It is an urban myth that ostriches stick their head in the sand when they are confronted ... when in fact it is well recognised as the standard reaction of AFL administrators in Sydney.
Really Tim? ... the locals are now starting to come? ... anyone figure out why? ... wonder how many families there are from all over Greater Western Sydney, with kids playing junior AFL, who DO NOT give a rats about Baulko Football Club at any level, and never will? ... and accordingly will never have an interest in NEAFL.
Hazard a guess and say they outnumber the Kellyville/Rouse Hill diehards by thousands to one.
... and that simply validates my point, as supported by Pekay ... the locals will only support a team that is REPRESENTATIVE OF THEMSELVES, and DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THEIR OWN COMMITMENTS.
Let's take it to another level ... if the Swans or GWS match clashes with your u/12's club game, what do you do? ... pretty simple isn't it!
However, if that NEAFL team happens to be representative of THE WHOLE GWS ZONE, and is "shared" amongst those stakeholders, by scheduling games at various GWS clubs during the course of the season, either as a curtain raiser to the club's seniors game, or as the main event, then those days can be promoted to their local junior clubs and community, as "events" by the clubs!
... imagine the GWS Zone Squad (we will run a contest for a name - no one from the AFL gets to decide!) v Swans Reverves as the 6pm game under lights at Rosedale next week after Moorebank v Blacktown ... omg, tara would have a crowd of a couple of thousand given a few months to organise it!!! ... there would be jumping castles, kids everywhere, standing room only, even I would go to that and pay for a VB and a pie ... hell I would hire a corporate box!
If you did that and simply planned it, who knows, you might even end up with families and juniors from Camden, Campbelltown, Penrith, Liverpool, Parramatta, Blue Mountains, etc ... maybe even Manly! who will not only attend NEAFL matches sparingly, and maybe even develop a passing interest, but also galvanise them to their local SAFL Club ... god forbid!!!
... did I forgot to mention Bankstown ... sorry, that's right, there is no AFL in Bankstown ...
The situation from the perspective of Sydney Uni and the Swan's Zone is far worse and much more of a concern, as the junior and family numbers who are spurning it are 20 times that of GWS ... but who cares so long as there is a second Sydney AFL Franchise up and running and everyone is getting paid for doing there job.
Sydney AFL admin. - Exclusive, short sighted, insular, amateurs ... that's how you will build it ... NOT!
Bookmarks