1st Qualifying Final Sydney Swans v GWS Giants at ANZ Stadium

[0918330512]

And so it comes to pass that the Olympic stadium period of our history has come to an end.
In this period we've won two flags, and made a few grand finals all on-route via ANZ stadium.
It is somehow fitting that as we pass the batten of the greater west of Sydney over to the GWS Giants, that we were to meet them in a final for the last game at the stadium of the west. When the AFL slipped in a few million for the post-olympics oval reconfiguration, it was with a long term vision to expand into the West. Not that the swans came away empty handed. We have an imposing record there, but more importantly, it finally gave the club leverage over the SCG, which planted the roots for the profitability we enjoy today.
My fondest memory was in 2003 (I think) in the prelim(?) final against the Lions at ANZ. I was 2 rows back behind the goals as we nearly caused the upset of the season. 60,000 for two non-vic sides.

No need to bitch and moan swans members, you got your way. Enjoy.

"Fondest" memory huh? Were you a Brisbsne supporter back then?

2003, Telstra Stadium Prelim Final. Brisbsne 14.16(100) defeated Sydney 8.8(56). Crowd 71,019

If that was "nearly the upset of the season" how did you cope with the 2006 Grand Final?

Now that ANZ is dead to the Swans, I hope so are the posts about ANZ on RWO

[Mug Punter]

And so it comes to pass that the Olympic stadium period of our history has come to an end.
In this period we've won two flags, and made a few grand finals all on-route via ANZ stadium.
It is somehow fitting that as we pass the batten of the greater west of Sydney over to the GWS Giants, that we were to meet them in a final for the last game at the stadium of the west. When the AFL slipped in a few million for the post-olympics oval reconfiguration, it was with a long term vision to expand into the West. Not that the swans came away empty handed. We have an imposing record there, but more importantly, it finally gave the club leverage over the SCG, which planted the roots for the profitability we enjoy today.
My fondest memory was in 2003 (I think) in the prelim(?) final against the Lions at ANZ. I was 2 rows back behind the goals as we nearly caused the upset of the season. 60,000 for two non-vic sides.

No need to bitch and moan swans members, you got your way. Enjoy.

ANZ served us well in the early days in the post Olympic glow and also you are 100% correct that it allowed us to get a better deal from the SCG Trust, my understanding is that the 30 year deal took us from one of the worst stadium deals to being in the top half.

My own view is that it lost relevance as soon as GWS entered the comp and whether it is a coincidence that is when I started to resent the trek there. Plus the cavernous atmosphere and the rubbish playing surface.

It's best for both clubs that we are at SCG full time and they have Homebush.

[KTigers]

The danger I see with signing these very long term stadium deals is that interest in AFL in Sydney is still a somewhat fluid situation. The population of Sydney is likely to be north of seven million in twenty years time. You'd hope the code & the teams might have outgrown the SCG & Spotless by then. I dunno, maybe it won't have. The jury is still well and truly out on the growth of footy at a community level in Sydney IMO. It's very hard to predict. And of course either new stadiums would have to be built or the current ones expanded.

ANZ served us well in the early days in the post Olympic glow and also you are 100% correct that it allowed us to get a better deal from the SCG Trust, my understanding is that the 30 year deal took us from one of the worst stadium deals to being in the top half.

My own view is that it lost relevance as soon as GWS entered the comp and whether it is a coincidence that is when I started to resent the trek there. Plus the cavernous atmosphere and the rubbish playing surface.

It's best for both clubs that we are at SCG full time and they have Homebush.

[barry]

"Fondest" memory huh? Were you a Brisbsne supporter back then?

2003, Telstra Stadium Prelim Final. Brisbsne 14.16(100) defeated Sydney 8.8(56). Crowd 71,019

If that was "nearly the upset of the season" how did you cope with the 2006 Grand Final?

Now that ANZ is dead to the Swans, I hope so are the posts about ANZ on RWO

Gracless as usual.

Were you there in 2003.?

We we massive underdogs and were well in the game near 3/4 time.

