Sheedy Slams Fixture
KEVIN Sheedy has blamed the "Melbourne bubble" for a lack of fixturing foresight after his Greater Western Sydney side played in front of the lowest home crowd in its history on Sunday.
Just 5830 fans turned up for the first match at ŠKODA Stadium this season, when the Giants suffered a 135-point defeat to Adelaide.
While Sheedy acknowledges his side needs to be far more competitive to warrant big crowds at the 25,000-seat venue, he believes the AFL needs to have a major rethink when it comes to scheduling.
The AFL decided to put GWS v Adelaide and Melbourne v Gold Coast on Mother's Day and the move failed terribly in Sydney.
The crowd was considerably lower than the Giants' previous worst, the 6,696 at the same venue for the round 23 game against North Melbourne last year.
It re-emphasised to Sheedy how difficult it is for a start-up club, a point made a number of times to the Giants by crosstown rivals the Swans, as well as the importance of getting scheduling correct.
"It was probably a reminder of what the Swans have been telling us," Sheedy said.
"(Swans chairman) Richard Colless has been saying we're going to do it hard early, no matter what you think you're going to do.
"But if you're going to put a game on Mother's Day with a start-up club, us here and Gold Coast against Melbourne at the MCG, they will want to have a good look at themselves who puts the structures and plans together in regards to footy fixtures.
"Mother's Day should probably be an area where some of the great clubs turn up and celebrate with their mothers. We used to do that at Essendon.
"It's a big ask for Gold Coast or ourselves to be running around on Mother's Day when you're starting up, to be honest, particularly in your home territory.
"That's something that the Melbourne bubble could get right."
LOWEST HOME CROWDS IN GWS HISTORY
5830 - v Adelaide Crows, ŠKODA Stadium, Round seven, 2013
6696 - v North Melbourne, ŠKODA Stadium, Round 23, 2012
6811 - v Port Adelaide, ŠKODA Stadium, Round 19, 2012
6832 - v Gold Coast, Manuka Oval, Canberra Round five, 2013
6875 - v West Coast, Blacktown, Round three, 2012
Sheedy also believes part of the issue is the fact the Giants finally played their first match at their Sydney home in round seven of the competition.
He insists the season must start earlier, to match or supersede the start of the NRL season, and could even overlap with the final stages of the NAB Cup.
GWS doesn't get access to the ground until the completion of the Easter Show, in late March and early April, an issue the club is determined to solve from next season onwards.
"I think we should play here earlier," Sheedy said.
"We need to work out how to play here earlier in the year, maybe St Patrick's Day (March 17) next year.
"We have to get a game before the (Easter) Show starts.
"To be turning up here at this time of year, we have to have a better plan."