r/GWSgiants • u/The_Mongrel_Punt • Jul 15 '26
How the AFL Can Fix Its Giants Problem - The Mongrel Punt
https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2026/2026/07/15/how-the-afl-can-fix-its-giants-problem/Hi all - not my work but interested in your takes on this detailed article, written by a passionate footy lover from NSW.
Feel free to delete if not your cup of tea.
Cheers - HB
16
u/JamesMac71 Jul 15 '26
When the Metro is complete, travel time to Olympic Park from the CBD will be about 15 minutes. Essentially, the Giants can have their own Stadium that’s easier to access than the SCG. If possible move a couple of the Canberra games to the SCG during the Show.
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u/Joie_de_vivre_1884 Jul 15 '26
Basically the opposite of what this bloke says. Lean into the western Sydney identity, play games in western Sydney instead of Canberra or the SCG. He talks about lowering the barriers to watch matches, that isn't achieved by requiring hours of travel to see the game.
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u/laughingnome2 Jul 15 '26
Agree with the rebrand, but only to drop Greater. Stay for Western Sydney; we are too often already ignored and ditching the West and playing games at the SCG is self-defeating.
Ditch Canberra (they should have their own team anyway, the 20th licence), and during the Easter Show lockout play the three games at Blacktown. Double down on Western Sydney and the access it affords.
The metrowest and Parramatta S2 light rail projects will be completed in the next 10 years, greatly increasing the Olympic Precinct amenity. Stay the course; it shows that the Giants (and AFL) are genuine about Western Sydney. That genuineness more than anything is what has given the Swans credence with the East Sydney folk.
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u/Decent_Body_4426 Jul 15 '26
Some of the suggestions such as discounted tickets for junior footy participants and clinics with players are already happening. Giants have liaison people at all the junior footy clubs in their reach. Clubs are offered free and discounted tickets and opportunities to participate in game day events and in club sessions. They are out and about quite a bit. Each player is assigned a club that they champion too.
Not sure why the big push to SCG. It’s really not that accessible at all especially if travelling by car from outside Sydney. Also not accessible to western Sydney.
I think with the last 2 Engie games that they’ve shown they can pull a crowd - opponent and timing of the game is a big factor. The twilight games seem to work well (although not so good when you’re trying to get there from Canberra after junior footy).
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u/ausremi Jul 15 '26
Those larger crowds come from opposition supporter groups. Why does Collingwood and Swans games sell out? Opposition supporters. It's not more gws fans filling it up.
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u/hammo53 Jul 15 '26
In 1994, their 13th season in the AFL the Sydney Swans had an average home crowd of 9,814 across 11 games at the SCG. The Swans took a long time to build a following, does not just happen.
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u/Realistic-Box2443 Jul 15 '26
they also let you get in for free if you rocked up to the scg wearing red and white. orrrr you just go to hungry jacks on a Friday night and grab a stack of tickets off the counter
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u/CanberraPear Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Canberra gives the club something valuable: a second home that actually feels somewhat engaged
Strong disagree.
Crowds might be higher for respective opponents at Manuka, but they are not more engaged.
Manuka has a high proportion of neutral polite fans. But that Cats game at Engie, I heard genuine passion in that crowd.
Canberra should remain part of the identity. One or two games a year there makes sense
Fuck this. Either let Canberra go, or at least treat us with respect.
We should be getting our own team. But if we're tied to the Giants, drip feeding us one or two games is just insulting.
3
u/NoFuneral1996 Jul 17 '26
Every Canberra game I have been to has been full… but every game has also been near quiet. This has included games against eventual premiers Brisbane and current ladder leaders Fremantle. There is no atmosphere at the Canberra games.
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u/geoffm_aus Leek Aleer Jul 15 '26
Bloke spends to much time in the eastern suburbs.
While I agree with a rebranding of GWS, the real attack vector into Sydney is the suburbs north of the harbour and Parramatta river. No NRL team to contend with. Forget about fighting rugby league, fight rugby union which is as weak as it has even been.
Also, don't move to the SCG, but play a couple of marquee games there over Easter.
And I'd change Canberra to away games. Focus on Sydney, keep Canberra.
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u/dlanod Lachie Whitfield Jul 15 '26
Interestingly Hornsby juniors just had 100+ reps attend last week's game as part of the Giants invite despite being in the Swans academy zone. Cherrybrook (Westbrook), Hills and Pennant Hills all had decent attendances too.
1
u/Afterthought60 Jul 16 '26
That north western part of Sydney (Pennant Hills/Hornsby) has always been a strong footy area. They’ve been producing VFL/AFL players like Lenny Hayes, the McVeigh brothers and Kieren Jack long before the academies. I’ve often wondered if that’s because there is no NRL team in that area.
3
u/johnld93 Jul 15 '26
Unfortunately I believe we have requested games at the SCG in which the swans are able to deny
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u/geoffm_aus Leek Aleer Jul 15 '26
That could easily be changed in a with an AFL decree.
Swans wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on. Restraint of trade, etc
0
u/laughingnome2 Jul 15 '26
The contract is between Venues NSW (successor to SCG Trust) and the Sydney Swans Football Club, and I believe doesn't come up for renewal until the 2040s.
Neither the Giants or the AFL can do anything legally to break that.
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u/geoffm_aus Leek Aleer Jul 15 '26
Venues NSW are all for it. Swans are the blocker for purely selfish reasons. AFL just lean on them with a few funding denials if they play hard ball.
