| Names | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Greater Western Sydney Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | Giants |
| Club details | |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Colours | Orange Charcoal White |
| Competition | Australian Football League |
| Coach | Kevin Sheedy |
| Ground(s) | Skoda Stadium (capacity: 25,000) |
| Blacktown Olympic Park (Training) (capacity: 10,000) | |
| Other information | |
| Official website | www.gwsgiants.com.au |
The Greater Western Sydney Football Club, nicknamed The Giants, is an Australian rules football club based in Greater Western Sydney which has been playing in the TAC Cup, North East Australian Football League and Foxtel Cup. The club is due to start playing in the Australian Football League (AFL) premiership competition in the 2012 season.[1] The club participated in the 2011 NAB Cup, losing both of its pool matches, and also played in the 2011 NAB Challenge.[2]
The AFL is seeking to create a membership-based rather than privately-owned franchise and has attempted to build up grass roots participation in the area through Auskick and invested in the sporting facility in Blacktown which includes a small stadium with a capacity of around 10,000 as an administration and training base for the club, whilst the club will play its home games out of Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium) and the nearby Sydney Showground Stadium (Skoda Stadium).
The team played in the TAC Cup competition in 2010 and began playing in the North East Australian Football League and League Championship Cup in 2011. In 2012, the club will debut in the AFL. The NEAFL reserves team will be known as the UWS Giants, following a partnership between the club and the University of Western Sydney.[3]
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The idea of an AFL team from western Sydney originated from the AFL's plans in 1999 to make the North Melbourne Football Club (known then simply as the Kangaroos) Sydney's second team. Following the momentum of the relocated Swans Grand Final appearance, the AFL had backed the move for North Melbourne, a club which had then previously gained market exposure by defeating the Swans in their first re-location Grand Final appearance. However the venture was unsuccessful and after several games a season North Melbourne never managed to draw crowds of over 15,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground before finally leaving the market and experimenting with Canberra and later the Gold Coast.
The AFL's interest in the Western Sydney market appeared to be rekindled after the Sydney Swans' second, more successful Grand Final appearance in 2005, which started grassroots interest in the game in the highly-populous region. In 2006, the AFL introduced the NSW Scholarships scheme, primarily aimed at juniors in West Sydney market to foster home grown talent and produce AFL players, a region which despite its large and growing population, had produced few professional Australian rules footballers.
The AFL was buoyed in 2006 when it gained the support of then NSW premier Morris Iemma and the league became a partner in the Blacktown sporting facility in Rooty Hill, New South Wales. The facility was announced as the new home base for its team out of western Sydney in 2007; it announced that it had planned to grant its 18th licence in mid to late 2008.
It was reported that in January 2008, the AFL officially registered the business name Western Sydney Football Club Ltd with ASIC.[4][5]
In March 2008, it was revealed by the media that the AFL had considered a radical proposal to launch an Irish-dominated team in Sydney's western suburbs, which would perform before an international audience under the "Celtic" brand name. The "Sydney Celtics" plan was first put to AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou in early 2007 by Gaelic Players Association executive Donal O'Neill. It was said that the proposal originated at the International Rules series in Ireland in late 2006 when O'Neill put forward a plan to purchase an AFL licence in Sydney. However, the AFL has since stated that this is unlikely to be a serious option.[6] [7]
In March 2008, the AFL won the support of the league's 16 club presidents to establish an eighteenth side in Western Sydney.[8]
The Western Sydney working party devising player rules and draft concessions for the second Sydney team met on 22 July 2008.
During 2008, the AFL Commission, whose agenda was to make a final decision on the Western Sydney Football Club, delayed it on multiple occasions. During the same year, in November, the AFL announced a A$100 million venture for a boutique stadium at the Sydney Showgrounds in Homebush, in the city's west.[9]
After a third meeting in Sydney in November, the AFL cited the Economic crisis of 2008 as being a key factor in the delays. While the AFL reiterated its stance on the Western Sydney license, the commission admitted that the delay in the decision was due to financial remodeling of the bid in response to the crisis, and conceded that the debut of the team in the AFL may eventuate one or more seasons later than initially suggested. The expansion licence drew increasing media skepticism and public criticism, particularly in the light of a poor finals attendance in Sydney,[10] declining Sydney Swans attendances and memberships, the economic crisis and the Tasmanian AFL Bid which had gained significant momentum and public support during 2008. An Australian Senate enquiry in to the Tasmanian AFL Bid concluded that Sydney had "insurmountable cultural barriers" to the establishment of a second AFL team.[11]
In May 2009, AIS/AFL Academy coach Alan McConnell was appointed as the club's high performance manager. McConnell is the first full-time appointment for Western Sydney and his new role commenced on 1 July 2009.
