Play Nice AFL Womens - General Discussion

[TheTassieHawk]

Who's in? Eight-team VFL season is on, start date revealed

Victoria gets the go-ahead for state competition to take place

www.afl.com.au

I have also read that AFLW listed players are unlikely to feature in the Super Series but that Victorian based AFLW sides may be looking to play practice matches at some stage.

With lists to be cut to 27 in August and players having travelled back to their home states and/or Ireland to me this would be unlikely unless top ups are allowed or teams are combined but would be great for the development of young players if it could happen.

 

[NorthernBastard]

the 4 teams are just going to be made up rep sides for the benefit of this tournament?

 

[CrowdedHouse]

the 4 teams are just going to be made up rep sides for the benefit of this tournament?

No one knows. Up until yesterday all VFLW clubs, players and coaches were in the dark about what was going to happen.

 

[TWLS]

Everything I've read in the last two years explicitly states Port Adelaide want a team. I'm willing to bet the facilities in Sydney will be ready before the talent pool is big enough for two NSW teams to compete respectably.

Have read that the Swans due to obvious Corona financial restrictions have put on hold their 25 million redevelopment plans for the Horden Pavilion. That project was to cater for their AFLW team and other stuff in the club.
The world has changed and it was said online last night that 50% of GP practises Australia wide will likely fold so that puts sport in perspective.

 

[NorthernBastard]

there's a herald sun article about VFLW players feeling dudded... anyone got a subscription and want to share the content?

 

[The_Wookie]

there's a herald sun article about VFLW players feeling dudded... anyone got a subscription and want to share the content?

CrowdedHouse can speak for himself. The article basically just quotes him.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Have read that the Swans due to obvious Corona financial restrictions have put on hold their 25 million redevelopment plans for the Horden Pavilion. That project was to cater for their AFLW team and other stuff in the club.

I have read that it was a $65 million redevelopment plan. There is certainly no need to rush. And whether there's a need for it to be that expensive is another story altogether.

 

[NoobPie]

Have read that the Swans due to obvious Corona financial restrictions have put on hold their 25 million redevelopment plans for the Horden Pavilion. That project was to cater for their AFLW team and other stuff in the club.
The world has changed and it was said online last night that 50% of GP practises Australia wide will likely fold so that puts sport in perspective.

50% of GP practices are not going to fold

I wouldn't be surprised if the Swans thing still goes ahead ultimately. Isn't that what they are receiving a whole lot of government cash for?

 

[Teen Wolf]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Swans thing still goes ahead ultimately.

More a matter of when rather than if, based on statements made by the club.

 

[jatz14]

Next season going on unaltered.

Always the likely outcome imop. The savings that could be made in the AFLW program without destroying it are so small imop, that the damage wouldn't be worth it.

https://womens.afl/news/51667/statement-afl-reaffirms-commitment-to-aflw-confirms-start-date

 

[TWLS]

Next season going on unaltered.

Always the likely outcome imop. The savings that could be made in the AFLW program without destroying it are so small imop, that the damage wouldn't be worth it.

https://womens.afl/news/51667/statement-afl-reaffirms-commitment-to-aflw-confirms-start-date

The AFL Commission has acknowledged per Goyder the future potential of the Womens Game and is the first time I have seen it in writing/verbally from the Commission.
There are still AFL fans who cannot get their head around that Women want to play our game.

 

[Aardvark]

There are still AFL fans who cannot get their head around that Women want to play our game.

My 82 year old mother says they will all get breast cancer. It will take a generation or two for AFLW to be widely accepted IMO.

 

[Biggie]

My 82 year old mother says they will all get breast cancer.

Gee whiz.

 

[jatz14]

My 82 year old mother says they will all get breast cancer. It will take a generation or two for AFLW to be widely accepted IMO.

My mother doesn't like it either, but then gets excited about going to see her grand daughter (my niece) play. So, yes, it will take a generation to be 'normal'.

