Lack of Female Journalists/Presenters in AFL?

[Taylor]

You realise a woman is already coaching at St Kilda, right?

"Would the players respect her" christ what rubbish.

I do know she is, I know very well that she is.

That same question I asked of those reading it: "would the players respect her" is asked in the thread when Peta won her role.

The same question is asked when McCarthy took over at the Bulldogs, then when it wasn't going so well it was asked only this time it is "can players respect someone who hasn't played the game"

What I don't think I got across in my post was that it's not me asking that question, it's me telling you I have come up against that question.

There have been football clubs where the only place for the girls is to walk around naked getting drinks, that's the culture.

I said it yesterday somewhere that AFL coaches make their game plans as simple as possible so that simple footballers can follow them, then later those same footballers are in the media giving their opinions on things they don't understand but that is what people want to hear. Sport in the US is full of professional full time experts on the game that leave the token player inclusion in the dust.

 

[peternorth]

im not looking at it from a tactical/playing pov as i dont think the afl will ever have a former player from the womens league involved.

contrast with nba. they have had cheryl miller involved doing interviews. that's what should be the aim first. asking questions isnt difficult, and doesnt require an in depth understanding of the game.

at any nba game there are talented, professional females conducting interviews for either the home or away team, televised country wide.

 

[Hellgood]

There have been football clubs where the only place for the girls is to walk around naked getting drinks, that's the culture.

At all the levels that I have played at in the country and city, I have never come across a club where the female influence hasn't been greatly valued. Mothers and grandmothers have been involved with the committee, umpiring out on the ground, all leagues run with the hugely successful pink breast cancer awareness day, mothers day breakfasts, ladies nights etc. It isn't all out of altruism because there's a significant cash benefit associated with it, but I completely disagree with your assertion and think it's a lazy, outdated assumption.

The AFL seem to be progressive in terms of embracing female engagement ahead of the other codes. There certainly could be more female presenters on TV, but does the presence of Mel McLaughlin and co. on the A-League coverage make up for the perception that a large proportion of crowds are super-phresh euro lads and yobbos? I think this is an area the AFL should be commended for addressing the real issue at hand as opposed for going for the easy solution of merely transplanting faces on our screens. Not saying for a second that McLaughlin and her peers at Fox Sports are token measures, because that is absolutely not the case based on when I used to watch a lot of FSN, but more making the point that engaging females at the ground level is the big issue here.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Whatever happened to Victoria Carthew up in QLD?

I just googled her and found there was a thread on her in '01. Very complimentary of course.

I remember when channel 10 gave Underwood a crack at play by play commentating and this joint went into meltdown.

Whatever happened to :

 

[ozgamer]

Sport in the US is full of professional full time experts on the game that leave the token player inclusion in the dust.

Because they are thoroughly trained. If they aren't good enough, they don't get a gig.

 

[Taylor]

Because they are thoroughly trained. If they aren't good enough, they don't get a gig.

And there is a market for them, nobody will be committing the time to reach those heights without it being worth it.

 

[scaryness]

Surprised Neroli Meadows isn't a boundary rider for Fox Footy. Already works for Fox Sports and does boundary riding for ABC Radio.

 

[Damon_3388]

If Tara Rushden can be the lead host for UFC Fight Week (Australia's UFC program on Fox Sports), a weekly program for a sport that is perceived to be more macho and is less universally accepted than footy (even though MMA has a more active female involvement from actual participation standpoint), surely there's room somewhere in the footy media for a more active role for a female, too.

It could just be poor timing, though, in that there might just not be someone out there right now who has the right combination of talent, willingness to do it, and "likeability" and credibility.

 

[enzso]

Surprised Neroli Meadows isn't a boundary rider for Fox Footy. Already works for Fox Sports and does boundary riding for ABC Radio.

It's because TV boundary riding is different from radio. On radio you just have to do the odd interview and report on injuries. On TV they want a boundary perspective on how the game is going, you're another special comments person, so they go for former players.

 

[scaryness]

It's because TV boundary riding is different from radio. On radio you just have to do the odd interview and report on injuries. On TV they want a boundary perspective on how the game is going, you're another special comments person, so they go for former players.

Good point.

Kind of silly though. 7 and Fox usually already have 2 special comments people in the box, don't really need a 3rd. American sports broadcasters usually only have 1 special comments person.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Females are ordinary in sports media. Sam Lane and Caro have benefitted from the boys club, sdue to family connection. Rebecca Maddern, just filling in for Basil Zemplas, has established herself as the leading female sports journo/presenter in Australia already. Made all females, and some males, look hopeless in comparison. That is despite fluffing a word. A definite pro.