Adam Bailey
DeanoHarmoLocal AFL in Sydney
May 30th 2007 07:26
Category: No Category
Yep, there's more to AFL in Sydney than the Swans. Sydney also has its own AFL competition, one which has been running longer than the NRL, running continuously since 1903.
I have been involved with the Sydney AFL competition for the last few years, doing a column on RedAndWhiteOnline and have also had contributions published in the local footy Record. It's a competition that is under-rated in football terms, but has supplied several players who have been drafted into the AFL - a trend that should only increase in upcoming years with the introduction of the AFL Scholarship program, which links young footballing talent in Sydney with AFL clubs.
Much of what Sydney's sporting tradition has lost in other codes is still here. Norths are there, in black and red. Balmain is there; and so is Wests, the Magpies wearing black and white and based in Ashfield. But that doesn't ignore Campbelltown, and they have a team as well. St George and Wollongong still exist as stand-alone clubs; while UNSW-Easts are there in red, white and blue. But other regions in Sydney are also represented - Sydney's growing north-west are represented by the Pennant Hills Demons and the East Coast Eagles, a side with a home ground under construction in Kellyville and an affiliation with the reigning AFL premiers from WA. Plus Sydney Uni, NSW's oldest football club and from an institution with a proud sporting heritage.
With the success of the Swans in recent years, participation at the grassroots levels is on the rise. More junior teams are in place than ever before, right up to the under-18s. At senior level more rising stars are given their opportunity to shine. Although Sydney hasn't always had a reputation as an AFL stronghold, the situation is constantly getting better.
So if you're in Sydney on a weekend with nothing to do, why not check out a local AFL game? You won't regret it. And in early September, when the best of the best are in action in the finals, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the quality of football on display.
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