The Swans had been around well over a decade in Sydney before they started earning some of the spotlight. And it was the best part of two decades before they really were able to grab the spotlight in their own right. We need to be patient and recognise that we need to do the hard yards before we can expect to reap the rewards. This next week will all go some way to earning the Storm some of that attention, both now and in future years, but it isn't the ultimate payoff.
We can't rightly expect to dominate the headlines in Melbourne yet and given the work the Swans and AFL have put in to build their sport in Sydney we can't expect not to substantially share the headlines in Sydney (the Swans will be no means dominate, but they will definiitely be a big story along with the NRL GF). But not dominating in Melbourne does not mean no attention and no headlines. Be assured the Storm will get a huge amount of attention for their on field efforts over the next week. Not a majority or anything like it but also not the silence that would accompany their absence from the GF. It all helps build towards the day where we really *can* expect to dominate the Melbourne headlines.