AFLW 2023 Fixture

[CrowdedHouse]

Possible scenarios going forward...

1. Outright strike. Overwhelming majority of players unsatisfied with League proposal and the season does not commence on the first weekend of September.

2. "No" voting block denies "Yes" the threshold. Replaying what happened a couple of years ago, League puts a proposal forward, Majority vote for it to try and get a season started, but "No" voting block denies majority reaching the threshold. If that happened, Scenario 3 occurs. Depending on when the vote is held, even a possible slight delay (a week or two) to the start of the season, or the forgoing of practice games.

3. CBA Rolls Over for Another Year. The League and the AFLPA struggle to reach anywhere near an agreement, but players want the season to still go ahead. Players agree to 10 Round season for this year and league agrees to back-pay pay rises for 2023 when agreement is finally reached.

4. Short-term compromised CBA reached. A separate Women's deal is done, so no joint CBA. Parties agree on a 2-3 year deal, with the season extending by one round each season of the agreement.

5. CBA signed, seal and delivered. A joint 9 year CBA is reached. Women get their significant pay rise, and 17 round season is locked in, but probably closer to finally happening in/near 2030. To appease for this year, League introduces NBA-style "play-in" tournament for the AFLW (which is happening this year in the Men's VFL), so there's at least one extra week of footy (in a way).


As much as I'd love to see someone take it to League Headquarters, scenario 1 is very unlikely of happening. The AFLPA might even blow smoke about it for a headline or two, but that's about it.

Now scenario 2 is technically a possibility, but even if all the "No" voters did a blocking move again, by the pure numbers of them leaving the league since that last happened, plus the influx of new (and younger) players added with expansion, if the head of the AFLPA says "vote Yes to this deal" it'll get past the threshold comfortably.

Scenario 3 I think is the most likely outcome. I think they'll kick the can down the road for a few more months. They'll do a roll-over and during the AFLW season (or just after the Christmas break) reach an agreement for both the women and men.

I can't see scenario 4 happening as the AFLPA wants a joint CBA, so a non-starter, and scenario 5 unlikely, at least within the coming two months.

 

[Teen Wolf]

When did possible become interchangeable with make-believe.

I thought...

In ongoing negotiations, the AFL's starting position is 10 H&A games per team, while the AFLPA's is 12. So I would guess it's a 60% chance of staying at 10, and a 40% chance of increasing to 11.

...sufficiently summarised the possible scenarios (in about 400 less words, too).

 

[Teen Wolf]

Only new thing from Jon Ralph's article today:

That consistent match day experience will see the league using only 26 official venues this year – down from 39 last year – to ensure AFLW players play on elite surfaces with stadiums that fit the demand for spectators.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Only new thing from Jon Ralph's article today:

That consistent match day experience will see the league using only 26 official venues this year – down from 39 last year – to ensure AFLW players play on elite surfaces with stadiums that fit the demand for spectators.

By my count, there were 36 venues used in S7.

If you exclude the main non-Geelong/Gold Coast AFL grounds (Gabba, SCG, Marvel Stadium, Giants Stadium, Adelaide Oval, MCG, Optus Stadium) in addition to the crappest small venues (Moreton Bay, Glenelg Oval, Bond Uni, Mildura, North Sydney Oval)... that cuts it down to 24.

So I'll be surprised if more than 2 of those 12 grounds are used.

 

[Cdog71]

Seems highly likely it’ll be a ten Rnd season and finals again.
I understand the idea to try and maximise engagement and get a very clear read on that compared to the last season but the fact is if you want players to play at their highest level and raise the level, players need to compete against the best often.
The big problem is the risk players have of not playing at all in a year if there is no second tier comp running concurrently and there’s an injury, IMO.

There’s an Olympics inside 9 years.
Parents of elite juniors who multi sport would be all over that comparing pathways and decisions on what sport to focus on.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Well money talks, and the AFL has said AFLW players will be the country's best paid domestic athletes by 2030. That will have a far greater impact on participation numbers etc. than whether the league takes a few extra years to expand to a 17-game season.

 

[Cdog71]

Well money talks, and the AFL has said AFLW players will be the country's best paid domestic athletes by 2030. That will have a far greater impact on participation numbers etc. than whether the league takes a few extra years to expand to a 17-game season.

That’s true, and better money spent on the pathways I spose.

10 Rnd season this year with an earlier start next year and a few more rounds I’m guessing.
Hope they get some interstate teams to Punt Rd
Sydney v Tiges
On a Sunday arvo, I’d like to see that

 

[Teen Wolf]

While we wait for the fixture to drop (maybe this week...), note the fixture for the penultimate round of the men's season (R23, 18-20 August):

Fri 7.50pm: Collingwood vs Brisbane (Marvel Stadium)
Sat 1.45pm: Richmond v North Melb. (MCG)
Sat 2.10pm: Gold Coast v Carlton (Heritage Bank Stadium)
Sat 4.35pm: GWS Giants v Essendon (Giants Stadium)
Sat 7.25pm: St Kilda v Geelong (Marvel Stadium)
Sat 7.10pm: Adelaide v Sydney (Adelaide Oval)
Sun 1.10pm: W. Bulldogs v West Coast (Marvel Stadium)
Sun 3.20pm: Melbourne v Hawthorn (MCG)
Sun 2.40pm: Fremantle v Port Adelaide (Optus Stadium)
Local times

One might fully expect that all to align with the women's official practice matches, as was the case last season. And if so, half-expect the Rich-NM and Melb-Haw praccies to be played as curtain-raisers at the MCG.

