Opinion AFLW comp structure

[adelaidecrows]

The current structure served the competition well during the startup to gauge interest and keep the competition from being too much too soon. But the women deserve to have their competition align with the mens. Should run at the same time. I dont think having them separate achieves the goals Nicole Livingston thinks it does.

From next season id

• Increase team lists to match the men at 22, a sub and emergencies. 18 on the field.
• Increase competition games to 18 inclusive of finals, the following year 22 inclusive of finals and the year after 22 games plus finals.
• Start the season the same weekend as the men.
• Competition structure, align the games to play same day as the men, before or after.
• Increase game time to 20 minutes plus time on like the men.

Overall the current structure is a mess. it looks messy and its a turn off for supporters to try and follow it. Especially as many people get football fatigue. Need a break, cricket season takes over. Competing against cricket is a mistake. Needs to be played in winter.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

A 17 round season would be good - play everyone once. Flip the home/away the following season.

A genuinely fair draw, so the complete opposite of the men's competition

I actually like the women's competition having a clear space in the calendar.

September finals are great but there is less on during that period and cricket doesn't really fire up until December. September, October, November is a space women's football can build a presence in I believe.

 

[radiojake]

Lining up with the men sounds good in theory until you realise the double ups may be completely out of sync with the fixture difficulty weighting

Definitely should play each side once - but until they do play each side once, then there really should be divisions, as in Top 8 and Bottom 10 so best sides play each other and the best from the bottom get promoted up to the best for the next season

Though they'll never do that

 

[adelaidecrows]

A 17 round season would be good - play everyone once. Flip the home/away the following season.

A genuinely fair draw, so the complete opposite of the men's competition

I actually like the women's competition having a clear space in the calendar.

September finals are great but there is less on during that period and cricket doesn't really fire up until December. September, October, November is a space women's football can build a presence in I believe.

But the concern is the heat and football fatigue by fans. Own space is great in theory but not really. Playing during winter would achieve more. All the girls football at clubs is in winter. Why can't they go home and watch womens football? I think they'd get more people at games and watching on tv if they played at the same time.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Depends on where they want to take it.

Running it in winter as a secondary competition, in the shadows of the men's game would be one option I guess (curtain raisers, similar to the old reserves teams).

I'd regard that as an afterthought and fear it would get drowned out with the main focus on AFL

Whereas in spring it can have its own profile.

Don't buy football fatigue either. European soccer seasons are 9 months. Cramming it all into winter? There's only so many hours in the week to follow football