Club Mgmt. We finally got an AFLW license!!! - Season starts last weekend of August

[Lore]

Dons' defining day: AFLW licence granted
Essendon Football Club has today become truly whole, with the AFL Commission granting an AFLW licence for the Bombers to join the national women’s competition for the 2022/2023 season onwards.

The AFL announced Essendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide as the remaining clubs to secure licences after reviewing the Bombers’ formal submission document presented to the AFL Commission in early July.

President Paul Brasher said it was a defining day in the history of the Essendon Football Club.

“We are a football club with a proud, rich, diverse, inclusive and successful history, but today, the Essendon Football Club becomes whole. Today is a landmark day for the red and black,” Brasher said.

“We have never been better positioned to enter the AFLW competition and on behalf of the club, I wish to thank Richard Goyder and the AFL Commission for reaching this outcome.

“Likewise, I wish to thank the many staff within our own organisation who have worked tirelessly on not only this submission but through their contribution in ensuring strong foundations have been laid across our club and VFLW program over a number of years. We have particularly drawn inspiration from the players in our VFLW team during that period.

“Through our commitment to growing the game and establishing pathways across Melbourne’s northern corridor and the Northern Territory, through our relationship with Calder Cannons and our NGA programs and our flagship First Nation’s Women’s Pathway Program, we believe we will have the emerging talent to underpin the list profile for our AFLW team.

“With our bespoke AFLW facilities now completed at the NEC Hangar, and with our long-term vision of AFLW games being played at Windy Hill, our impact in the AFLW competition will only be further strengthened.

“We again thank the Victorian State Government for their support in establishing these facilities and their ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for women to participate in our great game of AFL at every level.

“Finally, every young Bomber – boy or girl – can dream of one day representing the mighty red and black, and for us this is exactly why our football club is now truly whole.”

Dons' defining day: AFLW licence granted

Essendon has been granted a licence to join the AFLW in 2022.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[eth-dog]

I think it's important to get the pathway up and running ASAP, 18 clubs is fine by me - everyone is part of the program.

However instead of the conference model (which serves no purpose), they should go for a 2 division approach so the matches are competitive.

Div 1 - 10 teams / Div 2 8 teams. Promote/Relegate 2 from each Div each season (GF winner and highest on the table from Div 2).

Draft order allocated from final ladder spots starting bottom of Div 2 up to premiers Div 1.

Nah, if you're doing promotion/relegation it has to be either 1 up/1 down or the Grand Finalists from D2.

As far as the draft goes, you could say that the bottom 2 from D1 need the higher picks more than the 2 promoted sides as well.

 

[AJ_2000]

Nah, if you're doing promotion/relegation it has to be either 1 up/1 down or the Grand Finalists from D2.

I'm saying going with top / bottom 2 to get more team diversity, give teams a chance to play at the top level rather than grinding forever to snag a GF.

 

[eth-dog]

I'm saying going with top / bottom 2 to get more team diversity, give teams a chance to play at the top level rather than grinding forever to snag a GF.

I don't know a promotion/relegation system that hasn't promoted the Grand Finalists from the division below. How do you say to the team that finished 4th and made it to the GF "sorry, but the team who finished 1st deserves promotion more even though they went out in straight sets"?

 

[AJ_2000]

I don't know a promotion/relegation system that hasn't promoted the Grand Finalists from the division below. How do you say to the team that finished 4th and made it to the GF "sorry, but the team who finished 1st deserves promotion more even though they went out in straight sets"?

Probably as they won more games throughout the year. Finals football - one off games- can be flukey, injuries etc. If you've finished on top over the course of X Games you're probably a better side.

I'm not that wedded to it (GFs are an acceptable alternative). More feel the game desperately needs to seperate the 2 standards - get more winning for the new/struggling teams.

 

[eth-dog]

Probably as they won more games throughout the year. Finals football - one off games- can be flukey, injuries etc. If you've finished on top over the course of X Games you're probably a better side.

I'm not that wedded to it (GFs are an acceptable alternative). More feel the game desperately needs to seperate the 2 standards - get more winning for the new/struggling teams.

Sorry but no. If you win under the pressure of finals that shows you're the better side. That's why literally every footy, cricket, basketball or whatever else comp in the country that has promotion/relegation uses the Grand Final teams or the premier to get promoted.

