Two AFL games over the weeked have marked major milestones for the GWS Giants and the game’s growth in Sydney.
While the fixture clash between the two biggest sporting brands in the city, the AFL’s Swans, hosting their annual Marn Grook game, and the NRL’s Bulldogs.
The Giants’ clash with Fremantle has also experienced a sense of occasion, as their 100th game at their home ground of Engie Stadium.
Giants Head of Consumer Sales Ari Mansfield said that while there have been many challenges in establishing an Australian Rules club, the club has experienced some growth.
“Before we played a game in the AFL, we had a touch over 10,000 members,” he said.
“Last year we set a membership record of 36,629.
“It’s tough, and it’s hard work, but there’s a lot of good things that have happened in the Giants’ journey so far.”
Source: AFL Tables
Growing attendance has proved to be a challenging task for the Giants, with the club’s average crowd hovering around the 9,000 to 13,000 mark, excluding the COVID-19 affected seasons.
Meanwhile, their cross-town rivals, the Swans, have experienced a strong growth in membership and crowds over the past 30 years, a trend that culminated in a record average attendance and membership count last season.
With an established fan base in South Melbourne prior to relocation and a 30-year monopoly on the market, Swans CEO Tom Harley said that the recent success in qualifying for two Grand Finals in three years propelled them to even greater heights.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that fans of all sports teams gravitate to their team when they’re playing well,” Harley told The Daily Telegraph.
“That was the key driver to some of the experiences we’ve had at the SCG.”
Source: AFL Tables
Entering the league in 2012, the Giants faced a tougher proposition than the Swans from day one, starting a club from scratch in a region home to five NRL teams, as well as two successful A-League soccer clubs.
While many may see that as a disadvantage for the Giants, Mansfield said the club sees it as a potential opportunity.
“We’ve almost got an advantage in that if you’re in Western Sydney and you’ve followed NRL all your life, there’s a million different teams that you could choose from, but [everyone] can come together around the Giants if we can get you on board with AFL,” Mansfield said.
“You might go for the Bulldogs or the Panthers or the Eels or the Rabbitohs or any of the others, but if you want to support an AFL team and you kind of live and work and play in Western Sydney, then the Giants are for you.
“That’s something that we think is a real strength of ours.”
One unique product offered by the club to potential supporters is the ‘My Second Team Membership’, which is aimed at fans of other AFL clubs who have a connection to the Giants brand, as well as NRL fans who may have a casual or growing interest in the AFL.
“We know people aren’t going to jump ship to us straight away, but we also know we’re a lot of people’s second favourite team because of the way we go about it, both on the field and off the field,” Mansfield said.
“So I think it just makes sense for us to lean into that and to make the most of that.”