Do we need any more proof to give up on West Sydney

[Benchwarmer]

Sydney's west is league country
by Chris Wilson
May 3, 2009
(from The Daily Telegraph - Sydney)



"DO you want to find Jesus, brother?" a man in flannel and thongs asked, holding out a Bible.

He sat behind a stack of Good Books on a collapsible table, located in front of a closed-down Blacktown trophy store. It seems everyone is staking their claim in Sydney's west. The NRL. AFL. Soccer. Rugby union. God.

But of all the football bosses reading from the gospel according to their code, whose message is getting through? Do people listen when the NRL's David Gallop talks about rugby league's established stranglehold?

Or is Sydney's west being won over when the AFL's Andrew Demetriou, soccer's Ben Buckley and rugby union's John O'Neill flatter them with expansion talk?

The Sunday Telegraph went to Blacktown for answers from people on the street. It was a popularity contest. We had a photo of each code's prominent coach and asked people who they recognised.

We followed up with the question: what code comes to mind when you think football? "This is NRL territory, mate, you'll see that,'' said the first of 50 respondents.

We thought it deserved more research, especially when the next respondent confused Australian rugby league coach Tim Sheens for Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull.

Sheens was easily the most recognisable figure, in front of Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans hasn't made the same impression. "Is it Rove?,'' one man asked, confusing him for the Gold Logie winner.

Even with a few concessions, Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek was a distant last. We ticked off on "Percy Verbank'' and "Pim Von-something-the-soccer-coach''.

We even gave grace to a teenage girl with braces, who said "I've seen him on SBS''. But we had to draw the line at Des Hasler, Guus Hiddink and NSW Premier Nathan Rees.

It was the west's definition of footy that provided more compelling evidence. Almost three-quarters said footy to them meant rugby league.

Only three people said soccer, the same for rugby union. Just two defined footy as AFL - and one of them was on holidays from Adelaide. "But even I don't think there should be a second AFL team in western Sydney,'' said Port Adelaide supporter Gary Hirschausen. "Go to Tasmania instead.''

Hirschausen pointed out that even Adelaide, an AFL city, had struggled with two teams. "We call the Adelaide Crows the Chardonnay Set,'' he said. "I follow Port Adelaide and our people are ex-wharfies and those on little incomes, they can't afford to buy memberships. "The eastern suburbs of Sydney, where the Swans are, that's like Crows territory. Out here, in Sydney's west, this is like Port Adelaide territory.''

A Blacktown youth worker told his own story of rugby league dominance. "I work with kids mostly 16-21 and a couple of years back I was given tickets to a Swans game against Collingwood at Homebush. The kids wouldn't take them. It's NRL.''

Evidence gathered, we returned to see how the bloke was going pushing his Bibles. He'd long packed up and gone home. Western Sydney may not be as easy to sell as some would have you believe.

[prowling panther]

We dont, but the AFL is still pushing ahead, maybe Demetrio and Anderson should give up before they turn the AFL into something that it cannot right its self from

[Interceptor]

Nice work there from the stereotyping smears drip

[Sojourner]

A Blacktown youth worker told his own story of rugby league dominance. "I work with kids mostly 16-21 and a couple of years back I was given tickets to a Swans game against Collingwood at Homebush. The kids wouldn't take them. It's NRL.''

People need to realise that this scenario above is more often than not actually the case in the outer Western Suburbs, its not that people are not interested in AFL, its that they openly dont like it, a huge difference which no doubt the AFL seem hell bent on learning the hard way!

[Barto]

Nice work there from the stereotyping smears drip

That was the best part of the article

The concept of "Western Sydney" seems lost on Dimetriou. It's a bloody big place, you can live in 'Western Sydney' and still have an hours drive to get to their home games. It's not like Western Sydney will be a local club that residents can identify with.

The code war was lost 100 years ago.