Amongst the players heavily pursued by the new club include Adelaide forward Taylor Walker[12], fallen former Essendon and St Kilda forward Andrew Lovett[13] and former No.1 draft pick and St Kilda centreman Brendon Goddard[14]. Already, three players have signed on with the club for its inaugural season: Adelaide's Phil Davis, the Western Bulldogs' Callan Ward and Fremantle's 2008 AFL Rising Star Rhys Palmer.
On 9 November 2009, Kevin Sheedy signed to a three-year contract and was named as the inaugural coach of the Western Sydney Football Club.[15] His role commenced on 2 February 2010.
Five AFL listed players have already announced they will be playing for the Giants in 2012. Adelaide defender Phil Davis, Bulldogs midfielders Callan Ward and Sam Reid, Fremantle midfielder Rhys Palmer and Melbourne midfielder Tom Scully have signed on to play for Western Sydney.
Former Melbourne Captain James McDonald, Brisbane veteran Luke Power and Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan and midfielder Chad Cornes have announced they will be coming out of retirement to play for the Giants in 2012.[16] McDonald and Power will take on roles of playing Assistant Coaches.
In November 2010 Skoda Australia was announced as the team's first major sponsor, signing a three-year contract which includes naming rights to the team's home ground at the Sydney Showground.[17]
The Giants are expected to play four games a year at Manuka Oval (three regular season, one preseason) for the first 10 years after signing a deal with the ACT Government worth $23 million. A Canberra logo will be incorporated on its guernsey, with a separate Canberra guernsey being used for games at Manuka. A GWS-ACT Academy is also intended to be created, with the territory also gaining representation on the club's board.[18][19]
On 16 November 2010, Greater Western Sydney announced their club guernseys and their nickname of the "Giants".[20]
The team colours are orange, charcoal and white, with the club unveiling two prospective home jumpers for next year to be decided by fans. One is orange with a large, stylised "G" in the centre and charcoal strips on the sides, with the other featuring orange in the top half and a white "G" wrapped around charcoal colours in the bottom half. The colour of the team's shorts is charcoal and their socks are orange. Their away guernsey features sky blue and white. During the 2011 season a clash guernsey was unveiled. The jumper has a light grey background with a charcoal rendition of the home jumper's G on the chest. Other club symbols, such as the team song and motto, are yet to be announced.
| Current squad | Rookie List | Coaching staff | |||||||
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Head coach Assistant coaches
Updated: 17 December 2011 |
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Greater Western Sydney were provided with similar recruitment entitlements to the Gold Coast who had entered the AFL the year before the Giants. Key differences included that their access to a uncontracted player from each other AFL club was able to be acted on in either 2011 or 2012. The club was also allocated the ability to trade up to four selections in a "mini-draft" of players born between January and April 1994, that would otherwise not be eligible to be drafted until the 2012 AFL Draft. They also were given the first selection in each round of the 2011 AFL Draft as well as selections 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 in the first round of the draft.[21]
During the 2011 season, there was constant speculation that Melbourne's Tom Scully, Western Bulldogs's Callan Ward, Adelaide's Taylor Walker and Fremantle's Rhys Palmer would sign with the Giants.[22] In August 2011, Adelaide's Phil Davis became the first player to announce that he would sign with the Giants.[23]
The 2011 Trade Week saw the Giants take part in nine trades, involving two selections in the mini-draft as well trading away players who had previously nominated for the draft in return for additional early draft selections in the 2011 AFL Draft, that resulted in them holding the first five draft selections and 11 of the first 14.[24]
| Player | Former club | Date[N 1] | Compensation[N 2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Davis | Adelaide | 2 August 2011[23] | One first-round draft pick.[25] |
| Callan Ward | Western Bulldogs | 5 September 2011[26] | One first-round draft pick.[25] |
| Rhys Palmer | Fremantle | 6 September 2011[27] | One end-of-first-round draft pick.[25] |
| Tom Scully | Melbourne | 12 September 2011[28] | Two first-round draft picks.[25] |
| Sam Reid | Western Bulldogs | 13 October 2011[29] | One third-round draft pick.[30] |
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