No more Sydney home finals: Demetriou by The Great Pretender at ANZ Stadium

An angry AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou has lashed out at supporters of the Sydney Swans who stayed away from their team's Elimination Final clash at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

He told reporters after the game in which the Swans overran North Melbourne with a stunning eight-goal blitz in the third term to set up a 17.8 (110) to 11.9 (75) victory that the attendance of 19,127 was simply "not acceptable for an AFL final" and that the AFL would not play a final in Sydney again after such a "pathetic response from the Sydney football public."

"This was a crunch final for the home side and the fact that their supporters stayed away indicates they are not interested in finals football up here."

Demetriou stopped short of agreeing that future Swans finals could be played at Carrara to pomote the new no name Gold Coast team but he did indicate that the AFL might do some more homework on the future West Sydney Football Club as a result of the poor attendance figure. He discounted claims that the typical Sydney weather of three days of sleet and driving rain had anything to do with the poor attendance.

Demtrious was also angry at reports that North Melbourne had "tanked" their last three games to secure the coveted number 9 draft pick.

- with AAAP

That's right Vlad, get angry at the supporters and threaten to take finals away from them, that will get the new south welshmen rushing back to the gates.

I'm tired of this arrogant pig, after telling the media that the MFC stood for nothing!!! Then trying to force football into markets that just don't care, stop wrecking footy you fool.

Maybe the team from Tasmania might get a fair crack now.

Whats so coveted about Pick 9.

Someone needs to oust Sir Vlad.

Whats so coveted about Pick 9.

Someone needs to oust Sir Vlad.

You'll get it.

One day.

Whilst Vlad has the right to be disappointed, an outburst like that would be music to the NRL's ears........

Oh Dear...Oh Dear...OH DEAR !! Pooooooorr Vlad...Pooorrrrrrrr VLADDDDD !!

He...hasnt mis read the Sydney scene has he ??..cant be.. Not our Vlad !!

In all honesty it was absolutely rubbish weather, but possibly Vlad hadnt researched properly ( fancy that )

A cold hard dose of reality versus you very skeweed view on football I'd suggest there son !!

Tsk Tsk Tsk ...its not the people's fault Vlad..and its a bit rich of yoourslef getting all in a tiz. This is just the the Football Gods talking to you..and telling you youve got it wrong !! Instead of venting and raving...try Listening !!

Still in all seriousness..It will be very interesting to gauge any REAL responses by the AFL to the Sydney scene. Dont hold your breath for any honesty though....it will be all spin , spin , SPIN!!

Ought to be rather interesting to see if any of the legit and recognizable footy press have anythign to say about the AFL's stance on such a blind and misjudged push ( at all costs ) into Sydney before the real base is in place.

SYDNEY FACING MERGER THREAT

Dismal crowd numbers despite a finals finish, marquee players and strong recent on-field record have prompted Sydney Swans President Richard Colless to forshadowed that the Swans could face a merger or even outright closure. Noting the continuous pressure placed on Victorian clubs such as North Melbourne and Melbourne to relocate, and the impending tightening of the market with two new clubs to be created within the next five years, Colless was adamant that Swans supporters needed to show their colours to ensure that the team and club could continue to exist. Interviewed at his Kirribilli home at half time, Colless was despairing of the lack of commitment shown by Swans supporters who were too often happy to stay at home and watch on television instead of making the most of access to games at two of the best stadiums in the country - the charming 'boutique' style SCG and the magnificent, state of the art Olympic stadium. "I would hate to see the Swans, down the track, having to merge with one of these new clubs they are creating in the undeveloped lucrative football markets identified by the AFL" Colless is reported to have said. "But what the AFL has to understand is that like Victoria, Sydney is a very congested market where one or two clubs might have to close in the near future; after all the difference between one and ten is just a zero".

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has insisted that the poor crowd figures for Sydney's final do not represent a barrier to further expansion of the league into new areas, saying that "the fact that a viable AFL club can be run on such poor attendences has been a great impetus to the expansion policy - we are now looking at development plans for teams in Darwin, which this season saw 11,000 people turn up at Marrara stadium, and in Canberra where ground capacity wased pushed to the limit with crowds of 11,000 and 13,000."

Demtriou was quick to reassure expansion-plan supporters that Victorian clubs with average home game attendences of 30,000+ in appalling losing seasons were still considered unviable and cuts to numbers reamined on the agenda. Demetrio also stated firmly that average attendences at Home & Away games at Aurora stadium which consistently exceeded Sydney's finals crowd figures did not support the development of a team on the Apple Isle. "It remains the case" Demetriou said "that the number of AFL players recruited from the Sydney area since expansion began easily exceeds the number of Tasmanian's recruited in last year's national draft. The AFL would be foolhardy to consider expansion to an overseas location like Tasmania at this time".

