Never one to mince his words, Eddie Maguire has pointed out that the AFL has missed an opportunity to "own NSW" this weekend as the state's NRL fans and games migrate north to Queensland for Magic Round.
Maguire is well-known for his commercial acumen and this was no exception, stating that the AFL needed to be more adaptable when it comes to scheduling so as to take advantage of occasions like this.
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The AFL has long sought to expand its influence and popularity in New South Wales, an effort made more difficult by the NRL's popularity there, with 9 of the 17 teams in the competition located in the state.
Yet this weekend, the NRL has its annual Magic Round, where all games are played in Queensland, leaving Sydney completely available should the AFL have wished to schedule games at the SCG or at the Sydney Showgrounds.
As the Giants continue to struggle to attract large crowds, this weekend would have been the perfect opportunity to boost their numbers with a home game, which is instead being played at Manuka Oval in Canberra against the Western Bulldogs.
“This was an opportunity to get a situation where the AFL owned NSW,” he said on Wednesday night's Footy Classified on Nine.
“If you were in Canberra and instead of it being Collingwood Vs Sydney at the MCG, it was Sydney Vs Collingwood at what was ANZ (now Accor Stadium), that would have been sensational.”
"I know the fixtures come in late but you've got to be nimble enough when the opportunity comes. We should have been there and owning Sydney this weekend. You don't have to do Gather Round, you just have to do big games.”
Former Geelong superstar and Brownlow Medalist Jimmy Bartel was in agreeance, saying “one on the Friday night — Giants playing in Canberra on Friday night and have the Swans play Collingwood on Saturday night.”
The topic has become more prevalent in recent weeks following the news that Tasmania has been granted the 19th AFL license. Meanwhile, long-time Footy Classified co-host Caroline Wilson reported that the AFL is facing “significant challenges in Sydney”.
“The AFL has dropped the ball there and the clubs in Sydney are frustrated and the broadcasters are angry... The state that has one-third of the Australian population is providing one or two per cent of the footy talent.” Wilson said.
Sydney coach John Longmire was also vocal on the subject this week, imploring the AFL to not forget about NSW in all the hype surrounding the Tasmania news.
“Let's not take our eye off what's happening here in NSW in the most competitive sporting market in the world,” Longmire said on Wednesday.
“What we're mindful of is one third of Australia's population is in NSW, and yet only five per cent (of AFL players come from this state)... We're all focused on Tasmania, which is terrific. But if you've got one third of the population sitting here in NSW and only five per cent playing AFL football, I think we need to do a bit of work in that space.”
With so much at stake, it seems that an opportunity has indeed gone begging this weekend and while the news about Tasmania has been positive, the AFL must still keep its eye on New South Wales to ensure that none are left behind.
