THE AFL has placed on hold the formation date for its projected 18th team, conceding more work must be done to develop and market the game in western Sydney.

Although 2012 remains the AFL Commission's preferred launch date for a second team in Sydney, the prevailing view is that a fledgling team will not be formed before 2011.

The Age understands the commission's talks in Sydney last month considered a range of scenarios for the problematic frontier, including putting off the starting date beyond 2012 — the timing placed on the public agenda by chairman Mike Fitzpatrick in February.

However, the AFL's NSW boss, Dale Holmes, said 2012 remained the commission's preferred deadline, mindful of the preference for an even-numbered competition with no byes.

The commission meeting in Sydney, which included a tour of the western region, was the first indication that the AFL had become increasingly mindful of the world economic crisis and its impact on the AFL's Victorian clubs, and the potential spin-off problems created by an expensive expansion program.

Instead of pushing to create an under-18 team by 2010 and follow the Gold Coast model, the AFL looks certain to spend the next two years investing in extra development and marketing in the non-traditional football region, which Fitzpatrick noted at last week's AFL Future Directions conference had provided a disappointing return on its investment.

The commission has put off a final decision on the western Sydney team until the end of next year.

Not only did the 2008 AFL draft fail to provide one registered NSW footballer, but the Sydney Swans' television ratings, attendances and memberships dropped dramatically.

The AFL has accepted much of the blame for the dismal crowd of less than 20,000 which attended the Sydney-North Melbourne second elimination final at ANZ Stadium in September, and has taken on board advice from Swans executives to lift its game in terms of promoting the club and the AFL in Sydney.

Next season the AFL will design an advertising campaign specifically aimed at luring Sydneysiders to Swans games, and has for the first time appointed a Sydney-based advertising firm — the local arm of its contracted advertising company George Patterson — to promote the Sydney Swans.

The AFL also looks certain to schedule the second Sydney team a significant number of home-and-away fixtures at Manuka Oval in Canberra once it is launched, with the Sydney Showgrounds venue the preferred site for the bulk of the yet-to-be-formed side's home games.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and Holmes reiterated that the AFL had never specified that it would create an 18th team in the image of the 17th.