Capital growth for GWS

Canberra local Tom Green is adamant the pathway to success for the Giants is to keep a foot in both NSW and the ACT going forward.

The Giants’ presence in the nation’s capital continues to grow as they took part in a series of school visits and community clinics this week in Canberra.

Players from the men’s side visited more than 25 schools and are expected to interact with up to 3000 local and junior footballers from around the territory across three days.

While the club is adamant that Western Sydney will always be their main home, striking a balance between both venues has been a priority. And Green believes that the Giants’ long-term commitment to the ACT is already paying dividends.

“Rugby union has traditionally been probably the biggest sport in the area,” Green said. “But I think even in my years that I was here, I noticed a shift sort of away from the traditional codes to AFL.

“We’ve got 5000 members in Canberra which is a fantastic amount. It’s only going to continue to grow … that’s an important demographic that I think we need to continue to consolidate.

“Canberra is Giants territory. We absolutely love coming down here, we get a fantastic crowd and a great turnout every time we come down here.

“It’s something that we need to continue balancing because it is such a great home venue.”

The Giants clearly have a receptive audience anytime they come to town. Each of their three AFL matches at Manuka

Oval last year surpassed 10,000 fans while the club is confident it will exceed last season’s record of more than 6000 members from the ACT.

Part of what makes Canberra so appealing for the Giants is the fact that it is a strong expat community. Many locals come from more AFL-strong states like Victoria which makes the cut-through arguably easier than Western Sydney.

It’s also a part of the longterm commitment from the club to continue growing out their fanbase. While they could be investing in purely growing their Western Sydney base, the Giants are locked in until the end of 2032 to take five games a year to Canberra – one pre-season match, three AFL fixtures and one AFLW game.

“It is an important part of our strategy,” GWS chairman Tim Reed said.

“As a new club, you start at zero. You have to win your first fan and then your second fan and then your third fan.“The bigger the market that you’re tapping into, the more rapidly you grow. Canberra has been a big part of that growth.”

The Giants will play on Anzac Day with a blockbuster night game scheduled against the Lions at Manuka Oval.

Their continued presence in the territory has also helped stimulate the growth of local footy with Auskick registrations up 15 per cent in 2024.