The Western Sydney Football Club

[nobleoz]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds. Love the emotive Sydney anti-AFL language! The lack of Aussie Rules grounds in Sydney for decades has been the real apartheid. Erskineville was an historic Aussie Rules ground until Sth Sydney took it over.

[yob]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds.

Why on earth would we want to do that.

[Jeffles]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds. Love the emotive Sydney anti-AFL language! The lack of Aussie Rules grounds in Sydney for decades has been the real apartheid. Erskineville was an historic Aussie Rules ground until Sth Sydney took it over.

"You gotta door, you gotta gym."

Similarly, "you gotta cricket ground, you gotta Aussie Rules ground." And Sydney has plenty of cricket venues. There's never been a lack of grounds, only a lack of demand.

Erskineville Oval became exclusively RL when the Newtown AFL club folded. The reformed club plays at Alan Davidson Oval, which did not exist during Newtown AFC, version one. And while we're on the subject of apartheid, Newtown RLFC and Newtown AFC shared Erskineville at various stages between 1913 and 1955 and Newtown Rugby Union club used it even earlier. Your allegation that apartheid existed is false.

The AFL did contribute $100k as some reports suggest. That much for exclusive use is damn cheap, especially when the ground is vacant at parts of the weekend and throughout summer. As a business, they've done well. Exploit a council which like other councils is hard up for cash.

The NSW strategy is starting to annoy some in AFL heartland.

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/20 ... orial.html

[nobleoz]

Thanks for the Erskineville background. When I was in Sydney decades ago it was one of the few grounds where you would see the 4 Aussie sticks. Most cricket grounds were set up for RL & U.

The real cause of angst, it seems, is that the AFL is pouring money into developing grounds for Aussie Rules as part of it's WS expansion. In fact the AFL has been pouring money into AF grounds all over the country for years. Witness expansion of spectator facilities at grounds used for AFL.

I may be wrong, but historically soccer & NRL have not contributed in the same way. Certainly in Vic & SA they have depended on government money.

News today that GWS Giants have just past 10,000 members.

[Jeffles]

Further to that about Erskineville, I have some Newtown Junior Rugby League Annual Reports from the 1960s and 1970s that state Erskineville Oval was used for junior rugby league matches.

The article below talks about the issue different to the Fairfax press.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/08/23/ha ... in-sydney/

I can understand a multi-year lease. Councils sometimes do that according to their Local Environment Plan. Rarely does that become an exclusive lease. Virtually all NRL venues and training grounds I can think of in Sydney are shared by other sports even though the NRL clubs contribute a lot more than $100k in rent. How much does the $100k last at Holroyd?

APIA Leichhardt Tigers have to pay that much every year to get exclusive use of Lambert Park as part of their 21 year lease and they run dozens of soccer teams. That's the only venue I can think of that is exclusively for one sport but that's because said sport has enough teams to use the place full time. I don't think that is the case with Holroyd.

[Simmo79]

News today that GWS Giants have just past 10,000 members.

the centre of gravity for that 10k would be around Goulburn

[bazza]

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/l ... 1j6tr.html

If you can't beat them, ban them.


1 AFL field for every 68 West Sydney players

I used to do little Athletics next door to the oval

I guess now this will stop kids running on it

[yob]

News today that GWS Giants have just past 10,000 members.

the centre of gravity for that 10k would be around Goulburn

Collector gets fobbed off again.

[Nines]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds. Love the emotive Sydney anti-AFL language! The lack of Aussie Rules grounds in Sydney for decades has been the real apartheid. Erskineville was an historic Aussie Rules ground until Sth Sydney took it over.

The AFL did contribute $100k as some reports suggest. That much for exclusive use is damn cheap,

Hardly .
I remember the brand new SFS was charging NSWRL $100k for a whole season including finals when the Swans were charged $250k for just 11 games .

[Nines]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds. Love the emotive Sydney anti-AFL language! The lack of Aussie Rules grounds in Sydney for decades has been the real apartheid. Erskineville was an historic Aussie Rules ground until Sth Sydney took it over.

A bit of the chicken or the egg thinking .
Certainly the lack of grounds hindered development which hindered demand .
The good news is that are more grounds being developed or upgraded .
There's a $9 million development of historic Waverley Oval in the heart of Bondi with Australian Football being played there for the first time .The Blacktown development is a first class facility and is being used by the AFL all the time to showcase events .

[nobleoz]

Waverly Oval....got a link, Nines? Who will play there?

[Simmo79]

Presume AFL paid something to develop these grounds. Love the emotive Sydney anti-AFL language! The lack of Aussie Rules grounds in Sydney for decades has been the real apartheid. Erskineville was an historic Aussie Rules ground until Sth Sydney took it over.

A bit of the chicken or the egg thinking .
Certainly the lack of grounds hindered development which hindered demand .

funny that the shortage of grounds didn't prevent soccer from growing and growing. I guess it was only Aussie Rules that gave up so easily

[Nines]

Waverly Oval....got a link, Nines? Who will play there?

Surprisingly it's not Easts but UTS Bats .
Seemingly they have six sides .
I'll chase a link .

[Jeffles]

UTS have only recently moved there. They also played at Trumper Park and I think Drummoyne Oval.

Waverley Oval is the home of Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club (formerly known as Waverley) who count Brad Haddin among their current crop and Bondi United JRLFC, who I think have 14 teams. They also host other junior RL matches if ground eslewhere have a full programme.

[Nines]

Waverly Oval....got a link, Nines? Who will play there?

Surprisingly it's not Easts but UTS Bats .
Seemingly they have six sides .
I'll chase a link .

And here is one .
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page ... onID=53282

Interestingly UTS Bats are applying to be one of two local teams to join join the NEAFL next year .That most probably means some high class games for Bondi .

I walked past it and some very impressive facilities being built .
Also nice new oval and facilities at Malabar for the relatively new club Maroubra Saints .
Surprising when it's close to Hefron Park .