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

 

[The Prosecutor]

How Gold Coast are given a license ahead of us in simply staggering.

 

[boncer34]

Must be the only one who couldn't care less

 

[Great8]

Not too fussed TBH, we came late to the party so shouldn't cry when we miss out

 

[Runk]

Will be very honest but despite the success last year & leaps and bounds of the AFLW I won't be watching until Essendon gets a team.
Whilst not a shock, it's still thoroughly disappointing. My girls would love to see a woman in Bombers colours, as would I.

 

[citizen-erased]

Makes complete sense. Essendon is a club they can rely on getting later because they're a big club.

I disagree

North, St Kilda and Gold Coast make up the bottom 5 for home game attendances this year.
GWS and Brisbane make up the remainder bottom 5. Now all 5 have a team.

the league wants more supporters. so they leave the two teams whose home crowds are comfortably top 2 out (Rich and Ess)
If they want 10k at any given game, they need over 80% of GCS AFL crowds and about 50% of North crowds to turn up. About 35-40% of st kilda crowds.

for that number from Essendon and Richmond, its under 20%.

Richmond should have got the nod this time round over North.
Essendon the next time round over St Kilda.
Or both this time round and get the supporter bases whilst they are up and about.

Not sure how the AFL expects the AFLW comp to grow by promoting minnow clubs whose supporters barely rock up to see the AFL teams play.

 

[DonsRule]

Yeah, probably branded as the Tasmanian Kangaroos.

Even if it isn't offically the Tasie Kangaroos. t is possible they suggested playing some games there. I can see, even if I disagree to the rational behind it.


I don't understand the GCS getting a team thoug when the Suns have all kinds of issues that need sorting.

That the Gold Coast is a sporting black hole.



I guess they are AFL backed and all.

 

[Runk]

I disagree

North, St Kilda and Gold Coast make up the bottom 5 for home game attendances this year.
GWS and Brisbane make up the remainder bottom 5. Now all 5 have a team.

the league wants more supporters. so they leave the two teams whose home crowds are comfortably top 2 out (Rich and Ess)
If they want 10k at any given game, they need over 80% of GCS AFL crowds and about 50% of North crowds to turn up. About 35-40% of st kilda crowds.

for that number from Essendon and Richmond, its under 20%.

Richmond should have got the nod this time round over North.
Essendon the next time round over St Kilda.
Or both this time round and get the supporter bases whilst they are up and about.

Not sure how the AFL expects the AFLW comp to grow by promoting minnow clubs whose supporters barely rock up to see the AFL teams play.

Agreed. Completely blown away by both admissions. A Gold Coast team?? Seriously??
Massive slap in the face.

 

[Lore]

I don't think the league is too fussed about crowd numbers. It seems more like putting a bunch of small fish in a big pond and seeing how big they can grow before you put the big ones in... or in plain English, let the smaller clubs get themselves established first with talent and supporters before adding big clubs that represent similar geographical areas and will have a following regardless of other factors.

 

[Lore]

Even if it isn't offically the Tasie Kangaroos. t is possible they suggested playing some games there. I can see, even if I disagree to the rational behind it.


I don't understand the GCS getting a team thoug when the Suns have all kinds of issues that need sorting.

That the Gold Coast is a sporting black hole.



I guess they are AFL backed and all.

They're playing half their games there and the AFLW team is a 'joint venture' between North and the Tasmanian government. While the name is yet to be decided, the Tasmanian aspect was a pretty major part of their bid. The Tas government has already come out crowing about finally having their own team

 

[Lance Uppercut]

so how does a club that enters late get any good players? Surely if you are good, you'll be in one of the teams already?

Damn and I really wanted to get into women's football but I'm that parochial an Essendon fan I dare say I'll have zero interest now for a few years

 

[citizen-erased]

I don't think the league is too fussed about crowd numbers. It seems more like putting a bunch of small fish in a big pond and seeing how big they can grow before you put the big ones in... or in plain English, let the smaller clubs get themselves established first with talent and supporters before adding big clubs that represent similar geographical areas and will have a following regardless of other factors.

clearly they are not concerned by crowd numbers.
bright-side, they are under the AFL umbrella, so they don't need to bring their own cash in.
So the move won't risk the AFLW as a league.

I do feel for the players though.
They want crowds to play in front of, and who wouldn't.
the atmosphere of the first rd was awesome this year.

 

[Lore]

so how does a club that enters late get any good players? Surely if you are good, you'll be in one of the teams already?

