The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Fred »

leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm
Fred wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:25 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 6:03 pm


Wrong you loser.. :[]

Swans are bigger success than the Storm (period)
They are both successful expansions

Gosh you are one mental case...
I do think there is a case that the Swans are likely more ingrained now into the Sydney culture than the Storm are - but Storm have made some in roads. Both indeed, have become successes - each finding a niche market - I think the expansion of Australian Rules is far greater into Sydney and surrounds than Rugby Leagues "expansion" or growth in Victoria. But would agree, neither club has been a failure per se.
yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Terry »

Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm
Fred wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:25 am


I do think there is a case that the Swans are likely more ingrained now into the Sydney culture than the Storm are - but Storm have made some in roads. Both indeed, have become successes - each finding a niche market - I think the expansion of Australian Rules is far greater into Sydney and surrounds than Rugby Leagues "expansion" or growth in Victoria. But would agree, neither club has been a failure per se.
yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).

FMD you fumblers are on fire today. Freddy - the NRL did such a disastrous job the Storm won the comp in their 2nd year. Unprecedented in Australian professional sports. And they are currently on a run of consecutive sold out home crowds.

This site has turned into comedy routine. Hilarious.
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by makingnrlfansgowacko »

Terry wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:58 am
Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm


yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).

FMD you fumblers are on fire today. Freddy - the NRL did such a disastrous job the Storm won the comp in their 2nd year. Unprecedented in Australian professional sports. And they are currently on a run of consecutive sold out home crowds.

This site has turned into comedy routine. Hilarious.
all that successes and still can't attract interest of kids to play League
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Fred »

Terry wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:58 am
Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm


yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).

FMD you fumblers are on fire today. Freddy - the NRL did such a disastrous job the Storm won the comp in their 2nd year. Unprecedented in Australian professional sports. And they are currently on a run of consecutive sold out home crowds.

This site has turned into comedy routine. Hilarious.
No doubt about that - on field success has been there - what LeRoy and I have been discussing or referring to - was that they did a poor job selling the game and growing the game in the initial years. Even in later years under Bellemy - they did not grow the game much - or get many onside to much later in the piece. I think Storm have righted the ship in that regard but has wasted many many years.
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Terry »

Here's another article detailing the abject failure of fumbling in western Sydney. No official will release official playing numbers and volunteers have been directed by the AFL not to talk about it. That sure as hell means Gerard Healy was right - there are only 97 13 year olds playing the mess in the golden west and all the other age groups are also diabolical.

AFL official Tim Hartley gave a number for the old, "....participants across western Sydney programs" lololololol. Of course 'programs' means anything and everything. Bottom line - its a made up BS number trying to mask the disaster.

And for the AFL folk here the article is from an actual journalist from the Sydney Morning Herald. Not Barney Rubble from league unlimited lololololol!!!

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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by makingnrlfansgowacko »

Terry wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:58 am
Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm


yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).

FMD you fumblers are on fire today. Freddy - the NRL did such a disastrous job the Storm won the comp in their 2nd year. Unprecedented in Australian professional sports. And they are currently on a run of consecutive sold out home crowds.

This site has turned into comedy routine. Hilarious.
yet they still can't attract local talent and still draw low levels of interest.

at least the AFL has commentators that will call an issue out and critic of it, instead of needing pretend everything is ok like the NRL and its fans love to do
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Terry »

Great article in today's SMH. Ginats coach Allan Kingfield said the 'responsibility to drive participation in fumbling football in western Sydney rests with the AFL not the Ginats'.

So there ya have it sports fans. A team afforded hundreds of millions of dollars and planted in western Sydney should not be responsible for western Sydney fumbling participation. Makes sense to me. I mean why should a team based in western Sydney be responsible for western Sydney. That'd be lunacy lololololol!!!!!

FFS fumblers can anyone help me here?????
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by Fred »

Terry wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2026 10:37 am
Great article in today's SMH. Ginats coach Allan Kingfield said the 'responsibility to drive participation in fumbling football in western Sydney rests with the AFL not the Ginats'.

So there ya have it sports fans. A team afforded hundreds of millions of dollars and planted in western Sydney should not be responsible for western Sydney fumbling participation. Makes sense to me. I mean why should a team based in western Sydney be responsible for western Sydney. That'd be lunacy lololololol!!!!!

FFS fumblers can anyone help me here?????
Reading the article you provided and then this - there certainly does seem to be major issues in Western sydney. The whole thing has been a balls up from day dot if you ask me.
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by leeroy*NRL* »

Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am
leeroy*NRL* wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 5:21 pm
Fred wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 10:25 am


I do think there is a case that the Swans are likely more ingrained now into the Sydney culture than the Storm are - but Storm have made some in roads. Both indeed, have become successes - each finding a niche market - I think the expansion of Australian Rules is far greater into Sydney and surrounds than Rugby Leagues "expansion" or growth in Victoria. But would agree, neither club has been a failure per se.
yep more ingrained and deeper grassroots too.
16 years more older than the Storm as well..

like ive said before Storm have done more for the game in Victoria since 2024 (in 2 years)
than they did 25 years prior>> its amazing really.
True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).
lol literally, that is a good way of putting it>> they just dropped a team & said goodluck :lol: :lol:

They were owned by NEWS LIMITED> NRL and News limited who owned 50% of the NRL made it difficult.
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by leeroy*NRL* »

Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 1:27 pm
Terry wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:58 am
Fred wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am


True - the NRL did a disastrous job to start with - was terrible - they just dropped a team in there and that was it. They have certainly done a lot to rectify this. Also, Aussie Rules has always had a presence in Sydney at grassroots - with clubs and leagues set up across the area - whereas RL simply has not - although it is growing nowadays - but they really did start from barely no grassroots base. Still, I think, there is only 1 league for the state (but would need to check).

FMD you fumblers are on fire today. Freddy - the NRL did such a disastrous job the Storm won the comp in their 2nd year. Unprecedented in Australian professional sports. And they are currently on a run of consecutive sold out home crowds.

This site has turned into comedy routine. Hilarious.
No doubt about that - on field success has been there - what LeRoy and I have been discussing or referring to - was that they did a poor job selling the game and growing the game in the initial years. Even in later years under Bellemy - they did not grow the game much - or get many onside to much later in the piece. I think Storm have righted the ship in that regard but has wasted many many years.
100% with the success the storm have had in the early years and under bellemy (if they had the same blueprint of what the Swans did
and invest in infrastructure for growth and grassroots they would be alot more saturated into melbourne.
too true... so many many wasted years before they decided to do something..

Swans and the AFL did a good job in Sydney overall..
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Re: The damning truth behind the AFL's western sydney failure.

Post by leeroy*NRL* »

Terry wrote: Thu Apr 16, 2026 7:24 pm
Here's another article detailing the abject failure of fumbling in western Sydney. No official will release official playing numbers and volunteers have been directed by the AFL not to talk about it. That sure as hell means Gerard Healy was right - there are only 97 13 year olds playing the mess in the golden west and all the other age groups are also diabolical.

AFL official Tim Hartley gave a number for the old, "....participants across western Sydney programs" lololololol. Of course 'programs' means anything and everything. Bottom line - its a made up BS number trying to mask the disaster.

And for the AFL folk here the article is from an actual journalist from the Sydney Morning Herald. Not Barney Rubble from league unlimited lololololol!!!

its actually amazing>> Gerald Healy has come out and said this about the Under 13 and unders across western sydney>>
and there has been nothing to back up the hate towards him>> ziltch
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