Play Nice AFL Womens - General Discussion

[greatwhiteshark]

Women's core strength is much lower than men's -so it takes, relatively, less strength for a woman to FLATTEN another woman in a tackle/bump/collision. Thus, women need just as much courage as men to play AF: they get hurt, & they KNOW that, eventually, all of them will get hurt at some time. Do NOT underestimate or denigrate the courage of women who play. IMO, people are flocking to AFLW matches primarily because of the courage/contest -they are witnessing as fierce a contest (in relative strength terms) as in the men's game.

The AFLW skills, obviously, aren't there yet -so skills are not the reason for the"massive" AFLW attendances & ratings in Year 1 (cf. overseas female professional soccer, which has existed for c.10 years).
In 10-15 years, the skills will be much closer to the men's (if the AFLW is able to attract most of Aust.'s best athletic females, which it probably will).

Leigh Matthews has said, because players are stronger, fitter & heavier than ever before, are able to get to more contests with greater speed (due to interchange), the bumps/collisions & force are greater than ever (supported by Prof. Norton's Report).

I share your dislike as to the tragedy that has befallen the WAFL (& TSL, SANFL, & VFA) -& also blame the AFL. The AFLW is a completely separate issue.

I was not in the slightest putting the AFLW down.
I disagree with you that people are flocking to watch women's footy because of the courage/contest. They are going because they are wearing their teams colours and jumper. The AFL have been very smart with this as women's footy had a huge mountain to climb to be recognised without the AFL lifting them up that mountain.
You only have to look at the state league crowds to see that women's footy is not that attractive yet.
Put a Collingwood jumper on them or a Dockers jumper etc and they will turn up.
But don't take that as putting it down, it's just a factual way it is evolving and well done to the AFL for this.
The players themselves are certainly courageous and are doing their best and like you said over time it will get much better. I genuinely wish them well and it has nothing to do with the WAFL.

 

[BringBackTorps]

I was not in the slightest putting the AFLW down.
I disagree with you that people are flocking to watch women's footy because of the courage/contest. They are going because they are wearing their teams colours and jumper. The AFL have been very smart with this as women's footy had a huge mountain to climb to be recognised without the AFL lifting them up that mountain.
You only have to look at the state league crowds to see that women's footy is not that attractive yet.
Put a Collingwood jumper on them or a Dockers jumper etc and they will turn up.
But don't take that as putting it down, it's just a factual way it is evolving and well done to the AFL for this.
The players themselves are certainly courageous and are doing their best and like you said over time it will get much better. I genuinely wish them well and it has nothing to do with the WAFL.

Agree with you that " wearing the AFL jumper" is a very important consideration for the huge success of the AFLW. However, it needs to be more than that. VFL men's teams (& Adelaide SANFL),wearing their AFL Club jumper, don't attract crowds & ratings that are remotely close to the AFLW.

If the AFLW was not an entertaining, hard fought courageous contest, interest would quickly dissipate -but the interest DID continue (at least when AFLW wasn't played concurrently with the AFL). And it is inevitable the skill levels will rise strongly, with the TAC/Academy programs.

The 2nd tier comps. need a Point Of Difference eg no/limited interchange (so more open play, more contested pack marks, more goals); torpedo goal outside 50 mtrs =2 goals; play some games in winter under lights mid week; or change the season -if enclosed grounds available (so not competing with the AFL -"clear media air").

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Agree with you that " wearing the AFL jumper" is a very important consideration for the huge success of the AFLW. However, it needs to be more than that. VFL men's teams (& Adelaide SANFL),wearing their AFL Club jumper, don't attract crowds & ratings that are remotely close to the AFLW.

If the AFLW was not an entertaining, hard fought courageous contest, interest would quickly dissipate -but the interest DID continue (at least when AFLW wasn't played concurrently with the AFL). And it is inevitable the skill levels will rise strongly, with the TAC/Academy programs.

The 2nd tier comps. need a Point Of Difference eg no/limited interchange (so more open play, more contested pack marks, more goals); torpedo goal outside 50 mtrs =2 goals; play some games in winter under lights mid week; or change the season -if enclosed grounds available (so not competing with the AFL -"clear media air").

I think you can't compare the VFL mens teams with the women as they are not having millions invested in them and given the media coverage. How they would love to be given the coverage though.
Your ideas for the second tier are pretty good with the best one being a separate network getting behind them and totally away from the AFL and channel 7.

 

[jatz14]

I think you can't compare the VFL mens teams with the women as they are not having millions invested in them and given the media coverage. How they would love to be given the coverage though.
Your ideas for the second tier are pretty good with the best one being a separate network getting behind them and totally away from the AFL and channel 7.

