GWS boss sees arrival of Victorian clubs into NSW ‘super hub’ as big recruitment drive opportunity
As Patrick Dangerfield arrived at the home of the Newtown Jets with a surfboard, Sydney has been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sell its virtues to interstate stars.
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Eddie McGuire’s Collingwood Magpies have opted out of a chance to train in the “Land of the Felafel” on Wednesday, as confusion reigned about over Victorian clubs will base themselves while in Sydney.
The Magpies were due to train at GWS Giants headquarters, but instead changed plans to have their session at Henson Park, which was also used by Geelong on Tuesday.
Melbourne Demons will train at Blacktown on Wednesday, despite the fact officials at the western Sydney ground had until Tuesday been left in the dark by the AFL over their plans.
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Blacktown is also being used by Cricket NSW as its training venue and there are only one set of dressing sheds at the International Sports Park for the likes of Pat Cummins and David Warner and potentially now AFL stars to use.
Officials in charge of Drummoyne Oval also had no idea about the AFL’s plans to use the ground until Sunday night, but Hawthorn have been given permission to train there on Wednesday before the venue is deep cleaned for local kids to use in the night.
NSW’s epic super hub has highlighted the lack of AFL facilities available in Sydney, but the Giants are seeing the next month of non-stop action in the Harbour City as a huge opportunity for GWS to launch a subtle recruitment drive and sell its virtues to interstate stars.
Patrick Dangerfield arrived at the home of the Newtown Jets at Henson Park with a surfboard under his arm on Tuesday, and GWS boss Dave Matthews hopes Victorian clubs embrace all Sydney has to offer - and start thinking about the Emerald City as a future home.
“I hope they have a great time. I know they’re pretty constrained in terms of what they can do but if they’re able to get to the beach and do all that, the Sydney beaches and the harbour have got Port Phillip Bay covered I think,” Matthews said.
“It’s a good opportunity for players from Melbourne clubs to realise what the weather is like in July in Sydney.
“Several years ago we encouraged the AFL to bring the All Australian camp up before they played a series against Ireland. We were really keen for players to actually train at our facility and see what it’s like and therefore the stars of the competition walk away going, ‘gee the Giants would become a good place to play footy.’
“I think that’s the first time Steve Johnson had ever trained at Giants headquarters and that helped support his decision to join us.
“It’s very good for us that we’re getting all these players across the competition understanding what Sydney has to offer – the beaches, the weather, how good our stadium is, how good our training facility is. We want them to go back fully informed and should they ever want to play in Sydney, we’re happy to have a conversation.”
The SCG will allow up to 800 fans in for Thursday night’s Geelong and Brisbane blockbuster, while select supporters will also be welcomed in for Collingwood and Hawthorn on Friday night at Giants Staduim.
It’s understood local rugby clubs, including West Harbour, who have already been kicked out of one ground this year as a result of the Wests Tigers’ bio-security measures, contacted Canada Bay Council expressing their hope that their contract at Drummoyne Oval wouldn’t be affected by AFL’s arrival in town.
The Council has assured them they will honour all existing agreements and AFL teams will only be allowed if it fits in with the existing rugby schedule.
Blacktown Sports Park said on Tuesday they had no idea how the AFL’s arrival would impact on Cricket NSW’s own bio-security bubble because they had no details on how much the AFL intended to use the venue.
GWS and Sydney Swans have offered their training venues in the spirit of the AFL being in the COVID-19 pandemic together.
“The old AFL Chairman Ron Evans said ‘ultimate competition on the field ultimate collaboration off,’” said Matthews.
“We took the opportunity to drop a note to each of the clubs and outline how we can assist.”
Fixture chaos has silver lining for Swans warrior
Who would you rather have cheering for you in your 200th AFL game?
Ten thousand fans? Or the 10 who matter most?
Sydney Swans co-captain Luke Parker doesn’t have a choice, but he has no complaints despite the merciless COVID-19 restrictions taking him away from home to the Gold Coast for his milestone match against the relocated West Coast Eagles on Saturday.