[barry]

I think the SCG size will be fine.

Spotless apparently only needs $20m to increase to over 30,000. Chicken feed compared to ANZ's. $1.2b upgrade.

Losing ANZ for footy means weve lost any hope of hosting a grand final in sydney.

[Danzar]

Losing ANZ for footy means weve lost any hope of hosting a grand final in sydney.

There will never be a Grand Final in Sydney.

[AnnieH]

I think the SCG size will be fine.

Spotless apparently only needs $20m to increase to over 30,000. Chicken feed compared to ANZ's. $1.2b upgrade.

Losing ANZ for footy means weve lost any hope of hosting a grand final in sydney.

Maybe you should hold your breath waiting for that Sydney granny.
You'll eventually go purple and die.

[Triple B]

And so it comes to pass that the Olympic stadium period of our history has come to an end.
In this period we've won two flags, and made a few grand finals all on-route via ANZ stadium.
It is somehow fitting that as we pass the batten of the greater west of Sydney over to the GWS Giants, that we were to meet them in a final for the last game at the stadium of the west. When the AFL slipped in a few million for the post-olympics oval reconfiguration, it was with a long term vision to expand into the West. Not that the swans came away empty handed. We have an imposing record there, but more importantly, it finally gave the club leverage over the SCG, which planted the roots for the profitability we enjoy today.
My fondest memory was in 2003 (I think) in the prelim(?) final against the Lions at ANZ. I was 2 rows back behind the goals as we nearly caused the upset of the season. 60,000 for two non-vic sides.

No need to bitch and moan swans members, you got your way. Enjoy.

I agree re: 2003 Barry. The noise when we kicked the goal just before 3/4 time to get within a few points was the loudest noise I have heard at ANZ at a Swans game to this day, it was deafening.

I may add that we didn't go 'on-route via ANZ stadium' in 2005, managed to avoid it in the finals that year, with the ultimate result...

[chalbilto]

"Fondest" memory huh? Were you a Brisbsne supporter back then?

2003, Telstra Stadium Prelim Final. Brisbsne 14.16(100) defeated Sydney 8.8(56). Crowd 71,019

If that was "nearly the upset of the season" how did you cope with the 2006 Grand Final?

Now that ANZ is dead to the Swans, I hope so are the posts about ANZ on RWO

+1. Two great things that came out of Saturday is that we don't have to play on that dreadful surface in that terrible stadium and hopefully no more diatribe in posts from Barry regarding ANZ. Vale, so long, let's embrace our true home the SCG.

[kilroyII]

I am disgusted that we were made to play there after coming 1st and now GW$ get to play again at homebush.

I really hope only 10k people show up, but the AFL will give away tickets and plant groups of people with orange to show otherwise.

GW$ is a massive joke, the afl compromised the league to attract a handful of ex pats to follow them.

[KTigers]

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were on a roll with all the momentum then 3/4 time came and killed our run. At the break Voss called the Brisbane players
together for a very long time in the huddle. Whatever he said worked as we barely touched the ball in the last quarter. You could hear a pin drop in our train carriage home after the game. I still think we would have beaten Collingwood in the GF if we'd have made it.

I agree re: 2003 Barry. The noise when we kicked the goal just before 3/4 time to get within a few points was the loudest noise I have heard at ANZ at a Swans game to this day, it was deafening.

I may add that we didn't go 'on-route via ANZ stadium' in 2005, managed to avoid it in the finals that year, with the ultimate result...

[kilroyII]

Umps didn't study the briefAttachment 1614

We joke about this a lot but its time something is done by the stench that is coming outta AFL HQ in docklands. Somethings seriously up and it can no longer be treated as a joke.

We spend a whole year emotionally and financially invested in a game and a club and even when our club is the best in the league and has a strong chance to win the comp we are still faced with the possibility of being eliminated in straight sets because the AFL knows who they want to win and the chairman of the league has a fiscal investment with one of the "expansion" clubs, which is on its way to win a flag.