Teens' exodus a Giant worry for Greater Western Sydney

[hardtack 10,127]

I've worked in the Blacktown area in the past and I can say from experience this is going to be a tough market for the AFL to crack. They love their rugby league and soccer's also big with the kids around the area.

I'm not sure how the locals would respond to Sheedy's antics either because half of them don't speak English let alone Kev's gibberish.

Absolute tripe... Blacktown does have a culturally/ethnically diverse population, yes (25% Filipino), but to say that half of them don't speak English is, quite frankly, ignorant in the extreme. And how working in an area qualifies you to be an "expert" in such things, is beyond me... I've worked in Sydney's CBD, Chatswood, North Rydes, Rhodes, Gordon etc.... and I honestly could never profess to be completely across such things as language skills. I have lived for almost 20 years in the most culturally diverse council area in Sydney (and possibly Australia - Marrickville) and language has never come across as an issue at all - and despite this cultural diversity, AusKick has been thriving as I have no doubt it will out Blacktown way..

[Apocalypse XXXI 243]

Absolute tripe... Blacktown does have a culturally/ethnically diverse population, yes (25% Filipino), but to say that half of them don't speak English is, quite frankly, ignorant in the extreme. And how working in an area qualifies you to be an "expert" in such things, is beyond me... I've worked in Sydney's CBD, Chatswood, North Rydes, Rhodes, Gordon etc.... and I honestly could never profess to be completely across such things as language skills. I have lived for almost 20 years in the most culturally diverse council area in Sydney (and possibly Australia - Marrickville) and language has never come across as an issue at all - and despite this cultural diversity, AusKick has been thriving as I have no doubt it will out Blacktown way..

Get a grip. I was just using poetic licence with the "half" bit but this area's a different kettle of fish to other parts of the world.

In all my time there I never found a single person who I could talk with about AFL.

[Retrospective 104]

I don't see a lot of the inhabitants of Western Sydney clamouring for an AFL team to call their own...language/ ethnicity aside I think GWS is just an irrelevancy for this market.

Will that change? Who knows.

Do I expect that this folly will suck up huge amounts of AFL cash over the next 10 years ? yep, whether they are gifted success in the first decade (or in their case decayed) or not

[hardtack 10,127]

I don't see a lot of the inhabitants of Western Sydney clamouring for an AFL team to call their own...language/ ethnicity aside I think GWS is just an irrelevancy for this market.

Will that change? Who knows.

Do I expect that this folly will suck up huge amounts of AFL cash over the next 10 years ? yep, whether they are gifted success in the first decade (or in their case decayed) or not

Of course it will change if GWS start to gain some successes. Sydney crowds love a winner as was shown by the crowds the Swans were attracting at the height of their powers... while a top drawing league game would attract around the 20k mark, the Swans would be drawing 40k. As I have posted earlier, if they can somehow manage to make inroads in the schools, they have a very good chance of winning over the population as there is a perception that it is a far more "family friendly" game. Also, Sydney's west has been part of a reasonably successful local AFL comp for many years, so it is not completely alien to them.

There is a very good reason that you won't find large numbers of people discussing AFL around the photocopier or water dispenser in the office, and that is simply because they don't yet have a team in a major comp... that will all change from next year.

Edited November 20, 2011 by hardtack

[hardtack 10,127]

Get a grip. I was just using poetic licence with the "half" bit but this area's a different kettle of fish to other parts of the world.

In all my time there I never found a single person who I could talk with about AFL.

Fair enough.. it was an overreaction on my part... but I really get a bit tired of the number of posts that are rubbishing the GWS area simply because of what occurred in relation to Scully; so I suppose I've become a bit trigger happy :-)

Yes, it's not a place I would choose to live - anywhere that had a pub called the Comb and Cutter that was re-christened the Curb and Gutter doesn't really appeal to me; particularly having played there in bands - but I am not prepared to dismiss the place simply because the Scully affair stunk... and I do want the game to succeed in the area... just not with Sheedy, Gubby and Phat Phil gaining from it.

Edited November 20, 2011 by hardtack

[Guest melbman]

I played in a Vic based rep team against Mt Druitt, back in the mid 80's (10 mins from Blacktown so says gmaps). They had Aussie rules there back then, I realise the background of the folk there has changed somewhat over the last couple of decades but there was some support then (and at least one oval :-)

I reckon the AFL will out money the local sport rivals and GWS will pay its way over the long term. It's not as bleak as some make out but I still wouldn't want to live there

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Fair enough.. it was an overreaction on my part... but I really get a bit tired of the number of posts that are rubbishing the GWS area simply because of what occurred in relation to Scully; so I suppose I've become a bit trigger happy :-)

Yes, it's not a place I would choose to live - anywhere that had a pub called the Comb and Cutter that was re-christened the Curb and Gutter doesn't really appeal to me; particularly having played there in bands - but I am not prepared to dismiss the place simply because the Scully affair stunk... and I do want the game to succeed in the area... just not with Sheedy, Gubby and Phat Phil gaining from it.

Why? Are you some sort of self appointed Ambassador for the area? You get trigger happy; that would indicate some sort of attachment to the area which you don't appear to have.

[hardtack 10,127]

Why? Are you some sort of self appointed Ambassador for the area? You get trigger happy; that would indicate some sort of attachment to the area which you don't appear to have.

Gee, very out of character for you to jump in looking for an argument RF, but since you ask, as a Sydney based AFL supporter I would love to see the game do well and I recognise the fact that for it to succeed in Sydney, it needs to succeed in the Greater Western Sydney area. If that makes me some sort of an ambassador, then I'm happy to wear it. Why do you seem to have a problem with it?

