GWS Giants chairman Tony Shepherd wants to overtake Canberra Raiders crowds

[Beaussie]

Sydney loves a winner. Will be great to see crowds of 20,000 at Spotless and 10,000+ at Manuka once the Giants start really challenging for finals.

GWS Giants chairman Tony Shepherd wants to overtake Canberra Raiders crowds
Date March 18, 2015
David Polkinghorne

Greater Western Sydney chairman Tony Shepherd has ambitions to draw bigger Canberra crowds than their cross-code rivals, the Canberra Raiders.

Speaking at the Giants' season launch in Sydney on Wednesday night, Shepherd said he wanted average crowds of 10,000 at Manuka Oval by 2018.

It was part of his vision for GWS, which included finals within the next two years and contending for a premiership within four.

The Giants are going into the fourth season of a 10-year, $23 million agreement with the ACT government to play one pre-season and three home-and-away games at Manuka each year.

They've averaged crowds of 8330 in their first three years, but Shepherd wants that to grow to five figures over the next four.

The Raiders' average crowd at Canberra Stadium was 9608 last season, below their long-term average for home games of 11,253 since 1982.

"Make no mistake, we want to play finals football and will be disappointed if we don't achieve this in the next two years," Shepherd said on Wednesday.

"We also aspire to play in grand finals and win premierships. It's the reason everyone plays the game.

"We want to continue to build our fan base and membership. By 2018, when we are hopefully contending for a premiership, we want to have 20,000 members and average crowds of 20,000 at [the Sydney Showgrounds] and 10,000 at [Manuka].

"We are under no illusions that these are ambitious goals that will require a renewed commitment ... our purpose is clear.

"We want to build a great club like no other. A club that wins premierships, delivers the best family entertainment and enriches the lives of people in Western Sydney, Canberra and our broader communities."

Shepherd also took a pot shot at doubters such as two-time premiership player Wayne Carey, who said the Giants wouldn't exist in 15 years time.

"There will always be the doubters, those who fail to see the bigger picture and the opportunities the Giants are creating so our great game can become even greater," he said.

"The naysayers certainly won't distract us from our plan and purpose."

http://www.smh.com.au/AFL/greater-weste ... m2214.html

[AFLcrap1]

Lol

Look at me
Look at me .

[AFLcrap1]

Lol there is getting noticed .
& then there is desperation .

& this mob got noticed for all the wrong reasons .

[ParraEelsNRL]

lol

[King-Eliagh]

Just own it wookie. They've done it wrong from the get go.

"Look at us. We've got Izzy Folllooouuuu"

"We're called Greater Western Sydney...look at us! ...but we're based in homebush"

"We'll show you all a new way to build a team. We'll get a bunch of young pimply nosed kids and make em into suuuuuperstars"

"Look at me look at me look at meeeee!" LOL

It's been a friggin hoot.

Izzy found the whole thing to be a farce and fukked off quick smart.

The public in Greater Western Sydney know jack diddly about the team and care less, and I'll bet my lifes savings they are a tiny minority of the members.

The original youngsters are getting forced out of the team by numerous experienced player recruitments each and every bloody year.

Give it up wookie. The GWS brand has been a bloody disaster! LOL

[AFLsforPussies]

Why are they even called greater Western Sydney when they play so many games in Canberra?

They should call themselves CWS - CANBERRA WESTERN SYDNEY.

I can't see them getting crowds in Western Sydney of 20,000. Not even if they gave the tickets away lol

[Raiderdave]

ha ha ha ha

Oh dear god
is everyone associated with this sport a fucking wanker

they should be looking at taking over the Canberra Capitals womens basketball crowds first maybe

these fudging fucktards couldn't even get to 12K against the Swines last year in the big derpy LOL
even though they said they'd got 17K
& their biggest non swines crowd has been about 8K at the showground of which half were freebies

& as for Manuka & Canberra
well
their memberships down here this year are the lowest they've been at about 2500 ( half the number in 2012)
miles behind the Raiders on 8500
there couldn't be less interest in a professional mens sporting team then there is in the Midgets in Canberra

but yeah
they'll be taking over the raiders any day now
ha ha ha ha

[leagueiscrap]

Why are they even called greater Western Sydney when they play so many games in Canberra?

They should call themselves CWS - CANBERRA WESTERN SYDNEY.

I can't see them getting crowds in Western Sydney of 20,000. Not even if they gave the tickets away lol

well most of the NRL steams cant even do that, yet the Swans do that easily!

[BruceOfRedfernNSW]

GWS got 7,222 at Star track (Manuka) Oval last Sunday and that was only a practice match. The ground isn't big with a capacity of 14,000. They averaged 8208 to 3 games there in 2014.

And they haven't really established a winning habit yet.

Last year GWS played their last game with a team average age of 22years 116 days. Top eight sides usually average 25-27 years. They were still young fellas playing against men.

2015 will be different. The Swans didn't belt them around like lightweights; they were strong enough with a fourth preseason behind them, to hold their ground. Two seconds before the final siren, the scores were level.

In 2015 they will commence a winning habit, and yes, Canberra will find another 1,800 fans to watch them do it at Manuka.

[AFLcrap1]

Lol .

Having a wank over a trial game .
Oh my

[ParraEelsNRL]

lol