Greater Western Sydney GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd has unveiled his vision for the club at the GIANTS' 2015 Season Launch at the University of Western Sydney in Parramatta.

As the GIANTS enter their fourth season in the AFL, Shepherd has outlined clear goals for both on and off-field success over the next four years.  

“Make no mistake  - we want to play finals football and will be disappointed if we don’t achieve this in the next two years. We also aspire to play in Grand Finals and win premierships. It’s the reason everyone plays the game,” said Shepherd in front of 300 guests at the Season Launch at UWS Parramatta.  

“We want to continue to build our fan base and membership. By 2018, when we are hopefully contending for a premiership, we want to have 20,000 members and average crowds of 20,000 at Spotless Stadium and 10,000 at StarTrack Oval Canberra.

“We are under no illusions that these are ambitious goals that will require a renewed commitment to excellence through hard work and innovation. But they are also nothing less than what the people of Western Sydney and Canberra deserve.

“Our purpose is clear. We want to build a great club like no other. A club that wins premierships, delivers the best family entertainment and enriches the lives of people in Western Sydney, Canberra and our broader communities,” he said.

Shepherd touched on the challenges the GIANTS have overcome in their three seasons in the competition and mentioned some of the achievements already reached by the AFL’s newest club.

“We have a talented and exciting playing list headed by an excellent leadership group and a dynamic coach in Leon Cameron,” he said.

“We have a first class venue at Spotless Stadium and a state of the art training and administration headquarters, our Learning Life Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

“We have put down strong roots in Western Sydney and Canberra and forged corporate and community partnerships that will form the bedrock of this club.

“We have a passionate and growing fan base and signed up 13,000 members in 2014. A year in which we enjoyed our best season yet, including our first win against the Swans, first away win, first back to back wins and first wins at the MCG and Etihad Stadium.”

Shepherd said the growth of AFL in Western Sydney demonstrates the impact the GIANTS are having on the region.

“This is one of the great regions of Australia. In many ways the values of Western Sydney mirror those of our game and the GWS GIANTS,” said Shepherd.

“It’s inclusive, diverse and open to everyone regardless of their background. It’s family friendly and has a strong sense of community and belonging.

“In just three years we’ve seen participation rates in AFL grow by more than 70 per cent in Western Sydney alone. We’ve seen an explosion in the number of young children playing AFL and wearing the GWS GIANTS colours from Concord to Penrith.

“We’ve seen the formation of a team of predominantly young Muslim women, the Auburn GIANTS. Just think about that for a moment. Young Muslim women in Western Sydney playing our game and changing it forever,” he said.

The GIANTS finalise their preparations for the 2015 season with a NAB Challenge match against cross-town rivals the Swans at StarTrack Oval Canberra this Sunday, March 22. Tickets are available through Ticketek.

To become a GIANTS member visit membership.gwsgiants.com.au or call 1300 442 687.