Dutch Oven said:
SO you are saying the AFL is not a threat in Sydney :lol:
You obvioulsy haven't seen the plans footy has for Sydney my friend. They are already making inroads through Auskick programs and the media if you haven't noticed and the fab result last Saturday will only accelerate the process. The AFL aren't here to be number two, they don't have international expansion to strive for so they are putting all their eggs into the Sydney basket. Even the NSW government is on side with us. We know how fickle most Sydney sports fans are and the AFL will do everything to try and turn that fickleness into a weekly passion which will be become a reailty when a second side is introduced within 10 years. As they said on those Channel 10 ads last year, AFL IS EVERYWHERE!
I think you are confusing a threat with acceptance.
Record crowds, records ratings for this NRL season indicate Rugby League is as strong at it has ever been in Sydney. AFL are getting greater interest to, but it has not been at the expense of League.
Additionally, we Sydney folk are quite open-minded folk by nature, and will take an interest in all things new. But we can also be creatures of habit, and lose interest when the shows over and success is on the slide.
Example 1 - Rugby Union. Post World cup 2003 interest in union was at record levels in Sydney and indeed across the country. It was proposed in some quarters that this would kick-start a wave to rival League as the No1 game in the Harbour City.
Come 2005 - Union, while still having a great following, has not reached that peak. It is as popular now as it was prior to the World Cup. Still no2.
Example 2 - Soccer. Apart from the obvious bunglings by the now defunct NSL, Soccer always hit record levels of interest in the Australian qualifiers for wrold cups. Addtionally - the last world cup in Japan/Korea attracted record ratings. Once again, it was seen that this interest needed to be capitalised on - and again talks were it had the ability to take the no1 mantle in Sydney. Soccer has always had string participation at junior level, but does not carry through to senior level. We now have the A-League, and so we'll see how this goes.
Example 3 - The Swans. When they came up in 82 - this was the new show. All glitz and glamour, the swans attracted major interest as the new kid on the block. Capper, Edelsten, pink lamborghini's. They had initial success on the field but when they started losing on the field, they also lost off the field. Come 96 (coincidently the start of the superleague war), they pumped money into the club and had on-ground success again - bringing the crowds back. Membership was at record levels and you couldn't get a ticket to the game. People flocked to see something different. A few years later, they start losing games, they start losing fans. They still travelled well in terms of crowd support, but never stayed near the heights of 96. The killer is that they don't rate well on TV - meaning their appeal to the wider public is quite low.
Example 4 - The Sydney Kings. Fly-by-nighters, in the late 80's & early 90's they were the hit team in town. Sell out crowds, it was the new game in town. The kings weren't winning titles, but they had fans leaking out the entertainment centre - and live FTA coverage. Where are they now??? 2 titles in the last two seasons, but they might as well be lepers.
All these sports have had success at one point or another here, have promised development at a junior level to get more kids involved, and pumped their chest out talking up their credentials to take on league as the main show in town.
I'm not a fan of the sport, but good luck to the swans for their recent success. I don't begrudge them that. But we've heard all this talk before. We accept these sides sports as part of Sydney, and each has its core of support. But as for overall dominance - none can compete with League. I doubt any will well beyond my lifetime.
