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League staring down a Giant problem rapid expansion of the GWS with their limitless backer, the AFL, and the indisputable fear of the NRL only gives the AFL what they lack in Sydney, and that is a media presence. When this author reads about the ‘school yard bully’ image of the AFL attempting to muscle their way into an area with the highest population growth in Australia, and the NRL falling over themselves to counter-attack, it brings a smile to my face, and you can only imagine that Andrew Demitriou is smiling too.
MURRAY ROBERTSON WRITER
I smiled as I read the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald last week, not because of the London riots but rather because the AFL is doing its own share of rioting in the Rugby League heartland, and it is working. Coming from the AFL stronghold of Victoria, it is obvious that the Sydney Morning Herald has bigger priorities then the Australian Football League. During the week, this AFL fanatic will be hard pressed to find a paragraph on the Sydney Swans, even if it was only 6 short years ago they claimed the holy grail in 2005. Rugby League dominates the Sydney papers, the disgraceful handling of Todd Carney grabbing the lionsshare of press time, which, whilst not being a flattering portrayal of the NRL at least provides coverage and interest. However, each morning as this author flicks through the pages on rugby gibberish, a miraculous change is
slowly occurring. Sadly for Swans fans, the interest in the AFL in the tabloids has not been through them, rather it is in the looming presence of the AFL backed GWS that has brought a rush of opinion from among others, Rugby League guru Phil Gould. The NRL are scared, that is blatantly clear. The crisis talks between the four clubs in the Rugby league foundation area of the West barely scratches the surface of the fear of the NRL. They are being made to look second
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rate in comparison to the all conquering AFL, fresh off the back of their 1.25 billion TV deal. One only has to cast an eye up to the Gold Coast to see what AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou is capable of. The newly formed Suns have, after only one season, eclipsed their Rugby League rivals the Titans, in membership and crowd attendance. They also have the unwavering backing of the AFL, as well as a young, star-studded team in the process of being assembled, a nightmare for NRL boss David
Gallop. However, the AFL expedition into Western Sydney will be much more difficult then their foray up north to the Gold Coast but it is clear that the AFL has received an unprecedented level of press over the last month, which brings us back to the smile on the face of this author. Thanks to the Sydney Morning Herald and other publications, the AFL has achieved much more then they ever could have dreamed for. All the mentioning of the crisis talks, the
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