I suspect the money spent on the AFLW is roughly the same as in the VFL. VFL also has live coverage and streaming.

It falls behind in the media leg up the AFLW gets, but in my opinion, the advantage the women's league has is, it's the top level.

Go to a VFL game, you are watching the players not good enough to be playing AFL. Its a significant distinction, and one that keeps casual fans away.

More promo for state league footy doesn't change that.

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[greatwhiteshark]

I suspect the money spent on the AFLW is roughly the same as in the VFL. VFL also has live coverage and streaming.

It falls behind in the media leg up the AFLW gets, but in my opinion, the advantage the women's league has is, it's the top level.

Go to a VFL game, you are watching the players not good enough to be playing AFL. Its a significant distinction, and one that keeps casual fans away.

More promo for state league footy doesn't change that.

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Agree totally accept what we see at the minute is the top level of women's footy but not an elite level of football per say. Far from it in fact.
However it is still very early and in time the product will improve for sure.

 

[Gigantor]

Why W comes before X and Y

• Tegan Higginbotham

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/womens-afl/why-w-comes-before-x-and-y-20170819-gy00t5.html

(a surprisingly good read)

 

[NoobPie]

Why W comes before X and Y

• Tegan Higginbotham

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/womens-afl/why-w-comes-before-x-and-y-20170819-gy00t5.html

(a surprisingly good read)

I agreed with bits of it but I think the idea that the women's league could run up against the men's league at no impact is ridiculous. Having the grand final on the same weekend as the opening round was perhaps the biggest error in what was otherwise a very successful launch. If the only solution next year is to kick off in January than so be it

I've also got no problem with the afl playing the aflx during the period, just do it mid week and leave the weekends to the ladies. Same with the jlt. The men are fully professional and attendance is irrelevant for the jlt at least

In future seaseons, extend into November and December where the climate is much better for footy. Then have a 5/6 week summer break when the bbl is dominant anyway and return for the last few rounds and a proper finals series. The best thing for professional women's footy is precisely not to have it up against the afl. Also, in the early stages, rather than a gate encourage memberships and retain free entry. Big crowds, big occasions big growth. The tribes will galvanise around the women's teams in the off season for the men's. It's obvious

 

[Aeglos]

I agreed with bits of it but I think the idea that the women's league could run up against the men's league at no impact is ridiculous. Having the grand final on the same weekend as the opening round was perhaps the biggest error in what was otherwise a very successful launch. If the only solution next year is to kick off in January than so be it

I've also got no problem with the afl playing the aflx during the period, just do it mid week and leave the weekends to the ladies. Same with the jlt. The men are fully professional and attendance is irrelevant for the jlt at least

In future seaseons, extend into November and December where the climate is much better for footy. Then have a 5/6 week summer break when the bbl is dominant anyway and return for the last few rounds and a proper finals series. The best thing for professional women's footy is precisely not to have it up against the afl. Also, in the early stages, rather than a gate encourage memberships and retain free entry. Big crowds, big occasions big growth. The tribes will galvanise around the women's teams in the off season for the men's. It's obvious

Re: during the week games
Umps aren't full time and would need to take leave from work etc which may work against it

 

[NoobPie]

Re: during the week games
Umps aren't full time and would need to take leave from work etc which may work against it

Umpires do Thursday night games as it is. They are paid enough that they should be full time

 

[GreyCrow]

ABC TV have a 1 hour program Heroes detailing the 1st year of the AFLW as told by the players and coaches and administrators

Thursday ABC TV 8.30 31. July

 

[jatz14]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but I wanted to put it somewhere, as I found it interesting. ABC article about the draft camp, focusing on some Queensland girls. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...le-players-to-melbourne/9007794?section=sport

A couple highlight what all the fuss is about when it comes to the AFLW.

Ruby Blair - At one point the only girl playing footy on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast currently has 4 girls age divisions. So a women has gone from being the lone female player, to seeing 4 complete age groups, in her playing life time, and she is only 18.

The other was Kalinda Howarth. She wanted to play League, but her dad wouldn't allow it, and made the facetious comment of, if she wanted to play football, she should play the womens football (footy). She took him up on it, and now works for the Suns, and is possibly going to be drafted by the Lions. She has been appearing in Qld state teams since at least 15, so I wonder what her dad thinks of footy now.

I am betting her family has gone from not knowing much about it, to knowing more than they ever though possible.

 

[drunkill]

And yes, the AFLW combine started today, 47 participants who were sent there by all the clubs as prospective pickups.