 

[Zach Package]

The standard will drop back to probably AFLW c. 2016 but they'll gain a pile of new money and sponsorships, more eyeballs, rations, broadcast money etc. with more teams funnelling into grassroots development, ultimately it's a short-term sacrifice as far as the league is concerned. Girls that were like U12 when the AFLW started will be the draftees for 2023... that's actually kind of massive. They'd barely remember a time without AFLW

Not sure what you mean by player movement exactly... the AFLW seems to have a different sort of culture around player movements in the first place, there's less expectation of being a 'one club player' or playing for your dad's club or whatever, they seem to hop from one to the next without criticism. The initial expansion of four teams coming in at the same time will be insane though (maybe that's what you meant?). I wonder if they'll let us do a mini-draft with 17 year olds or something too, so that it's not one draft where four clubs take 80% of the picks. Presumably all picks can be traded.

Will certainly make for interesting watching though.

The whole thing is very haphazard, yeah money and sponsorship and eyeballs and all that is fantastic but nothing has really changed since us and Hawthorn said we didn't want a license because we wanted to build up the program first, has it?

You'll have one big sharknado of player movement with 4 new teams starting from scratch at the same time which will be crazy now that people are actually starting to identify with teams and players and now that women's footy is pretty much a 12 month, year round endeavour with VFLW being winter and AFLW being summer players will either stop playing in the state comp, pick and choose or the talent pool will get diluted to the point where the state based comps will go belly up before you know it.

Not to mention ground availability because of international and domestic men's and women's cricket will very much limit where they can host games and if they are able to broadcast them properly.

I've said it before, Gil wants this to succeed, but not too much, and is making moves accordingly.

 

[11kgm]

Given that our local league can barely sustain 4 youth girls teams in an area with 271,266 people the numbers are dropping off we have lost 3 team locally due to Covid. Plus a few of the further afield teams have dropped off as well

Think it's prime 10-12 teams now 4 with 1 barely holding on

Surely they need to invest in local level more then AFL

 

[ant555]

Grassroots wise, the VAFA are opening a 3rds comp after 4 years, nothing to be sneezed at.

Most experts didn't even want 10 teams at this stage. 14 is way too many.

I agree but once they forged ahead with the AFL comp they where always going to run into trouble. It will be a drain on the quality level but they simply have to press ahead if they are going to set up a proper summer comp. Rock and a hard place.
I understand why they forged ahead as they needed a premier competition for the girls to aspire to but IMO they missed a step. Should have bolstered the state comps first and played a state of origin type deal as the top level comp to begin with.

 

[ant555]

Once they went down the AFL club path they had not choice to fast track to 18 teams.
Initially I always thought running along side the AFL season was the best place for it to end up but I see the merit in running over summer and giving it free space from other AFL comps.

 

[Bombermania]

Watching the Essendon VFLW side beat Carlton, there were a few good passages and there were other times when the standard wasn't great but it comes back to expectations and girls like ugle and Clifford deserve a crack at the AFLW.

 

[Charliebrow 16]

There was an article a few years back about Michaela, Michael Long’s daughter, and how she opted out of the AFLW draft because her preference is to play for an Essendon team. That’s always stuck with me - I hope she still has that passion and gets the opportunity now that there’s a definite timeline to proceedings.

 

[NAB777]

I get to see junior girls (u13) weekly. The general standard is still miles off where you'd want it to be.

 

[84859300]

Why wasn't EFC in the conversation to be one of the original 10 teams?

Eddie McGuire and another 16 club presidents decided to take a junket, bend us over and * us right up the arse.

 

[jmoo wan]

oh hell yeah!

in soprano now everyone:

we are Essendon, we are essendon.

 

[Lore]

- Worked closely with the AFL over 24 months
- Strong & successful VFLW program
- State of the art facilities
- Investment in talent pathways and individual player development through VFLW program
- Relationships with Calder Cannons and Bendigo Pioneers U-19s
- Will again make a formal submission by July 2021, as requested
- 'five teams, one club' – we are ready for this. (AFL, AFLW, VFL, VFLW, VWFL)
- Confident of securing a license to enter the league by Season 7 (2022-23).

Essendon 'ready' for AFLW licence

Essendon is confident in securing an AFLW licence by season seven.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Essendon 'ready' for AFLW licence
Essendon is confident in securing an AFLW licence by season seven.

Essendon is 'ready' to host an AFLW team according to CEO Xavier Campbell. (Photo: AFL Photos)

Essendon Football Club has today acknowledged the AFL Commission’s endorsement to expand the NAB AFL Women’s Competition, which will see the Bombers become a true whole-of-club by no later than 2023.

