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St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Richmond want women’s football license
THE AFL’s push to fast track a national women’s league ahead of the 2017 season is gaining momentum, with six Victorian clubs eager to secure a license.
Fox Footy understands Carlton, Richmond and St Kilda have formally expressed interest in joining Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and now Essendon in a competition that could also include two interstate teams.
While the exact make-up of the league is yet to be determined, it is believed Queensland is almost certain to have one of the two allotted interstate teams.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan put the ambitious concept on the agenda in February this year. “We’ve had spectacular growth in women playing football and we’re very keen to get a women’s league up and running,” he said. “I’m being pushy because I want to do it earlier.”
The AFL has made no secret of its desire to form a league in time for the next broadcast rights deal, which will commence in 2017.
However, there’s concern a competition that has any more than six teams will be unsustainable due to the limited talent pool.
A cap of six teams is expected to create a bidding system of sorts, with St Kilda and Carlton’s perilous financial situation certain to be considered.
Carlton posted a $900K loss in 2015 and, while St Kilda’s financial situation is improving, it failed to post a profit in 2014.
Although the cost of developing and running a female team is not the equal of a men’s VFL team, it is nevertheless a considerable financial investment.
The Saints have been a leader in gender equality in recent times, employing the AFL’s first fulltime female assistant coach in Peta Searle last year.
Searle was recently handed a two-year contract extension that will see her remain at the club until at least the end of 2017.
At the same time she was promoted from development coach to assistant forward-line coach, working alongside former Saints skipper Aaron Hamill.
Carlton’s head of football and former player Andrew McKay has been closely involved with the Blues submission to create a female team given his two daughters, Abbie (15) and Sophie (9), are prominent junior players.
On Tuesday evening Essendon took a step forward in its desire to have a women’s team, hosting more than 80 of the state’s best female footballers at its Tullamarine training base.
Kevin Sheedy addressed the players, while current coaches Mark Harvey, Guy McKenna, Mark Neeld and Hayden Skipworth were also involved.
For a female league to succeed and become a marketable commodity, allowing women to train under the watchful guidance of experiences AFL coaches is essential, an AFL source told Fox Footy.
As a result, the Victorian Academy squad of more than 100 players will spend time at a handful of AFL clubs over the next few months, including Carlton and Melbourne.
Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell confirmed the club was planning to bid for a license in the inaugural women’s league.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to field a women’s team in an AFL competition and will be doing everything we can to obtain a licence ahead of the 2017 inaugural season,” Bombers CEO Xavier Campbell said.
“The club has the facilities, operational capacity, and commercial and financial model to ensure the introduction of a women’s team can be a sustainable and successful part of our organisation and we are really excited to be part of such a great initiative.
“It’s not an easy exercise in terms of the resources and commitment that is needed. It is a great opportunity and at the football club we are aligned in that viewpoint.”
The club plans to host AFL Victoria’s Women’s Academy again in March next year.
Western Bulldogs and Melbourne played two exhibition games against each other in 2015, with the Demons prevailing narrowly in both contests.
The second match, which was broadcast live on free to air television in August, attracted an average audience of 301,000 — more than Adelaide’s thrashing of Essendon the previous day.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl...football-license/story-e6frf3e3-1227632017896
- Tom Morris
- FOX SPORTS
- December 03, 2015 8:51AM
THE AFL’s push to fast track a national women’s league ahead of the 2017 season is gaining momentum, with six Victorian clubs eager to secure a license.
Fox Footy understands Carlton, Richmond and St Kilda have formally expressed interest in joining Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and now Essendon in a competition that could also include two interstate teams.
While the exact make-up of the league is yet to be determined, it is believed Queensland is almost certain to have one of the two allotted interstate teams.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan put the ambitious concept on the agenda in February this year. “We’ve had spectacular growth in women playing football and we’re very keen to get a women’s league up and running,” he said. “I’m being pushy because I want to do it earlier.”
The AFL has made no secret of its desire to form a league in time for the next broadcast rights deal, which will commence in 2017.
However, there’s concern a competition that has any more than six teams will be unsustainable due to the limited talent pool.
A cap of six teams is expected to create a bidding system of sorts, with St Kilda and Carlton’s perilous financial situation certain to be considered.
Carlton posted a $900K loss in 2015 and, while St Kilda’s financial situation is improving, it failed to post a profit in 2014.
Although the cost of developing and running a female team is not the equal of a men’s VFL team, it is nevertheless a considerable financial investment.
The Saints have been a leader in gender equality in recent times, employing the AFL’s first fulltime female assistant coach in Peta Searle last year.
Searle was recently handed a two-year contract extension that will see her remain at the club until at least the end of 2017.
At the same time she was promoted from development coach to assistant forward-line coach, working alongside former Saints skipper Aaron Hamill.
Carlton’s head of football and former player Andrew McKay has been closely involved with the Blues submission to create a female team given his two daughters, Abbie (15) and Sophie (9), are prominent junior players.
On Tuesday evening Essendon took a step forward in its desire to have a women’s team, hosting more than 80 of the state’s best female footballers at its Tullamarine training base.
Kevin Sheedy addressed the players, while current coaches Mark Harvey, Guy McKenna, Mark Neeld and Hayden Skipworth were also involved.
For a female league to succeed and become a marketable commodity, allowing women to train under the watchful guidance of experiences AFL coaches is essential, an AFL source told Fox Footy.
As a result, the Victorian Academy squad of more than 100 players will spend time at a handful of AFL clubs over the next few months, including Carlton and Melbourne.
Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell confirmed the club was planning to bid for a license in the inaugural women’s league.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to field a women’s team in an AFL competition and will be doing everything we can to obtain a licence ahead of the 2017 inaugural season,” Bombers CEO Xavier Campbell said.
“The club has the facilities, operational capacity, and commercial and financial model to ensure the introduction of a women’s team can be a sustainable and successful part of our organisation and we are really excited to be part of such a great initiative.
“It’s not an easy exercise in terms of the resources and commitment that is needed. It is a great opportunity and at the football club we are aligned in that viewpoint.”
The club plans to host AFL Victoria’s Women’s Academy again in March next year.
Western Bulldogs and Melbourne played two exhibition games against each other in 2015, with the Demons prevailing narrowly in both contests.
The second match, which was broadcast live on free to air television in August, attracted an average audience of 301,000 — more than Adelaide’s thrashing of Essendon the previous day.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl...football-license/story-e6frf3e3-1227632017896