Parker should have been relishing in the occasion at the SCG in front of 10,000 Swans supporters, but, in a twist of fate, he can now celebrate with members of his family, including his beloved grandparents, who watched him play every weekend as a little boy and now live on the Gold Coast.
As well as a couple of aunties and uncles who also live in Queensland, Parker feels there is no more fitting stage for him to celebrate his rise as one of the most competitive Swans’ John Longmire has ever coached.
“I remember growing up from under nines through to under-15s and my grandparents were at every single game,” Parker said.
“They absolutely love their footy. They moved up to the Gold Coast five years ago and since then they catch one or two games a season.
“I know how much my football means to them and they mean so much to me. They save their weekends up to watch my games and to have them at the game will be pretty special.”
Sydney and GWS will vacate their own city next week as NSW scrambles to accommodate six interstate AFL clubs.
Geelong, Melbourne, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Gold Coast and Brisbane will all call Sydney home for between one and two weeks after the AFL confirmed a rewritten schedule for Rounds 6 and 7 based on all clubs having to flee Melbourne because of COVID-19.
The Sydney Swans face a second road trip to Queensland in as many weeks to play Richmond in Round 6 at the Gabba. They are playing West Coast on the Gold Coast this Saturday.
Longmire tells the story of an 18-year-old Parker, then sporting a cringe-worthy peroxide haircut, marching into his office in his rookie season, pleading with the coach to get back into the team.
The coach’s office is a zone teenagers would normally be too timid to enter without an invitation, and Longmire immediately knew he had a warrior in Parker.
That’s not to say the kid wasn’t nervous.
“Yeah, I was s---ting myself. I probably walked past his office a couple of times before I actually entered the door,” Parker said.
“I desperately wanted to play and be part of the future of the team.
“He looks back on it and really remembers it as a turning point in my career. For me, it just showed my confidence in my own belief at a young age and hopefully I’ve been able to show that over the years.
“I just wanted to play.”
Parker was drafted at pick 40 by the Swans, the same number as the great Michael O’Loughlin.
At just 27 years of age, Parker is on track to finish his career as one of the most capped Swans’ players of all time.
Adam Goodes (372) may be untouchable, but Jude Bolton and Jarrad McVeigh (325) are within reach for a Victorian who has no intention of finishing his career in Melbourne.
“I absolutely love it here in Sydney. I’ve never had the thought of going home. I call Sydney home now,” said Parker.
“For me it would be fantastic to play at one club my whole career. I know not many people get the opportunity to do that.”
KENNEDY WATCHES GRANDFATHER’S FUNERAL FROM AFAR
— Jocelyn Airth
Sydney Swans captain Josh Kennedy will watch the funeral of his grandfather, Hawthorn legend John Kennedy Sr, via video link on Thursday because of Victoria’s coronavirus woes.
Kennedy made the decision to remain in Sydney for the service because of the complications around travelling to Melbourne and then playing interstate.
Had the midfielder attended his grandfather’s funeral in person, he would not have been able to travel to Brisbane on Saturday to play in the Swans clash against the West Coast Eagles.
Queensland locked its borders to Victoria on Monday, with South Australia following suit on Tuesday, throwing the AFLs fixture into chaos.
Victoria has recorded 212 cases of COVID-19 in the past three days.
Kennedy Sr will be farewelled by family and friends on Thursday morning at 11am.
The funeral will be video streamed to ensure that the Hawthorn and broader football community can join in the celebration of the AFL legend’s life.
Kennedy played his milestone 250th AFL game last Saturday – on the same day his grandfather passed away.
Swans coach John Longmire said that his skipper’s courage on the emotion-charged day was typical of Kennedy’s character.
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“Josh found out (yesterday) morning and I spoke to him a couple of hours afterwards and just got the attitude, ‘That’s what grand dad would have wanted. Get on with the job’” said Longmire.
“Josh has an amazing ability to do that and you’d imagine now he probably takes a deep breath and takes it in a bit more. He was very close to John.”
Kennedy Sr was named an AFL Hall of Fame Legend last month.
Originally published as GWS boss sees arrival of Victorian clubs into NSW ‘super hub’ as big recruitment drive opportunity