Former Victorian premier and current Hawthorn chariman Jeff Kennett noted that the AFL was already extracting considerable income from Tasmania, such as the lucrative sponsorship arrangements with the Hawks, and neither he nor the Hawks board saw any need to support Tasmania in it's populist quest to establish it's own AFL team, which would divert money from where it is most useful. "What Tasmanians need to understand is that no-one really cares about them, and that frankly nobody would even notice if they just died" said the head of the BeyondBlue anti-depression initiative.

SYDNEY FACING MERGER THREAT

Dismal crowd numbers despite a finals finish, marquee players and strong recent on-field record have prompted Sydney Swans President Richard Colless to forshadowed that the Swans could face a merger or even outright closure. Noting the continuous pressure placed on Victorian clubs such as North Melbourne and Melbourne to relocate, and the impending tightening of the market with two new clubs to be created within the next five years, Colless was adamant that Swans supporters needed to show their colours to ensure that the team and club could continue to exist. Interviewed at his Kirribilli home at half time, Colless was despairing of the lack of commitment shown by Swans supporters who were too often happy to stay at home and watch on television instead of making the most of access to games at two of the best stadiums in the country - the charming 'boutique' style SCG and the magnificent, state of the art Olympic stadium. "I would hate to see the Swans, down the track, having to merge with one of these new clubs they are creating in the undeveloped lucrative football markets identified by the AFL" Colless is reported to have said. "But what the AFL has to understand is that like Victoria, Sydney is a very congested market where one or two clubs might have to close in the near future; after all the difference between one and ten is just a zero".

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has insisted that the poor crowd figures for Sydney's final do not represent a barrier to further expansion of the league into new areas, saying that "the fact that a viable AFL club can be run on such poor attendences has been a great impetus to the expansion policy - we are now looking at development plans for teams in Darwin, which this season saw 11,000 people turn up at Marrara stadium, and in Canberra where ground capacity wased pushed to the limit with crowds of 11,000 and 13,000."

Demtriou was quick to reassure expansion-plan supporters that Victorian clubs with average home game attendences of 30,000+ in appalling losing seasons were still considered unviable and cuts to numbers reamined on the agenda. Demetrio also stated firmly that average attendences at Home & Away games at Aurora stadium which consistently exceeded Sydney's finals crowd figures did not support the development of a team on the Apple Isle. "It remains the case" Demetriou said "that the number of AFL players recruited from the Sydney area since expansion began easily exceeds the number of Tasmanian's recruited in last year's national draft. The AFL would be foolhardy to consider expansion to an overseas location like Tasmania at this time".

Former Victorian premier and current Hawthorn chariman Jeff Kennett noted that the AFL was already extracting considerable income from Tasmania, such as the lucrative sponsorship arrangements with the Hawks, and neither he nor the Hawks board saw any need to support Tasmania in it's populist quest to establish it's own AFL team, which would divert money from where it is most useful. "What Tasmanians need to understand is that no-one really cares about them, and that frankly nobody would even notice if they just died" said the head of the BeyondBlue anti-depression initiative.

Took me a second, but very funny.

As amusing as that was the reality is that if you weren't paying very close attention you wouldn't have even known there was a game being played up here.

Paul Roos has been whinging, bitching and throwing downright insults all week about the total lack of media and marketing support coming from the AFL.

The Swans had their normal newspaper ads and a few Swan paid for radio spots for Saturday night, but as for carpet bombing the city (a city in which a second team seems to be coming to) with a sales pitch to make sure people actually want to see the game, well that was completely non-existent.

They were up against a stronger code playing into their finals, and still the assumption is that this city is what it isn't.

It was a complete [censored] up from the AFL, plus it has been raining for a three days straight!!!

Demtrious was also angry at reports that North Melbourne had "tanked" their last three games to secure the coveted number 9 draft pick.

- with AAAP

I lol'd

The Sydney crowd was still bigger than each of the three NRL match crowds put together.

So to claim 19,000 was poor because of battling NRL, i think you needn't worry.

Has to make you think about Sydney people's desire to see live sport

Can hardly see why its up to Demetriou as to where finals are played. It should be based on a system rather then where andrew thinks is gona get a big crowd and make a few more bucks.

Great work The GP

The Sydney crowd was still bigger than each of the three NRL match crowds put together.

So to claim 19,000 was poor because of battling NRL, i think you needn't worry.

Has to make you think about Sydney people's desire to see live sport

The NRL crowds on the weekend are not the point (although I think they have been pretty good this year)......

AFL crowds are always bigger, even Swans games are generally bigger, (especially given there are nine NRL - the traditional code for us - clubs, twelve local union teams + the Waratahs, Sydney FC and the Swans all vying for your viewing pleasure up here on any given weekend), and the NRL are not in finals yet.

This was a massive smack in the face to the way the code, not the Swans, handle its push into the Sydney market.

But I guess you could argue that no-one wants to go and see live sport in the weather we have been having. Sorry!!!

Ha! that was a good read. I dont think alot of posters quite got the joke. which makes it even better in my eyes!