 

[Teen Wolf]

By my count, there were 36 venues used in S7.

If you exclude the main non-Geelong/Gold Coast AFL grounds (Gabba, SCG, Marvel Stadium, Giants Stadium, Adelaide Oval, MCG, Optus Stadium) in addition to the crappest small venues (Moreton Bay, Glenelg Oval, Bond Uni, Mildura, North Sydney Oval)... that cuts it down to 24.

So I'll be surprised if more than 2 of those 12 grounds are used.

Article by Sam Landsberger today saying a) clubs have been given a draft copy of the fixture; and b) Box Hill (rated as the worst surface by players) will be scrapped as an AFLW venue. Hooray, I considered putting BHCO in the above list but figured it wishful thinking.

Also a quote from Paul Marsh:

“The players would love to play more games (at Marvel Stadium), but they understand the competition has strong community roots. We want to make sure there’s a good mix.”

So maybe a little hope there, but not much.

 

[The Nostradamus]

hopefully they scrap casey fields

 

[Mitchell Madness]

hopefully they scrap casey fields

For a reason or because you don't like it?

 

[The Nostradamus]

For a reason or because you don't like it?

its never a good spectacle out there due to the wind and no grandstands blocking it out

 

[Mitchell Madness]

its never a good spectacle out there due to the wind and no grandstands blocking it out

Fair enough.
I was at the vflw there on the weekend. Yes, it was windy, but it actually opened up the game, so it didn't have a bad impact.

It's weird, walking around casey fields it isn't windy, but the main ground is

 

[The Victorian]

From my perspective of attending matches, this is how I would rate the the AFLW grounds that I have attended
1- Heritage Bank Stadium
2- Great Barrier Reef Arena
3- Arden Street Oval
4- VU Western Oval
5- Ikon Park
6- Henson Park
7- Punt Road Oval

 

[Mitchell Madness]

From my perspective of attending matches, this is how I would rate the the AFLW grounds that I have attended
1- Heritage Bank Stadium
2- Great Barrier Reef Arena
3- Arden Street Oval
4- VU Western Oval
5- Ikon Park
6- Henson Park
7- Punt Road Oval

Arden St and Punt Rd are terrible. Nostalgic sure, but terrible facilities. Punt Rd you're crammed in like sardines because half He ground is closed to the public too

I'm biased, but Frankston is amazing.
It's the right size ground the aflw (narrow and short), has space to truck in food trucks, room for kids at the beach end/nepean hwy end to run around, and good viewing spots on either wing and behind the goals on the end Street side (other side from nepean hwy)

Playing surface is amazing for the players. Facilities need work for the players, but they're still miles ahead of some grounds (arden St the away team changes in the gym)

 

[pattymalone00]

Looks like dingley and the box hill city oval redevelopment can’t come soon enough for Hawthorn

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Looks like dingley and the box hill city oval redevelopment can’t come soon enough for Hawthorn

It's an amazing fall from grace for city Oval

Was best surface in the VFL for years. They were pushing for funding to build a proper stand and rebuild club rooms.
Covid hit and it went to turd, and they don't look like recovering

 

[pattymalone00]

It's an amazing fall from grace for city Oval

Was best surface in the VFL for years. They were pushing for funding to build a proper stand and rebuild club rooms.
Covid hit and it went to turd, and they don't look like recovering

They’ve got the finances for it now think the redevelopment starts next year after footy season as mentioned about 32 mins into this Ed Sill - Talking Hawks , don’t know if they bring it forward now though…

 

[Teen Wolf]

Arden St and Punt Rd are terrible. Nostalgic sure, but terrible facilities. Punt Rd you're crammed in like sardines because half He ground is closed to the public too

I'm biased, but Frankston is amazing.
It's the right size ground the aflw (narrow and short), has space to truck in food trucks, room for kids at the beach end/nepean hwy end to run around, and good viewing spots on either wing and behind the goals on the end Street side (other side from nepean hwy)

Playing surface is amazing for the players. Facilities need work for the players, but they're still miles ahead of some grounds (arden St the away team changes in the gym)

...Frankston is 170m long, i.e. one of the longest grounds used. It certainly is narrow though, which just means it's easier to flood the back-half (hence why wider grounds are on average higher scoring). Nowhere near meeting the recommended guidelines for elite football.

The away team change rooms at Arden Street are brand new and, no, they are not in the gym.

 

[pattymalone00]

 

[Mitchell Madness]

So the main issue was the drainage for the players, not the surface itself?

 

[Mitchell Madness]

So league has just introduced a change to quarter structure - now full time on

They've also tried to reduce congestion by bringing the boundary umps in 10m. I think training players to go into the corridor rather down the line would help, but whatever...

60 interchange cap is interesting

 

[Teen Wolf]

now full time on

Wrong again.

Previously: 13 minutes with diluted time on + 2 minutes with full time on
Now: 15 minutes with diluted time on + 2 minutes with full time on

 

[Teen Wolf]

From Eliza Reilly:

CODE Sports understands that Fremantle has been pencilled in to play West Coast in round one.

It’s understood Fremantle Oval is the likely venue for the clash as the league prepares to largely move away from stadiums this season. It’s believed that in the proposed fixture, AFLW games will be played almost entirely at community venues. That is expected to include Geelong’s GMHBA stadium.

 

[Cdog71]

I like the changes to the quarters give teams more time to come back and a lot harder to flood all game