Damn and I really wanted to get into women's football but I'm that parochial an Essendon fan I dare say I'll have zero interest now for a few years

I'm the same. I'll just continue to pick a couple of favourite players and whoever they play for doesn't matter. Don't think I'll go to games though and I'll probably only watch a couple on TV.

 

[citizen-erased]

so how does a club that enters late get any good players? Surely if you are good, you'll be in one of the teams already?

Damn and I really wanted to get into women's football but I'm that parochial an Essendon fan I dare say I'll have zero interest now for a few years

ill still go/watch.
but my cash waits for an Essendon team.

 

[Runk]

clearly they are not concerned by crowd numbers.
bright-side, they are under the AFL umbrella, so they don't need to bring their own cash in.
So the move won't risk the AFLW as a league.

I do feel for the players though.
They want crowds to play in front of, and who wouldn't.
the atmosphere of the first rd was awesome this year.

Imagine the atmos when the Gold Coast hit the field.................................even the seagulls will be in shock.

 

[Lore]

clearly they are not concerned by crowd numbers.
bright-side, they are under the AFL umbrella, so they don't need to bring their own cash in.
So the move won't risk the AFLW as a league.

I do feel for the players though.
They want crowds to play in front of, and who wouldn't.
the atmosphere of the first rd was awesome this year.

They'll get crowds against the few big clubs they have. Tas will probably fill their stadium for the four games or whatever that they'll get. Collingwood and Carlton are in, Adelaide should have a decent following being SA and just won a premiership. Richmond comes in in 2020.

 

[citizen-erased]

Imagine the atmos when the Gold Coast hit the field.................................even the seagulls will be in shock.

Gold Coast has left me gobsmacked.
The AFL team is in disarray and you throw an upstart comp's expansion team up there.
How the Richmond bid didn't win over that one is staggering.

As for North and St Kilda, spare me.
The 3 teams in Vic that struggle most for crowds at AFL level now hold AFLW licences.
Meanwhile. the two top teams can wait.

 

[Lore]

 

[Alfred E Neuman]

so how does a club that enters late get any good players? Surely if you are good, you'll be in one of the teams already?

Damn and I really wanted to get into women's football but I'm that parochial an Essendon fan I dare say I'll have zero interest now for a few years

I think it's a blessing in disguise. To be brutally honest - I've not enjoyed the bits and pieces that I've watched at all (which of course, is not surprising given how new it was). The upside of this is that hopefully, in 3-4 years time, when we have a team, the standard will have drastically improved.

 

[Runk]

Were these ALL the clubs that were given provisional licences?

 

[VelvetSledge]

The irony in the girl holding the 2020 footy is that whilst it will be the women’s teams first year, it’ll be the men’s last

 

[BrunoV]

Ridiculous decision by the AFL not to include us.

Very strange for the AFL not to make or at least try to make commercial decisions. How bound could they have really been by the provisional licences?

Geelong I understand but North? Had to be Richmond or us. Is there anything about North's community engagement which suggests their supporter base is growing? I doubt it and i see no reason why their womens team would be any different.

 

[ezard15]

Any chance we would get Angus Monfries back to play if our license bid gets approved?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Ridiculous decision by the AFL not to include us.

Very strange for the AFL not to make or at least try to make commercial decisions. How bound could they have really been by the provisional licences?

Geelong I understand but North? Had to be Richmond or us. Is there anything about North's community engagement which suggests their supporter base is growing? I doubt it and i see no reason why their womens team would be any different.

well, there's one good reason I can think of...

And that's as a pure delivery vehicle for the Tasmanian Kangaroos. Get the name out there, get the supporters conditioned to it.

As part of a larger plan it actually makes perfect sense

 

[citizen-erased]

well, there's one good reason I can think of...

And that's as a pure delivery vehicle for the Tasmanian Kangaroos. Get the name out there, get the supporters conditioned to it.

As part of a larger plan it actually makes perfect sense

And when the Tasmanian Kangaroos fold under financial pressure?

Gil has long stood by the fact that Tasmania does not have the economic support required to support an AFL team.
They tin rattle enough as it is. Relocation may as well see the rest of the AFL pick up their salary cap.

 

[DonsRule]

so how does a club that enters late get any good players? Surely if you are good, you'll be in one of the teams already?

Damn and I really wanted to get into women's football but I'm that parochial an Essendon fan I dare say I'll have zero interest now for a few years

Feel the same, would have taken a notice with an Essendon AFLW side. Now....not really.