AFL 2023: Eddie McGuire says AFL missed trick to ‘own NSW’ during Magic Round, Sydney Swans, GWS Giants

The NRL, which has 9 of its 17 groups primarily based in Sydney, is enjoying its fourth annual Magic Spherical in Brisbane this weekend, leaving NSW up for grabs for the AFL.

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However in what may very well be seen as a scheduling blunder, the AFL, which hoped the GWS Giants would make inroads into the rugby league heartland in western Sydney, haven’t obtained any video games in NSW both.

The Giants have a house sport however have taken it to Canberra’s Manuka Oval for Saturday night time’s conflict with the Western Bulldogs, whereas the Swans will play Sunday afternoon on the MCG in opposition to the Collingwood Magpies.

Though neither the AFL or NRL wish to acknowledge the opposite aside from making potshots, it looks like a missed alternative to McGuire.

“This was a possibility to get a state of affairs the place the AFL owned NSW,” he mentioned on Wednesday night time’s Footy Labeled on 9.

“In case you had been in Canberra and as an alternative of it being Collingwood Vs Sydney on the MCG, it was Sydney Vs Collingwood at what was ANZ (now Accor Stadium), that might have been sensational.”

2007 Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel agreed and mentioned it ought to have been “one on the Friday night time — Giants enjoying in Canberra on Friday night time and have the Swans play Collingwood on Saturday night time.”

As an apart, McGuire mentioned he’d just like the Giants to vary their title to the NSW Giants, however he additionally pointed to the most important ever crowds in Sydney.

The largest crowd was in spherical 21 of the 2003 season when the Swans and Magpies had 72,393 followers on the Olympic Stadium, three years after the Sydney Video games.

There have been 56 AFL video games performed at Stadium Australia since 2002 however earlier than the final one between the Swans and Giants in spherical one of many 2022 season, the earlier time was the Sydney sides enjoying the 2016 qualifying ultimate.

McGuire mentioned the document crowd was an evening the place it was the one AFL match of the night time and whereas there was an NRL match in Sydney, it nonetheless attracted the document crowd.

McGuire, who was the Collingwood president on the time, mentioned the match had a huge effect.

“I obtained a cellphone name a number of days later from Bob Carr (then NSW Premier), who didn’t know something about soccer, overtly mentioned that, didn’t know something about any sports activities, and he mentioned ‘I’ll give you, Collingwood Soccer Membership, $5 million money and all bills to play Anzac Day up in Sydney’,” McGuire mentioned.

“In the long run, we went to the AFL and mentioned ‘look, there’s an actual possibility for some issues’, we obtained $50m out of the state authorities of Victoria to repair up and refurbish the MCG AFL members a part of the Southern Stand. Everybody shared in it, we didn’t pocket the cash and run. We didn’t need to go away Anzac Day from the MCG.

“However that’s the affect.”

McGuire added he’d spoken to the pinnacle of managing director of Seven Melbourne and head of community sport Lewis Martin and relayed that he’d mentioned “we had been completely happy to go to Sydney, we thought it was a bit unusual as nicely.”

McGuire continued: “I do know the fixtures are available late however you’ve obtained to be nimble sufficient when the chance comes.

“We must always have been there and proudly owning Sydney this weekend. You don’t must do Collect Spherical, you simply must do large video games.”

It comes after veteran journalist Caroline Wilson spoke on Monday night time’s version of Footy Labeled saying AFL faces “vital challenges in Sydney”.

“The AFL has dropped the ball there and the golf equipment in Sydney are pissed off and the broadcasters are offended,” Wilson mentioned.

“The state that has one-third of the Australian inhabitants is offering one or two per cent of the footy expertise.”

The problem has been additional dropped at the fore with the announcement that Tasmania could be the AFL’s nineteenth workforce.

After that announcement, Swans coach John Longmire known as on the AFL to make sure the NSW golf equipment don’t get left behind.

“Let’s not take our eye off what’s occurring right here in NSW in essentially the most aggressive sporting market on the earth,” Longmire mentioned on Wednesday.

“What we’re aware of is one third of Australia’s inhabitants is in NSW, and but solely 5 per cent (of AFL gamers come from this state).

“We’re all centered on Tasmania, which is terrific.

“However if you happen to’ve obtained one third of the inhabitants sitting right here in NSW and solely 5 per cent enjoying AFL soccer, I feel we have to do a bit of labor in that area.”