Swans still hold hope for SCG home final
James Buckley
SMH, August 24

The AFL is expected to decide by the weekend if it can move Sydney's first-week home qualifying final to the SCG, should the Swans beat Richmond on Saturday and secure a top-two finish.

Fairfax Media understands the club has held talks with the league over the past two days, to see if it's viable to move a home final from ANZ Stadium to the SCG.

Accommodating about 10,000 paid-up spectators including a large corporate sector who had expected to watch any home final at ANZ appears to be the major stumbling block, given the SCG would likely be bulging at capacity should it be required to host a final.

ANZ Stadium has a capacity of 82,500, making it almost 35,000 seats larger than the SCG.

Swans stuck at ANZ for finals
Peter Lalor
The Australian, August 24

Sydney will be forced to play their finals at ANZ Stadium and not the SCG unless the AFL offers a compensation deal which includes looking after members of the former Olympic venue.

In February the Swans announced they had pulled out of a contract to play three games a season at Homebush a year early.

Part of the compensation offered to the ANZ — which is now owned by the NSW state government — to break the deal included offering its members access to three games a year in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as a trade-off.

It is understood 800-odd have taken up that offer at any home and away match this season.

Sources said the AFL was offered a similar deal to get out of its contract to host finals at ANZ Stadium but that was the roadblock then and is said to remain so now.

ANZ Stadium management refused to comment on negotiations yesterday and the AFL would only acknowledge that it had an existing contract to host finals at the venue in 2016.

SCG still in finals picture
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, August 24

A RESOLUTION to the Sydney Swans stadium drama will be an all-or-nothing approach by the AFL — either both finals will move to the SCG or none at all.

Publicly the Swans are playing down the likelihood that their wish for finals matches to be moved from ANZ Stadium to the SCG will be granted.

But The Daily Telegraph understands that high-level negotiations are continuing and there remains a strong chance the AFL will instigate a change in venue.

Either way, it’s expected the AFL is still likely to make its decision by the end of the week — despite the fact Swans chairman Andrew Pridham doesn’t believe an answer will come until after finals fixtures are confirmed.

Sydney are in the box seat to finish in the top two, meaning they will be guaranteed two home finals.

Swans are left cold
Ben Horne
Daily Telegraph, August 24

PREMIERSHIP favourites Sydney have voiced concern about the “unnecessary” rule change that threatens to jeopardise their finals momentum.

The AFL’s controversial decision to introduce a bye week heading into the opening round of the finals has the Swans edgy that their flying finish to the season could be thrown off course.

Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham isn’t jumping to any conclusions but expects the AFL to conduct an immediate post-season review into the bizarre scheduling arrangement in which the Swans could play just one match in three weeks at the business end of the year — just when teams want to be hitting their straps.

The AFL’s questionable strategy to stop teams resting players in the final week before the finals has seemingly backfired thanks to an incredibly tight season in which only one win separates first from seventh.

Now the Swans shape as the guinea pigs most at risk of being dudded by a system that makes winning their first final and earning a week off a double-edged sword rather than the gilt-edged advantage it’s designed to be. The big unknown is will the Swans arrive at a preliminary final underdone?
 

Qatar Airways to sponsor Sydney Swans
Australian Aviation, August 23

Qatar Airways is the latest airline keen to be a part of the nation’s most popular sporting code with a new three-year sponsorship deal with Australian Football League club the Sydney Swans.

Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham said Qatar would be the club’s official international airline partner until the end of the 2019 season.

“This is a significant partnership for our football club and, as the airline’s own brand message suggests, we’re excited to be Going Places Together,” Pridham said in a statement.

Pridham made the official announcement at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday alongside Qatar country manager for Australasia Adam Radwanski, Swans club chief executive Andrew Ireland, coach John Longmire and captain Kieren Jack.

While the Sydney Swans represents the oneworld alliance member’s first AFL sponsorship, Qatar is not the only airline with links to the AFL, with Virgin Australia the official sponsor of the league and with individual sponsorships with the Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Carlton and West Coast.

Qatar Airways strikes first sports sponsorship agreement with Sydney Swans deal
Mumbrella
Steve Jones, August 23

Qatar Airways has followed Middle East rivals Emirates and Etihad into sports sponsorship by signing a three-year deal with AFL team Sydney Swans.

The Doha-based airline, which launched flights to Sydney in March, will receive prominent branding during the Swans’ home matches at the Sydney Cricket Ground and at the club’s training facility, while players will front the airline’s marketing activities.

The deal is Qatar’s first foray into sport sponsorship, a path that has been well trodden by competitors.

Qatar Australia country manager, Adam Radwanksi, said the agreement will align the airline with a sporting code that “has a special place in Australian hearts”.

“AFL is part of Australian culture,” he said. “It is all about expanding awareness of our brand and will help us achieve our commercial goals.”

Qatar Airways’ switch play deal with Sydney Swans set to boost Australian profile
The National, August 23

Qatar Airways, the sponsors of FC Barcelona, have branched into a new sport signing a deal with Australian Football League team Sydney Swans, the airline announced on Tuesday.

The three-year deal will allow Qatar Airways to receive "prominent branding" at the Aussie rules club’s home games and at its training grounds, the airline said.

"We strongly believe in connecting with our global travellers through their passion for sport, and have been looking for the right partner for Qatar Airways in Australia’s sports arena," said the carrier’s chief executive, Akbar Al Baker.

The deal runs until the end of the 2019 season.