Essendon will now proceed to provide a formal submission to the AFL Commission by the agreed deadline of July 9, 2021.

Chief executive officer Xavier Campbell said the Essendon Football Club was ready to enter the NAB AFL Women’s competition.

“We have continued to closely engage both the AFL and AFL Commission over the past 24 months highlighting our work and investment in our women’s football program," Campbell said.

“Having built up a strong and successful VFLW program over the past four years, through our investment in infrastructure and resourcing at our state-of-the-art NEC Hangar facility, as well as our work and passion in supporting female pathway programs and individual player development; this work is not unfamiliar to the AFL. We have demonstrated this to the AFL previously through formal submissions and tours of our facilities, but will comply with their request to provide another formal submission by July 9, 2021.

“Furthermore, our geographical location allows us to play a critical role in continuing to grow the game of women’s football, particularly at a grassroots level. As such, we have established relationships with the Calder Cannons’ and Bendigo Pioneers’ NAB League under-19s female football programs, with pathways now developed through to our own VFLW program.

“Importantly and holistically, our club is ready. Our people are ready. Strong foundations have been laid, and we are all aligned and united in our determination to live by our “five teams, one club” mentality. Incorporating the AFL and soon-to-be AFLW, VFL and VFLW programs, as well as our wheelchair football team, we are ready to finally become a true, and complete, club.

“With these timelines now communicated by the AFL and AFL Commission, we are confident we will have the AFL Commission’s support to enter the AFL Women’s competition by season seven.”

Essendon 'ready' for AFLW licence

Essendon is confident in securing an AFLW licence by season seven.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Lore]

According to the Brasher video from today, we'll be putting in our application in July for an 'end of 2022' license, which is the earlier of the two potential dates to enter the league for the last four teams.


Also this;

 

[Lore]

The AFLW website is profiling the four clubs that are looking to enter the comp in 2022/23, Black interviewed Mahoney about it for the Essendon one.

Watch out though... there's learnings.

P.S. It's Alana Barba and Georgia Nanscawen in the pic

'We're ready to go': Mahoney on AFLW bid

GM of football Josh Mahoney says the Bombers' time is now for an AFLW licence.

www.essendonfc.com.au

'We're ready to go': Mahoney on AFLW bid
GM of football Josh Mahoney

Josh Mahoney

Age

46

Ht

180cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

says the Bombers' time is now for an AFLW licence.
By Sarah Black - womens.afl - 1 hr ago

Essendon is hoping the momentum from its current maiden VFLW finals campaign will roll on into an AFLW licence.

The Bombers are one of four teams submitting an application this week, with presentations to be held shortly before the AFL Commission is due to make a decision next month.

Womens.afl spoke to Essendon's general manager of football Josh Mahoney

Josh Mahoney

Age

46

Ht

180cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

– who was previously involved in the creation of Melbourne's AFLW side – about the Bombers' campaign.

Application history

Like Hawthorn, Essendon opted not to apply for a licence in 2016, at the time still dealing with the fallout from the supplements saga.

The Bombers applied in the 2017 round (which resulted in a two-stage roll-out over the 2019 and 2020 seasons).

They were unsuccessful, and entered a team in the VFLW for the first time in 2018.

Why they're confident

Essendon has been watching on carefully as six sides made their entry to the AFLW across the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

"The benefit of that is we've had some additional time to prepare. We want to make sure we're ready to go when we do get the nod, and make an impact from season one," Mahoney said.

"We've got a lot of internal working groups, the club's really invested in it and we certainly have used this time effectively.

"One of the advantages is all the learnings we can gather from other AFLW programs – things they've done well and things they haven't done so well, in terms of their environment, their integration, their coaching, their list.

"So, there are a lot of benefits we can get out of looking at teams who have gone before us as well."

Background in women's footy

Essendon had a rocky start in the VFLW, winning just one game and finishing last in its first season in 2018.

There were steady gains made in 2019 with six wins, finishing ninth of 13 sides, while this weekend the Bombers have a chance to qualify for a Grand Final in a slightly complex finals series.

The VFLW Bombers run out at Windy Hill in round one, 2019. (Photo: AFL Photos)

"Watching them at the start of the year, to see their improvement through the year, their attitude towards getting better, it's really given us an insight into what the club will be like with an AFLW program," Mahoney said.

"I think year on year, there's learnings on how to improve the program.

"They're a group who have played together for a number of years now, and I think every year, the coaching's got better, their form's gotten better, their fitness has gotten better, so over that time, I think that's where the improvement has come from."

