High Steaks: Rival CEOs Swans’ Tom Harley and Giants’ David Matthews united in growing AFL in NSW
They may be rival CEOs but the head honchos of the Swans and Giants agree on two things – how they like their steaks, and when it comes to playing AFL, there is no place better than Sydney. Watch the High Steaks interview.
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Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley reckons, when it comes to team colours, his team’s red is better than the orange of the GWS Giants.
On the other hand David Matthews, who for the past 15 years has been the CEO of the Giants, believes his team’s song The Big Big Sound is more of a vibe than Cheer The Red And The White.
The two are at odds over which AFLW team can truly call Henson Park their home, with both the Giants and Swans playing there.
“It’s in the inner west, it’s Swan’s heartland,” Harley starts, as the two sit down for lunch at The Henson Park Hotel.
But it doesn’t matter if you wear red over orange, or chant “never surrender” louder than “cheer cheer”, they both agree that, when it comes to playing the game of AFL, there is no place better than in Sydney.
“The Swans and the Giants have shown they’re a good place to play if you want to get out of the suffocation of Victoria. I actually think it’s become a selling point for both clubs. If you want a balanced lifestyle, if you want to be a normal human but you happen to be really good at football, move to Sydney and play. Some of the rubbish that goes on in Victoria, it’s actually to our advantage,” says Matthews.
“We lost a couple of heartbreaking games last year, including one against the Swans (in the finals). The nature of Sydney is, while people will empathise with you, they move on as well,” he says, before cheekily joking: “There’s nothing else in life in Victoria. What are you going to celebrate, the weather?”
Harley, a Geelong Cats great who captained the side to premierships in 2007 and 2009, adds: “One of the great benefits of being involved in the game that I love up here is that I can step away from it more so … that should never be misconstrued as you don’t care. Because we care deeply. We’ve both been on the wrong side of finals losses and grand final losses. And because we’re committed to putting our best foot forward for our people and our fans, you dive right into that. But it’s a good environment to dive into it.”
Ahead of their teams’ clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground at lunchtime today, the two top sports administrators have laid down their weapons to have steak frites at The Henson. Well, sort of.
During lunch Matthews hands Harley a badge to wear, saying “The Giants are my second favourite team”, while Harley points out the Swans mascot is more prominent on the AFL posters at the pub. But at least they both agree the steak we are having should be cooked medium.
The rivalry between the clubs is real. Since GWS joined the AFL in 2012, the Swans have come out on top 19 times to 10. But of the four times they’ve met in finals matches, the Swans have only been victorious once. “There is some genuine spite … it’s a fierce rivalry,” says Harley.
But between Matthews, 54, and Harley, 46? Well, they are firm friends. Growing up in Geelong, there was no chance Matthews was going to be anything other than an AFL fan and has worked in the sport his whole adult life, helping the AFL establish Sydney’s second team before becoming its CEO. Obviously he knew Harley as a player (a picture of Matthew’s son watching Harley play used to be the photo that would come up when Harley called him) but it was when Harley moved to Sydney to be with his Sydney-based wife Felicity, that the two became friends. With Matthews as mentor, they worked together at AFL NSW/ACT and spent time working on the formation of the Giants.
“If I look back now, that was an unbelievable opportunity afforded to me by Dave, well before I was ready for it,” says Harley.
Adds Matthews: “We’ve known each other a long time, that predates the Giants and the Swans. I have huge respect for what he’s done as a player and in his career, but mainly as a person. He’s a great person. And so we have debates and, from time to time, arguments, but I think they come from a good starting point.”
The two know that while their clubs might be at war this week, ultimately they are united in their quest to grow the sport in this state which is, arguably, the most competitive sporting market in the world.
“The Giants genuinely feel the Swans have done an amazing job in a rugby league, rugby union, soccer town. Over 40 years to play a lone hand in that, compared to the 10 clubs in Victoria, with saturated media coverage,” says Matthews.
When it comes to the NRL, the two have nothing but respect for the code and say any talk of having to pick just one sport is ridiculous.
“In my view we’ve got the best game in the world. It’s the most spectacular, incredible athletes,” starts Matthews. “But that’s not to say we don’t have healthy respect for the other codes. And so do the players.”
Adds Harley: “One of the things I really respect about the NRL and their fandom is the tribalism, passion and resilience of the fan base. The fans are connected to their football team, as we’ve got fans connected to our football team.
“I don’t necessarily see it as ‘What are they doing better, where can we improve?’
“We’re all in the game of sport, we’re all competing for hearts and minds, and they’ve got a strong hold on a lot of those hearts and minds. But so can we.”
When it comes to their own families, they’ve each got three children, all of course, who are fans of the game.
Harley jokes that when you come home after a game, after a loss: “They are on it. It’s difficult to stop a passionate kid talking about footy. I’ve got two boys and a girl. They all play. They are, my two boys more so than my daughter, fanatical.”
While Matthews adds when his wife sees him watch the program AFL 360, “she shuts the door”.
Ultimately they say their love of the sport hasn’t been impacted by the politics that comes from working in it.
“There’s never really been a time where the passion for the game has been diminished by things you’ve got to do from a business point of view,” says Matthews.
Adds Harley: “We’re not big businesses in the corporate setting but where the privilege and the responsibility really lands is we matter to a lot of people. Understanding the impact that we can have on people’s lives is really at the core of what we do.”
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