Australian Football League sides Sydney Swans and GWS Giants "expressed their frustration at the AFL's underwhelming efforts in promoting and marketing the game in NSW and Queensland," according to Caroline Wilson of THE AGE. Sydney CEO Andrew Ireland and GSW CEO David Matthews believe the AFL is "regularly missing opportunities to expand its supporter base." The AFL "cut Sydney's marketing budget by one-third" in '17 from A$1.5M to A$500,000 ($377,450) due to the new broadcast rights deal, which boasts less marketing "contra'' and also because of the "extra advertising money siphoned to the AFL Women's." Ireland said that while he enjoyed the AFL's '17 TV campaign featuring actor Liam Hemsworth and footballer Marcus Bontempelli -- completed only on the morning of the AFL season launch -- it "had not resonated with Sydney audiences." He added, "More to the point, it was launched too late for our markets. ... The reality is, and I've probably been saying this for the 30 seasons I've been involved here and in Brisbane, the northern markets need to be treated differently." Matthews, who with Ireland presented to the AFL Commission along with AFL NSW/ACT CEO Sam Graham, said, "The marketing challenge still hasn't been addressed." The Sydney camp "pushed for a ramped-up strategy across Sydney in terms of promotion, grass roots and funding to address the dearth of football ovals" (THE AGE, 4/18).