Do you consider the GWS Giants a success?

I’m personally astounded as to why they haven’t won a premiership with the amount of high draft picks (too many I feel) they received.

I couldn't give you an exact figure, but I believe the Sydney Swans even achieve respectable crowd attendances on a regular basis. They've definitely cemented their place in the city, even if Aussie Rules itself hasn't achieved mass acceptance amongst the public. 

I agree that the Giants should be moved to the capital, but on the other hand, relocating the club would essentially be conceding defeat that Western Sydney was a mistake and the amount of negative press that would come as a result of the decision would be damaging for the code's image (particularly in NSW). Fans of the game have been saying for years that the Giants are unsustainable. The fact that the club has been in existence for a decade now and has yet to see any real growth in attendances/participation rates is telling enough. I'm sure the executives and board members of the AFL probably realise deep down that the GWS Giants should never have been added to the competition.

However, in saying that, I can't see the AFL making any changes to the franchise unless something forces their hand, whether that be crowd figures declining even further or the club netting an even bigger loss in finances. Until then, the Giants will continue to be the under-performing, "black sheep" of the AFL.

I found this interesting image on reddit about sports attendance in Sydney. Was very surprised to see that some NRL teams are getting lower crowd figures than GWS!

Yep. It has always been the case traditionally, but it has even more so in recent years as the NRL is actually experiencing somewhat of a decline. Average attendances are down, while Nine's coverage is also not performing as well as it had in the past. 

I'd say that there are other reasons at play, some of which stem back quite a number of years. A lot of long-time fans of the game have become disillusioned with the code in recent times, largely due to the introduction of the NRL Bunker and a lack of engagement with the traditional working-class supporter base. The Super League war and the eventual formation of the NRL during the Late '90s has left the sport in a precarious state and one that rugby league in general has struggled to dig itself out of since then.

The executives at the NRL want to expand the game's footprint across the country and possibly into overseas markets, but it's doing so at the expense of it's traditional supporter base in NSW & QLD. The threat of relocation or mergers has hung over the heads of the clubs ever since the NRL was formed back in 1998. It's an ominous presence that just won't go away. Now there's talk that an existing Sydney team (which is tipped to be either the Manly Sea Eagles or the Cronulla Sharks) will be relocated to Brisbane once the current media deal expires in 2022. If either one of those teams is relocated, it would be the final death knell for many fans of the game. There is an underlying sense of frustration among the NRL's supporter base. 

Rugby league is definitely a spectator sport, very much so. It doesn't get the crowds that the AFL does (except for S.O.O and the Grand Finals), but the matches themselves have an electrifying atmosphere and really draw you in to what is going on (especially if it's a tight match). IMO, another main contributing factor to the differences in crowd characteristics between the two codes are the contrasting sporting cultures of Sydney and Melbourne. To me, the AFL is much more of a "tribal" sport and there seems to be more of an emphasis placed on barracking for your team at the grounds themselves. That's why Melbourne is often referred to as the "sporting capital of the world". It has a very strong sporting culture. 

I also feel as though the A-League has somewhat eaten away at the NRL's supporter base. Rugby league is undoubtedly still the dominant code here in NSW and receives the most media coverage, but the introduction of the Western Sydney Wanderers back in 2012 really lifted the profile of football in this state. It's not uncommon to see WSW jerseys/stickers or Sydney FC merchandise when you're out and about. Also, looking at that picture telemelbs shared, Sydney FC now has a higher average attendance than three of the Sydney NRL clubs.

Wow I didn't know Melbourne Storm were on top of the ladder. I'm surprised the media here in Melbourne haven't talked about it!

But then again I tune out in the news sports report when they talk about NRL...