 

[jatz14]

AFLW ratings expanding, as others fall.

https://womens.afl/news/51668/ratings-bonanza-for-aflw-tv-viewership

 

[GaelicCat]

Mayo star Sarah Rowe undecided on AFLW future ahead of August deadline

SARAH Rowe has yet to make any decision about a potential return to Australia for the 2021 AFLW season but understands she is unlikely be able to play for Mayo next season if she does.

www.independent.ie

 

[jatz14]

 

[Purple_Turtle]

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

Latest breaking AFLW news from the official website of the Australian Football League.

womens.afl

Richmond and West Coast being given an extra draft pick to trade.

 

[Teen Wolf]

5 year anniversary of the first televised AFL women's exhibition match came around on the weekend. Prompted me to search through my disorganised hard drives. After failing to find it (even though I know I have it somewhere), I settled on the game three months earlier at the MCG which apparently was only streamed, even though it had all the production value of a proper Ch7 broadcast. Some then-and-now screenshots to mark the occasion:



Following a re-watch of the 2015 game played by the best 40-odd players in the country, I took another look at a few quarters of random matches in 2020 that featured at least one average or below-average AFLW team (Carl v StK, GWS v Rich, Melb v WC). I don't think there's a better way to illustrate the rapid development of women's footy. Above all else, the improved pace of today's games are thoroughly striking.

There is a rather unnecessarily desperate need of many AFLW supporters to justify the league's existence by overhyping the next generation, inadvertently putting down the players of today. Fact of the matter is many of the players from the '15 game were still dominating in season '20--they haven't merely survived an indisputably huge rise in standards, they are the ones who have driven it.

 

[The Victorian]

I wonder if this will allow the AFLW State of Origin to return?

VFLW season shift on the cards

Victorian AFLW players could soon be able to drop down to the reserves during the season with a move for the VFLW competition to earlier in the year on the cards.

www.theage.com.au

 

[NoobPie]

5 year anniversary of the first televised AFL women's exhibition match came around on the weekend. Prompted me to search through my disorganised hard drives. After failing to find it (even though I know I have it somewhere), I settled on the game three months earlier at the MCG which apparently was only streamed, even though it had all the production value of a proper Ch7 broadcast. Some then-and-now screenshots to mark the occasion:

View attachment 939732

Following a re-watch of the 2015 game played by the best 40-odd players in the country, I took another look at a few quarters of random matches in 2020 that featured at least one average or below-average AFLW team (Carl v StK, GWS v Rich, Melb v WC). I don't think there's a better way to illustrate the rapid development of women's footy. Above all else, the improved pace of today's games are thoroughly striking.

There is a rather unnecessarily desperate need of many AFLW supporters to justify the league's existence by overhyping the next generation, inadvertently putting down the players of today. Fact of the matter is many of the players from the '15 game were still dominating in season '20--they haven't merely survived an indisputably huge rise in standards, they are the ones who have driven it.

They all like considerably better conditioned

I think the classier end of the top players from back then are still amoung the better players now. The quality of younger cohorts though are undeniable. The 30th best player from each cohort would be in the best 10 players from each team from 2017.

 

[AlphaSheep]

5 year anniversary of the first televised AFL women's exhibition match came around on the weekend. Prompted me to search through my disorganised hard drives. After failing to find it (even though I know I have it somewhere), I settled on the game three months earlier at the MCG which apparently was only streamed, even though it had all the production value of a proper Ch7 broadcast. Some then-and-now screenshots to mark the occasion:

View attachment 939732

Following a re-watch of the 2015 game played by the best 40-odd players in the country, I took another look at a few quarters of random matches in 2020 that featured at least one average or below-average AFLW team (Carl v StK, GWS v Rich, Melb v WC). I don't think there's a better way to illustrate the rapid development of women's footy. Above all else, the improved pace of today's games are thoroughly striking.

There is a rather unnecessarily desperate need of many AFLW supporters to justify the league's existence by overhyping the next generation, inadvertently putting down the players of today. Fact of the matter is many of the players from the '15 game were still dominating in season '20--they haven't merely survived an indisputably huge rise in standards, they are the ones who have driven it.