Selling points

Essendon has built strong links through the north-western corridor in Melbourne, including with powerful NAB League club Calder Cannons.

The club is also keen on further developing its First Nations program in the Northern Territory, which has seen some players take to the field with the VFLW side over the past few years.

Together with Coles, the Bombers are paving the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on and off the field.

"We've had a great relationship with Calder Cannons and Bendigo Pioneers, and we want to really build on that now and our Next Generation Academy region, which is the north-west," Mahoney said.

"It is a big football area, and we've still got so much growth and potential within that as well. It's an important part of our bid, that we grow the game and want to invest into that region, as well as our First Nations program in the Northern Territory.

"We think that's really important, the more we invest in that, the more it’s going to benefit the league and Essendon.

"We're also in a very fortunate position where we've got some amazing facilities here which have just been finished. They're brand new, they're exclusive to our women's program and have been integrated into the Hangar."

Why they should be included
With a large, passionate supporter base behind it, Essendon is raring to get a start in the NAB AFLW competition.

Like the other three clubs, the Bombers feel an AFLW team will complete them.

"I've been involved in the build of a different club in Melbourne, and while you can't take a cookie-cutter approach to each club, I've certainly had some experience in that area," Mahoney said.

"I've seen first-hand the positive impact an AFLW team has on a club, not only across the whole club but particularly in the footy department, so I'm looking forward to having that here at Essendon.

"Overall, we've had time. So, we've got facilities, commercial support and the overall investment and buy-in by the club – which we've seen through the VFLW team – suggests we're ready to go.

"We're just waiting for the decision to be made, and hopefully we don't have too much longer to wait."

'We're ready to go': Mahoney on AFLW bid

GM of football Josh Mahoney says the Bombers' time is now for an AFLW licence.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Profile for Hawthorn: https://womens.afl/news/72905/will-...at-hawthorn-inside-the-hawks-aflw-application

Profile for Sydney: https://womens.afl/news/72899/swans-on-song-in-aflw-licence-bid

Profile for Port Adelaide: https://womens.afl/news/72966/-the-...0-000-will-port-adelaide-power-into-the-aflw-

 

[Lore]

Bid submitted!

Quotes from XC:

Our time is now: AFLW bid submitted
Essendon has today formally submitted its bid for an AFLW licence.
By essendonfc.com.au - 2 hrs ago

Essendon Football Club is delighted to confirm it has today formally submitted its bid for an AFLW licence, which would see the Bombers join the national competition at the end of 2022.

The compelling submission highlighted the club’s strong women's football program foundations, as well as its existing and considerable membership base nationally, as well as its strong presence in the north-west corridor of Melbourne and NGA regions in the Northern Territory to attract and retain female talent.

“Our investment in infrastructure and purpose-built resourcing at our state-of-the-art NEC Hangar facility at Melbourne Airport has furthered strengthened our submission. We also highlighted our club’s core focus on fostering football talent through a clear female pathway program, including the proposed expansion of our NGA programs in both metro and remote regions, and the growth of our flagship First Nations Women’s Pathway Program.

“We are in the formidable position of having already secured significant sponsorship revenue, and have had incredible commitment from our extensive commercial partners and corporate network for our impending AFLW team. This will only further strengthen our women’s football program and the growth of the game.

“We are a football club with a proud, rich, diverse, inclusive, and successful history, but it will take our 150th anniversary year in 2022 for our football club to be truly whole when we finally welcome our long-awaited AFL Women’s team.

“We are excited by the support the AFL will no doubt show in recognising our football club has never been better positioned to now enter the AFLW competition in 2022.”

Our time is now: AFLW bid submitted

Essendon has today formally submitted its bid for an AFLW licence.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[RedmanWasHere]

AFLM.
AFLW.
VFLM.
VFLW.
Wheelchair VFL.

That's a good quintet.

 

[eth-dog]

AFL.
AFLW.
VFLM.
VFLW.
VWFL

That's a good quintet.

It's the VWFL mate

 

[LB#16]

There was a meeting to make a decision on expansion yesterday but no more news after that. May have been interrupted by the lockdown.

 

[yodellinhank]

Bring them in

 

[Teen Wolf]

Announcement at midday.

...the Herald Sun understands the AFL will make the declaration that every team will have its own women’s side for a 2022-23 competition that will start at the end of next year.

 

[Lore]

Announcement at midday.

Yep Did you post this in all of the club board AFLW threads haha?

 

[boncer34]