Ha! that was a good read. I dont think alot of posters quite got the joke. which makes it even better in my eyes!

Frankly the funniest thing about it is the fact that it is so close to reality !!!

Most people I know from NSW and QLD who follow league all go to the pub to watch their teams, never to see them live, they seem to love their team but going to the matches is the lowest priority to them. Bizarre lot.

Interestingly the only publicity the Swans got in the lead up to the Sydney-Nth Melb Elimination Final was that Paul Roos was named father of the year!

AFL crowds are always bigger, even Swans games are generally bigger, (especially given there are nine NRL - the traditional code for us - clubs, twelve local union teams + the Waratahs, Sydney FC and the Swans all vying for your viewing pleasure up here on any given weekend), and the NRL are not in finals yet.

This was a massive smack in the face to the way the code, not the Swans, handle its push into the Sydney market.

But I guess you could argue that no-one wants to go and see live sport in the weather we have been having. Sorry!!!

Sydney has a population that is 400,000 people greater than Melbourne, I'm pretty sure they can handle the teams.

Sydney FC don't count as they play in Summer, we have Victory but I won't bother with them because of that reason

Sydney may have 9 times playing NRL, but we have 10 playing AFL.

In 2004 AFL averaged 19000 more to a game than NRL. In 2005 it was around 19,000 again. 2006 saw an AFL average of 35,250 against NRL's 15,600. 2007 Saw an average MCG attendance of over 45,000 for a competition average of 21,000 more per game than NRL (which set a 15-team competition record with an average of 15,751. The 2008 NRL average, which you think has been pretty good this year, has averaged 15,655 per game, down over 21,000 per game than AFL.

As you mention the Waratahs, their 2006 average of 27,000 per game would rank them second last in AFL attendances, not to mention their 2007 average of 21,000.

NRL finals attendance are lower than AFL regular season matches. In fact, another interesting stat i found is that more Melbournians watched the NRL grand final than Sydneyites watched the AFL Grand Final.

So it's fair to say I can't count rival teams in Sydney as a factor. They have one extra team than Melbourne does, and even that would be the lowest drawing team in the AFL.

Sydney's record is pretty impressive in the AFL, but after 6 years in finals including one lost grand final and a Premiership, that's not exactly surprising. And even then they sit 12th on the ladder for attendances, even though they start favourites most home games.

State of Origin. Easily NRL's biggest event. Easily NSW's biggest sporting event on the calendar. The game no rugby league fan can miss, where all of NSW can become as one and fight against the Northerners. Drew 67,700 this year.

To put that in perspective, that would make it the 10th biggest attendance this year in AFL, let alone Finals. Which will see 7 games have greater attendance (despite both sides obviously having less fans than an entire State) than the State of Origin. Placing State of Origin in 17th place on the AFL list. The Third State of Origin Match, the Decider, would not have placed in the top 5 AFL matches this year, again not including finals.

So I think it can be drawn that not only should there not be a Second AFL team in Sydney, there shouldn't really be any more teams at all if you're talking attendances. And I'm not buying the "it was a cold weekend" line

Yep, there's something od about Sydney folk.

It's the travel times, maybe? Everywhere takes an hour.

But then again, they claim to be used to it - they laugh whenever they come down to Canberra and someone local says, 'nah, can't be stuffed, that's a thirty minute drive away'.

They really do seem to settle into the pub, or just home, rather than going to live events. Except for the occassional super-event, which they then ALL go to!

Ironically, the Sydney market, with it's eminent failure to turn a sustained profit for the Swans, or a decisive benefit for the AFL in general, is exactly the market type that the AFL knobs want to turn the whole country into.

Consider - A night grand final, so we all watch it over dinner; at home on television at peak hour when the ads are most valuable. This instead of going to the game or getting a group together for a grand final day barbeque or whatever you want.

The failure of the Sydney crowd this weekend needs to be a wake-up call that some aspects of the 'commercialisation' of AFL aren't even commercially sound.

That's right Vlad, get angry at the supporters and threaten to take finals away from them, that will get the new south welshmen rushing back to the gates.

I'm tired of this arrogant pig, after telling the media that the MFC stood for nothing!!! Then trying to force football into markets that just don't care, stop wrecking footy you fool.

l absolutely hate this guy, l know he has an agenda and that is to get rid of 2 Melbourne clubs, don't think he really cares who but its out of 3, us roos and dogs. l saw in the paper today how he says the AFL is cashed up and are willing to spend $100 million getting a team into west sydney, WTF, a few clubs are struggling down here who have massive history and he wants to put money into a place where it is never going to work. West Sydney will be a soccer area once RL goes down the gurgler, he is a pig and he needs to be kicked out of his job before he kills our club and others. :angry: :angry: :angry:

Sydney has a population that is 400,000 people greater than Melbourne, I'm pretty sure they can handle the teams.

Not if they don't all like AFL. They're a different breed up there.

it was in response to the claim that sydney have so many competing teams in town and that's why crowd numbers are low HT