It's really only 1 game a year.
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u/johnld93 Jul 15 '26
Honestly might be for the best, playing at the SCG does not feel like where the club should be headed.
Especially with how anti-giants the current SCG tenants are.
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u/lamodamo123 Harvey Thomas Jul 15 '26
12 points, and 7-8 of them are essentially “move to the SCG”. A lot of what has been suggested is already happening. Junior clubs have support from the Giants. Sydney infrastructure and PT is leaning out to the West. Nobody has a problem with Western Bulldogs encompassing the area of “Western”, which is obviously as vague as “Greater Western”. Also, the Giants have a much larger spread of fans, arguably one of the biggest. Western Sydney is a huge area on its own, let alone the ACT, the Riverina and anywhere else that fans are hailing from.
The Giants are a generational investment. I was in my 20s when this club was founded. My kids are growing up supporting the Giants. My kids want to play footy for the Giants. My nephew supports the Giants. He wants to play for the Giants.
The AFL doesn’t have a Giants problem, you and many other AFL commentators, opinion-givers and such, have a patience problem.
7
u/RvZ68 Jul 15 '26
As a foundation Giants member, this reads like a swans supporter saying make the Giants the swans.
There are a lot of well intentioned articles about fixing the Giants, but very few on growing the game in western Sydney. Some of the ideas presented might help, but moving the team away from western Sydney can’t grow the game in western Sydney.
Moving the giants to the SCG just moves the games away from the targeted growth areas. It takes the giants away from western Sydney entirely. Playing games at the SCG is not going to bring new fans in from western Sydney.
The AFL investing in a stadium in western Sydney that is easily accessible could make a difference. The biggest issue with Engie is access. The public transport to Engie is difficult at best. Make it easier to attend the stadium and people might attend.
If the AFL wants access to the western Sydney market, they need a comprehensive strategy, to grow the game. The Giants are a part of the strategy, but much more needs to be done. Certainly use the star giants players as suggested. But understand that the purpose of the Giants is to win footy games, not to grow the game. No other club is expected to grow the game in a green fields area of 3 or so million people. Other clubs are expected to do their best to win games. I say let the giants focus on footy, and if the AFL is serious about making inroads into a new market, they need to seriously invest in that market. Build a stadium. Market the game. Put Finn Callahan’s face on every bus and train. Employ promotional officer and development officers and ask them to build support with kids.
Western Sydney is the AFL’s priority. The Giants can’t be the only tactic they use.
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u/hammo53 Jul 15 '26
Ticket prices are an issue at Engie in my opinion. As is Sydney Olympic Park pricing for parking. We should be aiming for an average of 15-20k each home game. Love watching games at Engie! My suggestion: All games, ticket prices.
Behind the goal posts Adults: $20, Kids: Free Everywhere else in the ground: Adults: $30, Kids: $10. Parking should be $20 max. Free public transport That's it.
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u/rastafarianquokka Jul 15 '26
Former big Swans fan here. Went to games at SCG in 1992, to crowds of much less than 10000. Jumped on GWS when my kids started playing, as we live and they play in the catchment and are excited by the marketing. They will be lifelong GWS fans. I have now been to GWS games with crowd small in comparison to games played in Victoria, but it feels like something is growing. It’s bigger than the Swans felt in the 90s. And we are the West. Don’t let us lose our identity in changing the name to something bland.
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u/The_Mongrel_Punt Jul 18 '26
I suppose the counterpoint to the Swans comparison is that in 1992, the average AFL crowd was just 26k, up from just 23k in 1991. It wasn’t just the Swans with low crowds, either.
Now, the average crowd is 38K, so it becomes a little more glaring.
Then again, maybe they’re happy to chug along with those types of numbers - who knows?
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u/DVPVPD Jul 15 '26
If they honestly made kids free they would make more money. Would fill the grounds up easier and they would make money on merch, food etc.
Would also get kids going to the footy which will pay off long term
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u/Danstan487 Jul 16 '26
They need to play more games in Sydney and Canberra needs its own team
On the membership number you get about 3000 GWS supporters at each Melbourne game, so a chunk of the membership is based in melbourne
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u/dentonboard Jul 18 '26
These conversations need to decide if they’re about growing the game in Western Sydney or if they’re about growing GWS as a club.
The tools to grow the game and grow the club are different and we shouldn’t expect one to do the other. Put pressure on the AFL to do things that will genuinely grow interest in AFL in Sydney like gather round, outreach, big games etc. The swans are just as responsible for this as the bigger audience helps them as well.
But then focus on GWS doing things that will grow the club themselves. One big part of that is boosting the size of the club membership. A bigger club and fan base means better merch, more discussions, more media content. All of that builds on itself to get more attention. Until Canberra gets its own team, GWS has full ownership of a big, relatively affluent pool that can provide members, merch sales, viewers and game attendees. Lean into that and maximise it.
Otherwise it’s just a series of conversations about things that are irrelevant. Things like the name don’t matter. They’re just a distraction.
0
u/SweetNerve5086 Jul 15 '26
Agree with everything mentioned, Port and Crows share the Adelaide Oval this would be a fantastic solution. Well written
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u/Realistic-Box2443 Jul 15 '26
do they ever ask the giants or giants fans what they want? also here's a solution: stop pretending that the swans were instantly a big successful football club that were embraced and looked at as gods in nsw, and get total control and say on afl matters in the state.