Swans happy to head west despite some new competition
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday October 28, 2009
THE Swans expect to retain their supporters in the greater west of Sydney and even build on that base once the AFL's new club makes its debut there in 2012.That is one of the reasons the Swans have no problem with effectively being used to promote the game in that area by playing a first-round NAB Cup game against Carlton at Blacktown Olympic Park on February 20. The game will be televised nationally on the Ten Network.The other plus for the Swans is that they won't have to travel interstate for such a game, which is what they would normally have to do because their home ground, the SCG, is not available at that time of year.Asked after the release of the cup draw yesterday whether the Swans would still look at the greater west as an area they could draw fans, the club's chief executive Andrew Ireland replied: "Yes. We've been playing selected games at ANZ Stadium since 2002 as part of that exercise, and we're not pulling up stumps from the west because a new team is going to be out in that region."Our membership is spread around Sydney, with a significant part of that in western Sydney, and the NAB Cup game gives us the chance to go to some of those fans."Ireland said not having to travel interstate at that stage of the club's preparation would be a big help."It's great to have another first-class facility in Sydney which will allow us to play NAB Cup matches in the greater Sydney region," he said.The new western Sydney club will use Blacktown as its training base, and may play some lower-drawing games at the 10,000-capacity venue. Sydney Showground is expected to be the team's main home ground, with ANZ Stadium also an option for showcase games.Dale Holmes, the general manager of AFL in NSW and the ACT, said it was crucial that meaningful games like the Swans-Carlton match were staged at Blacktown during the countdown to the new team entering the competition. "We want to use this game to promote elite-level AFL on the doorstep of greater western Sydney," he said."It will be accessible, convenient and affordable, and our ambition will be to create a great family entertainment atmosphere."Holmes said plans were being made for Carlton to help publicise the game in the area and that the Swans would also be involved."I think the Swans see the virtue in growing the game, because if the pie gets bigger they will also be beneficiaries," he said. "They have helped develop the game in western Sydney over a number of years."A NAB Challenge game will be played at Yea, in country Victoria, to support the communities that were devastated by bushfires this year.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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