AFTER just two years and seven matches, Sydney’s A-League derby is fast becoming an event to rival the Bledisloe Cup, the NRL grand final, State of Origin or the Golden Slipper and the Championships at Randwick.

Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers has rocked the foundations of sport in this city with the force of an earthquake.

It has now become such a monumental part of our sporting calendar that it could sell-out ANZ Stadium once a year — all 83,000 seats.

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media_camera The A-League Sydney derby has become one of the hottest tickets in Australian sport.

Saturday night’s crowd of 41,263 was the biggest at Allianz Stadium for a club game in any code. Bigger than any of the NRL’s Anzac Day games, bigger than any Waratahs match. And it sold out three days in advance.

Football boss David Gallop can no longer allow his clubs to dictate where this game will be played. The Wanderers insist on playing it at home in front of their 18,000 faithful fans at Pirtek Stadium, ignoring the opportunity to get another 65,000 paying customers at Homebush. Sydney FC wants to stay true to their fans too at Allianz.

The home ground advantage is massive and we love their loyalty to rusted-on fans — but that’s not the point. This game has become simply too big. It is an epic.

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These two great soccer clubs meet three times a year in the A-League draw.

The obvious solution is to play one game at ANZ, one at Pirtek and one at Allianz.

That way every sporting fan will get the opportunity to experience a truly marvellous sporting occasion. Easts v West. Everyone picks a side. Bring it on. Make it an annual December showdown in the lead-up to Christmas.

Show it on free-to-air and next time the broadcast deal is negotiated, get the big networks bidding for it alongside Fox Sports.

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media_camera Sydney FC fans invaded the pitch after the Sky Blues came back from 2-nil down to win the derby.

Sitting in the grandstand for these derbies is like nothing else in Australian sport. The RBB and the Cove supporter groups are the best and most passionate in the country. They make the event as much as the footballers.

I know because I’ve sat with both of them. It’s like Blatchy’s Blues at Origin but much louder. Like South Sydney’s Burrow on grand final day but even more fanatical.

Long-time soccer supporters say the atmosphere at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night was like soccer blockbusters in Europe.

The sight of Sydney FC fans invading the pitch to celebrate the match-winning goal might have been a security risk but it was as special as it gets.

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The phenomenal success and growth of the A-League, first under Frank Lowy and Ben Buckley, and even more so since David Gallop took charge, is just unbelievable.

After two rounds, the A-League match average is close to 20,000, a level that lifts the A-League, albeit temporarily, above the NRL’s season average.

Even the match report on the Sydney FC-Wanderers game was the No. 2 most-read story on The Daily Telegraph website on Sunday, with more hits than any other sports story.

Who knows what lies ahead in future years with another side in Sydney, almost certainly in Sydney’s south, to be added to the competition?

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media_camera Wanderers’ Vitor Saba is sent off for his tackle on Sydney FC's Terry Antonis.

The irony is Gallop was famously sacked by NRL chairman John Grant for being too ‘‘reactive’’.

Well, he’s about to react again to the remarkable success of this derby spectacular … like any good administrator would.

“Saturday night was just astonishing,” Gallop said. “The noise, the numbers and the drama went up another level from what we’ve seen before.

“The game’s growth is remarkable and it’s taking football into new territory.

“We will sit down and talk to Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, and our broadcast partners, to make sure we all make the most of this opportunity.”

It’s times like this when you need a ‘‘reactive’’ man in charge. Someone who is prepared to break tradition, throw open the gates of ANZ Stadium and sell out every single seat. This game deserves it.

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HIGHLIGHT

The Oztag national titles here in Coffs Harbour. Bill Harrigan might have struggled as a referees boss but he’s a fantastic tournament director. It was a wonderful weekend of footy with some absolutely amazing young talent on show.

LOWLIGHT

The very sad exit of Ewen McKenzie as Wallaby coach on Saturday night. He was an honourable man who chose to stand by a women in a very public stoush against a long-time trouble maker.

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SPIN CYCLE

The Australian Rugby Union have dug themselves into an even deeper hole by hiring old NRL spin doctor John Brady to oversee the media response to the Kurtly Beale scandal.

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CASHED UP

There is one positive for Parramatta fans to emerge from Jarryd Hayne’s decision to quit and chase his dream in the NFL.

It saves the club from huge salary cap pressure and the possibility of having to offload players at the end of the season.

The Eels were right on their limit for 2015 before Hayne’s $900,000-a-year was freed up.

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WINNDERS TAG

In what’s been a tough year in Shire footy, we celebrate hard for any win we can get. on Sunday this fantastic group of young girls won the National Oztag Under 15’s grand final for the mighty Cronulla Stingrays.

WELL DONE SHARPIE

Congratulations to former Sharks coach Peter Sharp who married his partner Margaret on Sunday after one of the toughest years of his coaching career.