Western Sydney Giants name change

[Bbear]

Good to see the AFL come out and commit fully to Western Sydney. Interestingly, the AFL has final say with any potential name change. Games in Canberra with no mention of Western Sydney on the club kit surely goes to the point that the connection with new fans in Western Sydney has not been ‘good enough’

Snippets below from the new AFL Chairman in the Sydney Morning Herald article today:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/AFL/new-or ... 5zvao.html

Issue: The AFL was “150 per cent committed” to GWS remaining in Sydney, but the connection to new fans in western Sydney had not been good enough.

“I think the footy program has been good. I think the corporate and commercial piece has been very good. I think the consumer engagement has not been great, and I’ve just been completely frank. So we’ve got work to do. And let me be unequivocal ... we’re 100, we’re 150 per cent committed to the Giants in Sydney.”

Drummond said he had not seen a proposal yet on the nature of any name change to the Giants, whose chairman Tim Reed floated a potential name change. He said the league would want to see evidence and data on a new name. “Show us the data, show us the facts, and we’ll then make a call.”

Issue: The lack of participation in the game from some multicultural communities, the Indian and Chinese diasporas in particular, was a big issue.

Drummond called western Sydney “the canary in the coal mine” for the AFL because one in two people there were born overseas. “One in three people in this country were not born here, and we do not connect with them,” he said. “50 per cent of Australia is going to be in that ‘not born in Australia [category]’ in 20 years’ time. And so our game will be under downward pressure if we don’t [engage].”

I agree that the the connection to ( potential ) new fans has not been good enough.
Posters on this forum have known and discussed this for years.
Why has this issue taken so long to receive attention from administrators.

To expand into one of the toughest sporting markets with one of the worst names is a recipe for disaster.
( Johnny Cash a boy named Sue. )
It shows just how out of touch the Andrew Dimetriou administration was.

As for the name change I don't mind the GWS name bit, it's the indifferent Giant name that is the problem, nobody can embrace such an irrelevant, ugly, meaningless moniker .
GWS needs to completely reinvent themselves or move on.

The Giant name is dead in the water and has been from the start.

[leeroy*NRL*]

Good to see the AFL come out and commit fully to Western Sydney. Interestingly, the AFL has final say with any potential name change. Games in Canberra with no mention of Western Sydney on the club kit surely goes to the point that the connection with new fans in Western Sydney has not been ‘good enough’

Snippets below from the new AFL Chairman in the Sydney Morning Herald article today:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/AFL/new-or ... 5zvao.html

Issue: The AFL was “150 per cent committed” to GWS remaining in Sydney, but the connection to new fans in western Sydney had not been good enough.

“I think the footy program has been good. I think the corporate and commercial piece has been very good. I think the consumer engagement has not been great, and I’ve just been completely frank. So we’ve got work to do. And let me be unequivocal ... we’re 100, we’re 150 per cent committed to the Giants in Sydney.”

Drummond said he had not seen a proposal yet on the nature of any name change to the Giants, whose chairman Tim Reed floated a potential name change. He said the league would want to see evidence and data on a new name. “Show us the data, show us the facts, and we’ll then make a call.”

Issue: The lack of participation in the game from some multicultural communities, the Indian and Chinese diasporas in particular, was a big issue.

Drummond called western Sydney “the canary in the coal mine” for the AFL because one in two people there were born overseas. “One in three people in this country were not born here, and we do not connect with them,” he said. “50 per cent of Australia is going to be in that ‘not born in Australia [category]’ in 20 years’ time. And so our game will be under downward pressure if we don’t [engage].”

I agree that the the connection to ( potential ) new fans has not been good enough.
Posters on this forum have known and discussed this for years.
Why has this issue taken so long to receive attention from administrators.

To expand into one of the toughest sporting markets with one of the worst names is a recipe for disaster.
( Johnny Cash a boy named Sue. )
It shows just how out of touch the Andrew Dimetriou administration was.

As for the name change I don't mind the GWS name bit, it's the indifferent Giant name that is the problem, nobody can embrace such an irrelevant, ugly, meaningless moniker .
GWS needs to completely reinvent themselves or move on.

The Giant name is dead in the water and has been from the start.

Andrew Dimetriou had no idea what the Sydney market was like >>

He looked at Sydney in General HUGE population and Economy than looked at Swans and thought there going Great guns

They deserve a 2nd team >> will take over Sydney and be treated with Money and Glory..

let alone Sydney was a disaster until the Super League War happened in Sydney.. and split clubs and clubs merged and got the boot.

this is when Swans got a niche in the Northern part and inner city of sydney.


the AFL were never going to have this Luck this time with the GWS entering..

and for one the NRL would not give free kicks away..

(the giants name like you said) is horrible and did not reflect SYDNEY at all

[Beaussie]

Encouraging to see a bigger and louder home crowd for the Giants on Saturday afternoon vs Geelong at Engie Stadium.

The 13,821 crowd was the 2nd biggest home crowd for the year after the Opening Round, and the 3rd biggest crowd for a Geelong home game (counting Manuka Oval as well as Engie Stadium). Even the Cumberland Stand facing the cameras was opened up with an healthy looking crowd. And how wonderful was it to see all the juniors of Western & South Western Sydney paraded around on the oval at half time representing their local clubs. They looked like they were having a great time on the tv coverage.

Now as for the game, it was difficult viewing in the first half, the epic comeback win for the Giants however was amazing to watch and hear how loud the Giants crowd and chants were. The potential for this club and footy is bright.

And, Leigh Eustace has some really good points regarding the no brainer suggested name change.

He also raises some very interesting and detailed points on other issues, such as the colours and the Showgrounds being unavailable during the problematic Easter Show period. Well worth a read, substack link below:

'Drop the G': Six-point plan to fix the Giants
LEIGH EUSTACE
MAY 21, 2026

https://getseriouser.substack.com/p/dro ... irect=true

Name change — Western Sydney Giants

Easy. I have long joked Greater Western Sydney sounds more like a local council than a serious footy club, and finally it seems others have cracked on, both the footy media and the club itself. This one is simple, don’t get cute, don’t become just ‘the Giants’, with no identity tying you the market you’re trying to win over, to represent. Don’t be the ‘NSW Giants’ because now you’re pretending Byron Bay is just as relevant to your identity as Cabramatta, yeah nah. Western Sydney Giants. Perfect.

And I don’t care we have the West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, no-one’s getting confused, this isn’t a jumper clash. Start from here — what’s the ideal, perfect, most relevant name for a club in Western Sydney? Guess what? It’s to call it Western Sydney. Move on. Next.