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**Tell the AFL they're dreaming, says Geyer**
Greg Prichard | November 11, 2009
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PENRITH great Mark Geyer hit as hard with his words as he used to with his shoulder yesterday, entering the debate over rugby league versus AFL in western Sydney and declaring that while the AFL knew how to create publicity they were doomed to fail in their bid to gain significant support in league's heartland.
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Geyer, who was at Penrith's home ground, CUA Stadium, to help publicise the club's membership drive, said he knew from growing up and living in the area that when the Greater Western Sydney team started playing in 2012 it wouldn't get the level of crowd support the AFL was aiming at.
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''I'm just as concerned about the AFL threat as Melbourne would be about a second rugby league team,'' Geyer said. ''In other words, I'm not concerned. The fact they've got Kevin Sheedy as coach brings big publicity points to their franchise, since he is probably the AFL equivalent to Wayne Bennett, but ultimately they're in for a rude shock once they get out here into the western suburbs and realise AFL is a game that really doesn't compete with rugby league.
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''Karmichael Hunt diving over to the AFL, Grant Mayer, Sheedy, they're all good for publicity, but it won't sustain it. I've been here for 40 years, so I know exactly what the people in the west think and how they live, and while AFL is getting publicity out here at the moment it certainly won't be any challenge to rugby league.''
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Geyer said he didn't envisage the AFL managing to sign a league superstar. Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Michael Jennings (Penrith) and Jamal Idris (Bulldogs) are understood to be included on their wish list, from which they would like to grab one to boost the GWS push.
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''The last time I looked, there were no Polynesian players in the AFL, but they're the players they're targeting,'' he said. ''I think it's all baloney. I don't think the Polynesian player has the build for AFL. Rugby league he has, big-time. I think they're throwing up names willy-nilly - Jarryd Hayne's about to re-sign for Parramatta.''
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Asked if he thought the NRL needed to be more active in a bid to match the AFL, Geyer said he believed the league couldn't have had a better advertisement for the game than this season.
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''I don't think they can do much more than they're doing at the moment,'' he said. ''Maybe a team on the Central Coast and maybe another one in Queensland, but I think when you're celebrating such a big year as we've just had it's very hard to start planning and putting other teams in. You look at the 2009 league season and that's your blueprint for success, and if they go away from that in any way, shape or form then they could be in trouble.''
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Penrith's premiership-winning captain from 1991, Greg Alexander, was similarly confident the sky would not be falling in on league in western Sydney just because the AFL was competing for public support.
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''It's not as if AFL's a new game to Sydney - the Swans have been here for 30 years,'' Alexander said.
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''I think league should be on guard but … It's not a new sport - everyone knows about it.''
Panther's Legend Mark Geyer….love that pic.
The NRL should be worried...I work in a school that produced the likes of Minichello and De Gois........Four years ago AFL didnt exist.....they came along giving the school equipment........ offering free assistance to the P.E. staff to develop AFL into the cirriculum..they accepted......We now have 2 full teams in the MCS competion.....
While Rugby League still rules the skool.... I was a bit shocked the other day when games of AFL where being played at recess and lunch.....
This is where the AFL have it all over the NRL.........they have the $$$$$ and they are not afraid to throw it at the grassroots level....something the NRL..... thank you Mr Gallop........take for granted.......
