I ask myself the question of whether I'm a die hard Swans supporter or a big picture guy who wants the AFL game to succeed.
If your a big picture person and want the AFL game to multiply and succeed, then you must get behind GWS.
I'm thinking about also purchasing a GWS membership as my little guy can't get enough of live AFL football. I'm sure we would enjoy the games at Spotless and would get to watch, like the Swans an exciting team.
I'm interested to know how many people on this forum also have a GWS membership?
How many people consider GWS to be their 2nd team?
I see GWS as different to Port v Crows.
I see GWS as the force taking the AFL game to the next level.
The Swans probably have over 35,000 Sydney based members. If many of these members can also get behind GWS we can grow the greatest sport in the world in a key battle ground.
Having said all that, the Swans are my number one team.
Bit rich coming from you Barry - no doubt you are posting using ANZ's free wifi from your house in the depths of ANZ Stadium some where
As I said, I am all for reasonable concessions to get a team up and running. But GWS will have an absolutely unprecedented ability to keep a team choc full of top end talent for a very, very long time, through a combination of factors. This is being aided significantly by exclusive access to Riverina players, with little requirement to do any substantial work to develop additional talent in the region. No it isn't going to be a gold mine every year, but it's basically money for jam in its current form - with little requirement for GWS to actually put in much work to develop this high quality talent.
I have no issues with players coming through GWS's academy in a similar way as our academy - that is their purpose. But these 'academy' players in Riverina do not fall into that category in the majority of cases - hence you have these bizarre situations where kids studying and playing in Melbourne, who have basically never worked with GWS in the life, are able to be taken as 'academy' picks.
I never suggested it will win them Premierships - that plays out on the field. But with astute list management, it would be an absolute failure if they don't manage to win multiple Premierships.
GWS will have an ability to stay within that Premiership window for far longer than any other club could ever expect to do so.
When you have a list that has what it already has in terms of top end talent, then it will provide you with a consistent ability to churn the list without actually substantially weakening the list. Whereas other teams cast-offs are worth nothing or little trade currency, GWS can expect to consistently have significant surplus top end talent available to trade, which they can then receive top end draft picks in order to replace.
And there is no way, even if hell froze over, that I'll be giving a cent of my hard earned dollars to GWS, as Luke suggests we should, in some sort of corpratised love in with the AFL and its ambitions. Many are happy to be a dual member, but that's not for me.
As for your original point Barry, tell me this. Just how many 1st rd draft picks are on Melbourne's List, and how many 1st rd draft picks are on GWS's list? That'll give more than plenty of evidence why these are entirely different circumstances.
Last edited by mcs; 20th May 2016 at 03:40 PM.
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
As far as I recall, the Swans AFL and NEAFL teams have both beaten GWS this year
N.A.R.F.
I refuse to go to the game they're playing versus the swans at spotless... me buying a ticket puts money into their purse.
I have no interest in supporting them physically, mentally or with my hard earned.
They are getting concessions that were taken from us just for being "successful".
Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.
I used to have GWS membership, because I live close to the Olympic park and didn't mind strolling to the Spotless stadium when Swans were travelling interstate. But not any more, since the AFL put all those restrictions on Swans, punishing them for who knows what. I'm still happy to support the club, but not AFL, until it becomes a true national competition.
The numbers of high draft picks was on the Crows BF board just this week, it was broken into 1-10 and 11-20 categories. Here's the numbers that includes players like Heeney, Mitchell and Viney where they should have been drafted not where they were.
Swans 6 x 1-10, 1 x 11-20
Demons 11 x 1-10, 4 x 11-20
GWS 18 x 1-10, 7 x 11-20
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