.
    So Tara, I gather that GWS have done f-all for your club as well?

    I admit I am sceptical about the ability of Sydney to sustain 2 AFL teams given the much under-estimated strength of NRL and soccer in the west of Sydney.

    The only way that I could see GWS being a chance of being a serious long term club (as opposed to a franchise) would be to engage with the local communities in its catchment areas and particularly get the local AFL people on board.

    It seems so far they have operated in their own little Kevin Sheedy bubble and are not garnering any goodwill at all, in fact it would appear all they are doing is brassing people off left right and centre. I fear their horse may be bolting....

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