Home Games.

Let's test our knowledge with a little close exercise.. fill in the blanks from a Clubs CEO

"The people of _______ have demonstrated their clear support for the ______ and in turn we are genuinely committed to them.

If you said answered that it was the Swans CEO talking about the people of Canberra give yourselves a pat on the back -err hang on he's actually talking about an away game here.... does this seem slightly out of context.

Big deal you say we knew this was the way it was going to be... afterall we've sold home games to Brisvegas. But for mine there's a key difference.

The crowd in Canberra although reported as 14,500 - (the ground's official capacity) was actually over 15,000, 90% of whom were barracking for the Swans (and no that's not an exageration) It's not playing a home game at Canberra that worries me as much as it is about the AFL's rationale by making us play the Swans there. As if Sydney don't have a big enough share of the market already. Recently the Swans came out and suggested that people in NSW don't so much as follow the AFL as they follow the Swans. Absolutely true, there were truck loads that switched their allegiances from Victorian clubs to the Swans once they started marketing themselves as the NSW side and significantly started winning as well. They actually don't need anymore members or supporters for that matter.... nor do they seem to need the extra advantages by playing to extra quasi-home matches.

The Kangaroos at Manuka drew reasonable crowds of 12,000 + spectators when they weren't playing the Swans. Call me cynical, but If the AFL was concerned about the Lions getting free kicks by us playing home games up there, why the hell have they allowed this situation to occur? Its a travesty, billing the Swans in Canberra isn't about building the code as it is about paying off a team for taking away their concessions, (though they can still rookie twice as many players as we can). Why would we play a home match against the Swans in Canberra, when it could just as easily be any other interstate side? Where's the advantage for us.... luckily it will work in our favour this year.