SYDNEY Swans chairman Andrew Pridham doesn’t think the AFL is making any inroads in Western Sydney in terms of growing the game.<\/p>\n
Pridham’s thoughts came after SEN’s Gerard Healy wrote about the damning truth behind the AFL’s failure in Sydney’s west, with the Brownlow Medallist suggesting only 97 kids from the 14 clubs in the region have signed up for 13-and-under football so far for this season.<\/p>\n
Given the AFL has placed a club in the region to try and expand in the growth market, as well as what Healy suggested was nearly three-quarters of $1 billion behind the push, it’s not pretty reading for the game and competition.<\/p>\n
While the Swans are thriving in comparison in other parts of Sydney and NSW, Pridham, who has been on his club’s board for more than two decades, understands the struggles the Giants are facing.<\/p>\n
“It’s a very complex market. There’s a very high proportion of people living in Sydney who are not born in Australia, and English is a second language,” Pridham told SEN Breakfast.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of competition. Look at the number of NRL clubs, the number of soccer clubs, etc, it’s very competitive.<\/p>\n
“Sport is not as deeply ingrained into the DNA as perhaps it is in Queensland, and therefore, it has been difficult.<\/p>\n
“The Swans, we’ve been here for a long time, we’ve got 2 million fans, the most of any sporting club in Australia.<\/p>\n
“It is a really complex marketplace to grow.”<\/p>\n
Those comments prompted SEN Breakfast’s Tim Watson to ask whether the AFL was making any inroads whatsoever in Western Sydney.<\/p>\n
“No. None. None,” Pridham replied.<\/p>\n
“It’s a vast place, it’s very complex.<\/p>\n
“I think the Giants do a very good job with difficult circumstances in terms of limited resources.<\/p>\n
“It’s not easy. It’s not their role to develop the game in Western Sydney, per se. They’re a football club trying to win games.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, they’ve done a great job in Canberra. They get a lot of support there.<\/p>\n
“It’s very hard getting the attention of Western Sydney.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY Swans chairman Andrew Pridham doesn’t think the AFL is making any inroads in Western Sydney in terms of growing the game. Pridham’s thoughts came after SEN’s Gerard Healy wrote about the damning truth behind the AFL’s failure in Sydney’s west, with the Brownlow Medallist suggesting only 97 kids from the 14 clubs in the […]<\/p>\n