All true. But I'd add that the real big wave of juniors seems to be coming (in Victoria at least) among girls born 2004 and younger, so it's not really here yet. I've no doubt many of the top players photographed will match that new level when it hits, though. I don't think the point of the new wave was that the older players would get erased, just that they'd get lots and lots of company, and would be pushed to reach higher levels because of it.

 

[The Victorian]

All true. But I'd add that the real big wave of juniors seems to be coming (in Victoria at least) among girls born 2004 and younger, so it's not really here yet. I've no doubt many of the top players photographed will match that new level when it hits, though. I don't think the point of the new wave was that the older players would get erased, just that they'd get lots and lots of company, and would be pushed to reach higher levels because of it.

That’s why we’ve expanded in the past two years

 

[Teen Wolf]

They all like considerably better conditioned

I think the classier end of the top players from back then are still amoung the better players now. The quality of younger cohorts though are undeniable. The 30th best player from each cohort would be in the best 10 players from each team from 2017.

All true. But I'd add that the real big wave of juniors seems to be coming (in Victoria at least) among girls born 2004 and younger, so it's not really here yet. I've no doubt many of the top players photographed will match that new level when it hits, though. I don't think the point of the new wave was that the older players would get erased, just that they'd get lots and lots of company, and would be pushed to reach higher levels because of it.

Yeah I'm just cautious of expecting too much from those ~2023 draftees too soon (putting aside the freak exceptions).

I believe the step up from U18s and state leagues to the top senior level for most players is always going to be like the jump of the '15 exhibition game to '20 AFLW because, as essential as the pathway programs are, nothing can match 3-4 years of running with the bulls in a professional club environment.

Any club that underestimates current AFLW standards (particularly with regards to physical intensity) will be led up the garden path--the most obvious recent example being Richmond, who misjudged the strength of their list after their young talent performed well last year in the VFLW.

 

[AlphaSheep]

Yeah I'm just cautious of expecting too much from those ~2023 draftees too soon (putting aside the freak exceptions).

I believe the step up from U18s and state leagues to the top senior level for most players is always going to be like the jump of the '15 exhibition game to '20 AFLW because, as essential as the pathway programs are, nothing can match 3-4 years of running with the bulls in a professional club environment.

Any club that underestimates current AFLW standards (particularly with regards to physical intensity) will be led up the garden path--the most obvious recent example being Richmond, who misjudged the strength of their list after their young talent performed well last year in the VFLW.

True, but then some players perform fine in their first year, while others struggle, and picking one from the other is an art that Richmond thus far haven't demonstrated. While Carlton, for example, has been great -- Grace Egan being case in point.

The jump from U18s to AFLW level is tough and getting tougher, but then the best of the juniors are getting better too, and each draft there are more at that level. Last year there were really only three picks who had a big impact in their first year, while this year it'll be a lot more, I think. And sure, eventually it will slip back to a more AFL-type situation where players take a few years to develop, but that doesn't change the fact that those players, once matured, will change how women's football is played.

The best NAB League teams are 10cm taller than they were a few years ago -- a lot of the best mids are now more like 172cm instead of 164, there's a whole bunch of six foot key position players who are fast enough to play on a wing where in the past they'd be rucks or deep forwards, etc. It's like what constitutes an 'average' size, speed and general athletic profile for each position on the field is being upgraded by one whole degree. You can see the general trend in how the older players are playing too, like Jasmine Garner moving into the midfield, which would have been seen as ridiculous a few years back. The older players will do great in the new game that's coming, I think, because there's a role for good players at every size. But what I think will happen in the next few years is that the variety of different types of athlete is going to change a lot, with most of those taller players being kids.

Eg; I think Melbourne are probably after Allyssa Bannon this year (speaking of six footers who could play on a wing). Bannon may take a year or two to develop to AFLW level, but when she does she'll transform that team.