 

[TWLS]

The support for the AFLW comes from many different sources in Australia.
Here is one of them.
The 2017 Australian Financial Review took a look at the most powerful people and Groups in the country.
Malcolm Turnbull as P.M. was at the top.

The AFLW attracted the following comments from the survey.

"The AFL’s Women’s league was named the second body with the most cultural power in Australia.

“Sheilas kicking Sherrins is a game-changer, creating a whole new type of champion and making players such as Erin Phillips household names,” the publication says.

“More than 24,000 turned up to see Carlton smash Collingwood in the first game of AFL Women’s.

“Once the season was over, almost 200,000 people had attended a match and the TV audience was 5.6 million.” End of quote

 

[Neese]

"The AFL’s Women’s league was named the second body with the most cultural power in Australia."

That's pretty cool

 

[TWLS]

Here is another article that includes a reference to the AFLW -How about the point that 2/3 thirds of the AFLW audience were totally new to the AFL. That is significant, and indicates considerable latent support for the Womens game.
E-Sports is huge around the world in the younger generations. I have watched a online team game about Tanks that was streamed all over the world, because of my interest in the military.
Etihad with all of the computer gear installed would be ideal.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/10/1...aybe-no-different-creating-womens-league-afl/

 

[Tandy]

It's also great that we have women's teams in qld and nsw. Let's say their families are all league and union followers prior to their daughters entering the women's afl pathways. That's thousands of new supporters of Aussie rules all because of the girls.

 

[jatz14]

I wonder what effect this has on drafting. Does it make it more likely teams draft for success now, as there may be no point drafting for 2 or 3 years down the tract, as you may not keep them?

 

[Cuzz09]

How much do they charge for a ticket to an AFLW game?

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[jatz14]

How much do they charge for a ticket to an AFLW game?

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

Still free.

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[jatz14]

The penny is dropping.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ent-attention-to-fend-off-afl-20171022-gz5u53

 

[TWLS]

The penny is dropping.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ent-attention-to-fend-off-afl-20171022-gz5u53

The simple fact is they are not ready - The NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said that in some of the earlier posts put on the now deleted Opposition Code thread.
He was looking at 2020/2021 for NSW and QLD.
Check this article link, which also has an article with good news for our mens game in country NSW, and is making inroads it appears.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-05/nrl-wont-jump-the-gun-on-womens-league-just-yet/8240140

 

[NoobPie]

The simple fact is they are not ready - The NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said that in some of the earlier posts put on the now deleted Opposition Code thread.
He was looking at 2020/2021 for NSW and QLD.
Check this article link, which also has an article with good news for our mens game in country NSW, and is making inroads it appears.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-05/nrl-wont-jump-the-gun-on-womens-league-just-yet/8240140

The fact there are more than double the adult female participants of Aus football than league in Sydney alone probably affects their feasible time lines

 

[BringBackTorps]

The simple fact is they are not ready - The NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said that in some of the earlier posts put on the now deleted Opposition Code thread.
He was looking at 2020/2021 for NSW and QLD.
Check this article link, which also has an article with good news for our mens game in country NSW, and is making inroads it appears.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-05/nrl-wont-jump-the-gun-on-womens-league-just-yet/8240140

It is interesting that Bennett & Greenberg above specifically refer to the AFL, & not female soccer, as a threat to RL. In NSW, GR male contact RL is declining -with soccer having FAR more regd. female & male players than RL & AF. Female soccer players there dwarf RL & AF female nos. ( I am ignoring the NRL claim that touch players should be considered RL players -there is a reason these touch players are not playing a contact sport!).
Soccer has had a very successful female national team; & a female national comp. for 10 years. But the NRL perceives AF to be the threat!?

IMO, the contact football codes all realise they are in DIRECT competition with each other for players. The non-contact sports are seen as indirect & lesser competitors re player participation.

B. Papworth, RU Syd. Shute Shield official, also singles out RL & AF (but not soccer) as competitors for RU. Soccer regd. nos. in Syd. "elite" GPS, ISA, & CAS private schools are now bigger than RU player nos. In Govt. schools, there are virtually no ongoing RU competitions.

 

[GreyCrow]

Arent the 7s popular? Didnt Oz win a Gold Medal? Wouldnt they be using that to push it along?

 

[jatz14]

Arent the 7s popular? Didnt Oz win a Gold Medal? Wouldnt they be using that to push it along?

They won a gold medal by dangling the carrot of a gold medal in front of a lot of athletes. They were mostly not women that grew up playing rugby. Their success does not come from a surge of support in women's 7s.

They are not capatilising on it either.

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