In recent media coverage, Chris Brown said the Giants seemed to be abandoning its GWS base. How do you respond to that?
The GIANTS have a meaningful and active presence throughout western Sydney through a wide range of community engagement programs and player appearances. In fact, of our 5,000 hours of player visits at schools, community clubs and other community organisations we have committed around 50% to the Blacktown region.
In addition the club will hold training sessions at BISP during the course of the season and we play our first NAB Cup game against the Swans and Carlton at Blacktown in February. Our Giants Academy program will continue to operate out of Blacktown International Sports Park as will the AFL'S development program.
Through our Community Partners such as University of Western Sydney we will deliver community outcomes that will enhance the aspiration and opportunities for youth across Western Sydney particularly through a Life Learning Program that we are developing with UWS.
What role does SOP play in your operations?
Blacktown International Sports Park is a wonderful sports precinct and we worked tirelessly with the Blacktown City Council to resolve our issues around access to the AFL field 12 months of the year. Unfortunately this could not be achieved in the short to medium term so we had to find a solution hence our base will be located at Sydney Olympic Park where we will have an elite AFL field for our sole use all year round.
The Blacktown City Council has been a very strong and supportive partner of the club and we are appreciative of the understanding they have shown us when it comes to this issue.
In addition we will have access to other elite amenities at Sydney Olympic Park the equal of any club in the AFL competition and enable us to compete for premiership success. In the meantime we will continue to work with Blacktown City Council on its master plan for the precinct.
Your corporate support base has grown. Have you peaked in this area?
We are delighted with the level of corporate support the club has achieved in its first year. To have organisations such as SKODA and Lifebroker as co major sponsors is outstanding for the club. We also have an array of sponsors and partners who have committed to the club. We are always looking to grow our corporate base and there is scope for new partners to come on board and be part of this exciting journey.
In addition we have a world class stadium in Skoda Stadium which we believe provides the most intimate and best fan experience in Sydney and is very family friendly. There are opportunities for organisations and individuals to purchase corporate hospitality offerings second to none and this is an area that provides real growth opportunities for the club.
In what ways will the departure of Israel Folau affect the Giants?
We respect Israel's decision and thank him for the contribution he made to the club and the AFL in the formative years of building the GIANTS. He has said himself that he did not have the required passion and he would be cheating himself if he stayed in the AFL so in that respect he has made the right decision and we fully support it.
How important are high profile names to attracting corporate sponsorship?
Everyone likes to watch the feats of the genuine superstars of the game and names such as Franklin, Goodes and Judd immediately spring to mind. They bring people to the game simply to marvel at their athletic abilities and skill. We believe that out of our young crop of talent we will also have superstars of the competition that fans and corporates will want to associate with and support. It helps build our fan base and encourages potential sponsors and partners to be part of something very special and exciting.
Can you outline any initiatives or plans to further engage the business and community bases of GWS?
We are delighted with the level of corporate support the club has but we are always looking at engaging more people and organisations with the club and our commercial operations team are working very hard on this.
We have established a Young Executive networking group and we are also engaging with Business networks across Western Sydney. In addition we have some outstanding community partners such as the Australian Diabetes Council, Westmead Medical Research Foundation, headspace, Catholic Care Social Services, Asthma Foundation and of course UWS all of whom do much work with communities across Western Sydney.
And we are working with Lend Lease as a major partner of the club particularly in Indigenous Communities as part of its Reconciliation Action Plan strategy including providing employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Community is critical to what we do. We are a club that values success but we also want to have strong values. We want to be bold, innovative, and inclusive. And we want to be family friendly as women and children are a huge part of our game.
One of the hallmarks of the AFL is that it is a game for everyone regardless of your background. We've seen that through the establishment of clubs like the Auburn Tigers (the first all Muslim team in Western Sydney) and the huge following our game has right across the community.
Participation numbers continue to grow in Western Sydney with a 27 per cent increase in the past 12 months and we are delighted with how people in Western Sydney are embracing AFL and the Giants. We had 10,000 members in our first year and believe membership is great way to support the club and see your heroes in action.
We also averaged nearly 11,000 people at our games and believe this will continue to grow as the club grows and we build awareness of Skoda Stadium and just what an exceptional fan experience it delivers.
For enquiries about becoming a GIANTS member go to www.gwsgiants.com.au or call 1300 GIANTS.