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Gee, very out of character for you to jump in looking for an argument RF, but since you ask, as a Sydney based AFL supporter I would love to see the game do well and I recognise the fact that for it to succeed in Sydney, it needs to succeed in the Greater Western Sydney area. If that makes me some sort of an ambassador, then I'm happy to wear it. Why do you seem to have a problem with it?

Wasn't looking for an argument merely asking questions. I assumed it was you who was after an argument, judging by your response to the post by Apocalypse XXX1.

BTW I couldn't give a rat's if you want to self appoint yourself as the Ambassador to the scum of GW$; that's you problem not mine. Like most on here I follow the MFC not the AFL; what you do is up to you.

Edited November 20, 2011 by RobbieF

[hardtack 10,127]

Wasn't looking for an argument merely asking questions. I assumed it was you who was after an argument, judging by your response to the post by Apocalypse XXX1.

"Are you some sort of self appointed Ambassador for the area? You get trigger happy; that would indicate some sort of attachment to the area which you don't appear to have." That's not argumentative? Ok... whatever. I do find it odd though, that you assume I am after an argument and yet are replying to a post in which I admit to Apocalypse XXX1 that I was overreacting... in other words, I was making a conscious effort to reconcile, rather than argue.

[praha 10,281]

I think it's pathetic to be honest.

Australia seems to be the only country where players in the professional leagues leave clubs to "go home".

You already are home. Anyone would think that each Aussie city is so unbelievably different from one another that it's like moving through European countries by rail.

I mean seriously, my current field is pretty competitive in Melbourne, and I've accepted that I'll eventually have to pack up and move to Sydney or abroad (most likely the latter). I can't feel sorry for these kids, or see any real justification in them wanting to leave a team because of the city.

And I know that a guy has a right to move cities if he hates the current one, but it's so damn common in this country. They're lucky they have the capacity to go to their home cities and get a job. Not everyone has that benefit.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

I think it's pathetic to be honest.

Australia seems to be the only country where players in the professional leagues leave clubs to "go home".

You already are home. Anyone would think that each Aussie city is so unbelievably different from one another that it's like moving through European countries by rail.

I mean seriously, my current field is pretty competitive in Melbourne, and I've accepted that I'll eventually have to pack up and move to Sydney or abroad (most likely the latter). I can't feel sorry for these kids, or see any real justification in them wanting to leave a team because of the city.

And I know that a guy has a right to move cities if he hates the current one, but it's so damn common in this country. They're lucky they have the capacity to go to their home cities and get a job. Not everyone has that benefit.

These kids are taken at the tender age of 17 or 18 and they are removed from their family and friends so I can see the go home factor. I've lived in Sydney and hated it and now if I have to go there I make sure I get in as early as possible, get my business done, and get out; that's a personal choice and some actually like it up there.

I can understand them liking the Gold Coast, it would be like being on holidays with the good weather and the attractions and a plethora of other young kids around.

I was actually born in Perth but wouldn't live there now for all money, it's too small and remote for my liking. I won't even bother mentioning Adelaide, it's a hole.

Remember that Australia is a bit larger than most European Countries and if a kid wants to come home for a weekend from Perth to see his family in Melbourne it would take half the weekend to get home and back.

[hardtack 10,127]

I agree with RF on this one. Sure these kids go into the draft knowing they could end up anywhere, but as RF says, they are very young, and I think that even though the prospect of moving to Sydney or the Gold Coast may be very appealing to a 17 or 18 year old with stars in their eyes, after a year or so, it is not surprising that the gloss wears a bit thin and they start to miss their families and friends. It doesn't surprise me in the least that some of these kids will want to go home.

I moved to Sydney over 30 years ago to join a band and after a few years became settled with a job and later a family; so I am here no matter how much I miss Melbourne.... and that is the funny thing, after all of these years I still consider myself a Melbourne person and would still rather live in Melbourne. However, as I am here for the duration, I do want more opportunities to see AFL and more particularly the Dees, without having to travel 1000km... so if the addition of GWS helps in that regard, I'm all for it (even if I do have to travel 300km to Canberra to see them next year).

[Rogue 585]

Well, an interesting Roy Morgan Research survey from about 4 years ago (http://www.roymorgan...eases/2007/649/), shows that the team with the largest supporter base (by a country mile) was the Sydney Swans coming in at something around 1.7mil which is three times the population of Tasmania.

This doesn't mean much. If you're in NSW you're likely to say your team is Sydney, but what's of interest is how many of those people are 'active' supporters (or can be turned into active supporters).

It's a bit like a bunch of Victorians saying their NRL team is Melbourne Storm, despite never paying attention to the rugby.

[Retrospective 104]

"tender age " of 17 and 18.......can't be away from home.....understandable?

Bilge.

these are young men trying to carve themselves out a career. I left home (with most of my country based university colleagues) at 17. I have relatives and friends who had been in the armed forces for a year at that age.......

Harden up

[hardtack 10,127]

This doesn't mean much. If you're in NSW you're likely to say your team is Sydney, but what's of interest is how many of those people are 'active' supporters (or can be turned into active supporters).

It's a bit like a bunch of Victorians saying their NRL team is Melbourne Storm, despite never paying attention to the rugby.

Fair enough Rogue, but regardless of that, the fact that the Swans were able to draw approximately double the crowd that the NRL "match of the week" could attract, in a city where active supporters are few and far between, speaks volumes for the drawing power of AFL; out of interest, what kind of crowds do the Storm attract?

Edited November 20, 2011 by hardtack

[H_T 2,941]

I've worked in the Blacktown area in the past and I can say from experience this is going to be a tough market for the AFL to crack. They love their rugby league and soccer's also big with the kids around the area.

Probably why the AFL and their head honcho's at the time of creating GWS with all their market research stated, "It's now or never". With reference to establishing Australian Rules as the no.1 sport in the country.