How a startup club with giant ambition built a loyal band of followers.  

They’re a startup club that has built a strong and loyal membership of 37,000 in the space of just 14 years, with a team that has played in eight AFL finals series – and secured the sponsorship of Mirvac. Impressive by any measure but the GIANTS are only just getting started. 

The AFL’s decision in 2008 to expand the league to 18, with one new club in Western Sydney and the other on the Gold Coast, was about building the game in two states where Rugby League had long reigned supreme. 

There was no evidence that Sydney was crying out for another AFL club but the fact that 54 per cent of Australia’s population residing north of the game’s Victorian heartland had only two teams to barrack for suggested opportunity. 

David Matthews, the GIANTS’ CEO since inauguration, has guided the club through its foundation years, dealing with the challenges of starting out with no history, no staff, no players, no colours or logos and critical to the success of any club, no fans or members. 

“Western Sydney didn’t need an AFL club as much as the AFL needed Western Sydney,” explains Mr Matthews. “I have never wanted us to present as arrogant enough to think we are satisfying some unmet demand. We are here to create demand and build awareness. 

“We worked really hard to find our place in Western Sydney and be respectful of the heritage and history of other sporting codes. You’re writing history every day and hopefully making more good decisions than bad ones.  

“As an organisation you’re facing the same challenges as a startup business needing to establish your culture, values and purpose.” 

By the time the GIANTS played their first game before a crowd of 38,000, the club had 10,000 members, enough to make a noise in the stands and make the big, big sound promised in the club’s catchy team song. 

It was an encouraging start but retaining those foundation members and growing its fan base has required a relentless effort to build brand loyalty. 

“We had a great coach in Kevin Sheedy, and although we had a lot of talented young players we lost a lot of games by big margins,” says Mr Matthews. “That tested the patience and resilience of members in those early years.” 

But fans remained steadfast, finding the club offered something bigger and more meaningful than just footy. 

“What we did early on is put a strong focus on community programs to establish our reputation and build trust,” says Mr Matthews. “The first step was convincing people that we are not going anywhere; that we are genuine, authentic and here for the long haul. 

“We also wanted to be a source of pride for our members and challenge that categorisation of Western Sydney being a bit of an underdog.” 

It’s a mischaracterisation that ignores the deep sense of pride amongst those who’ve built homes and businesses, and raised families in Greater Western Sydney. It also ignores the huge economic shift underway as new transport infrastructure and the imminent opening of Western Sydney International Airport opens up opportunities for housing and jobs, attracting multi-billion dollar investment from companies such as Mirvac. 

The scale of Greater Western Sydney’s growth prospects forces Mr Matthews to put the size of the club’s membership into perspective. 

“It’s a good number but not a big number when you compare it to the population of Western Sydney,” says Mr Matthews. “The past 14 years have gone quickly and there is still so much growth and opportunity ahead of us.  

“We acknowledged from the beginning that we are in the sports and entertainment business. We don’t want to be a boring club, we want to be daring.  

“Our purpose, to be a great club like no other, lets us do things differently. We are not concerned about history; our club has a youthful personality and I like that. In our social media we push that with cheeky messaging, showing we are hard to play against on the field and entertaining off the field.” 

True fans are like a good marriage; they stay loyal and true whether you’re winning or losing. Loyalty is not something the club takes for granted, realising that members have broad expectations. 

“They want to see an alignment of their values and our values. They are giving us their loyalty because they want some fundamental things and among these is value for money. We are big on affordability and not expecting people to pay a premium for an experience. 

“We do a lot of work surveying our membership to find out what is important to them. Our stadium gets a lot of positive feedback and has been voted the best event experience in the AFL three times. 

“We rate high for safety; parents feel they can bring their children and have a safe and enjoyable day out with good food and beverage and high quality amenity.

“Our crowd behaviour is partly determined by the mix of people who attend our games. It’s not a blokey culture, more a 50-50 gender mix. That underpins a really nice environment. 

“We are building loyalty one member at a time. So the initial 10,000 we had to begin with leads to a web of entanglement; someone brings a mate to a game or wives become more engaged because they can see women and children in the crowd. It’s been more grass roots marketing, people saying it is a great experience.” 

In Melbourne, many clubs can not only boast more than 150 years of member loyalty but also generational player loyalty. The GIANTS had no such fealty to draw upon although they did have the drawcard of one of the great legends of the game, Kevin Sheedy as coach. 

The AFL draft favours expansion teams such as the GIANTS and the club had access to a significant number of early picks on a minimum two-year contract. 

“You have two years to ensure the young player belongs in your culture and sees the attraction of your club,” says Mr Matthews. “The retention of our players is a huge challenge but we’ve been successful in retaining the majority of players. 

“What benefits us is the Sydney lifestyle, the weather and beaches. And you can escape the intensity of the Melbourne AFL bubble. 

“Young players being drafted want to feel they can achieve premierships and while we haven’t won one yet, we have competed hard. 

“You just need to look at Toby Greene who we drafted in our inaugural year and has grown into a tremendous player and skipper who broke the club’s all time games record in April.” 

A lot of it comes down to culture, being inclusive, and what the leadership is like. Another part of it is about the company you keep. Signing a 3 year sponsorship agreement with Mirvac was an important affirmation of shared values and culture. 

“Our players feel a sense of pride that a company with the size and reputation of Mirvac supports the club,” says Mr Matthews. “It gives us confidence when quality companies seek to partner with us and shows that corporate Australia has a real desire to connect with Western Sydney. 

“We like that Mirvac is creative. They see the world differently and are big on bringing imagination to their work.” 

Mirvac’s sponsorship will support the GIANTS playing in the AFL and AFLW with an emphasis on community impact, enabling the club to deliver an in-schools program to improve health and education for culturally and linguistically diverse students. 

It’s a reflection, too, of Mirvac’s growing footprint in Western Sydney, with expansion of its industrial and masterplanned community portfolio. 

There is a strong brand alignment between Mirvac and the GIANTS, according to Mirvac CEO & Managing Director Campbell Hanan. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity to align our brand with an organisation that shares our passion for community and building something truly meaningful,” says Mr Hanan. 

“We both share a very strong commitment to Greater Western Sydney. Through this sponsorship we aim to further strengthen our connection to the Western Sydney community and contribute to this region’s vibrant sporting culture.” 

The synergies extend beyond a common interest in the future wellbeing of Western Sydney. Legacy and loyalty are indelibly intertwined in the culture of each. Mirvac’s reputation has been built upon more than 50 years of customer loyalty; the GIANTS have had 14 years to build its loyal member base setting the stage to leave a lasting legacy. 

Former AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou predicted it would take 25 to 30 years to know whether the GIANTS had been a success. In the stands, the massed voices of loyal fans making a big, big sound suggest success has arrived early.