AFLW 2024 Fixture

[Teen Wolf]

Looking at the cricket, which is further along the path on this, the Sixers have a single account and it's pretty seamless.

And they get a fraction of the attendance that AFLW gets. Consequently the WBBL season is about to get shorter, so I'm not sure cricket's way demands replication.

 

[Arwib]

Aren't they shortening from previously having a longer season than the men? 14 games in the women's vs 10 in the men's, and it's turned out that shorter works better in the men's anyway.

At any rate, I would definitely prefer social media consolidation by clubs and bigfooty club board consolidation to boot.

 

[Maggie5]

The AFL's 2023 Annual Report states last H&A season had 4.95m viewers, which is an average of 54,969 per game and obviously a fair way off the magic 100k mark needed this year to trigger 14 rounds next year (instead of 12).

Getting to the 6k average for H&A crowds will be much easier (even though there's a bigger gap to bridge) if the potential for early season double-headers with men's games are fully utilised... although there's no indication that the AFL is particularly interested in doing that.

I am wondering if you have any information on viewing audience and attendance on VFL games as I almost always go if the game is either at home or suburbs and I don't think the crowds at some games are more than a couple of 1000's. I imagine the costs are just as much if not more to field a team.

Also just on the social media side of the players, I have found them to be very generous with their time and on many occasions replying to followers.

 

[The Nostradamus]

When are we expecting this to be announced?

 

[Teen Wolf]

Aren't they shortening from previously having a longer season than the men? 14 games in the women's vs 10 in the men's, and it's turned out that shorter works better in the men's anyway.

Yes, BBL crowds didn't reach desired benchmarks for a few seasons because CA's fixturing stopped adequately prioritising attendance. It wasn't because of how players and teams ran their social media accounts.

I am wondering if you have any information on viewing audience and attendance on VFL games as I almost always go if the game is either at home or suburbs and I don't think the crowds at some games are more than a couple of 1000's. I imagine the costs are just as much if not more to field a team.

The WAFL gets greater average attendance than the VFL, which is still less than two-thirds of the average AFLW crowd. Naturally AFLW TV viewership is much higher too, but that's not really a fair comparison given the vast difference in breadth of coverage.

Make no mistake a typical AFL-aligned VFL team on any given weekend (which would include approx. 11 AFL-listed players on $200k/year) is easily earning more than what an entire AFLW squad gets paid ($1.8m in 2023, $2m in 2024).

 

[Arwib]

It wasn't because of how players and teams ran their social media accounts.

Didn't say it was. I said the cricket is further along the path than footy, ie in how they treat the women's game. That means things like pay, general media coverage, and in the sport taking a unified cross gender approach to how it presents itself.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Didn't say it was.

A previous poster said players should post more videos of themselves walking their dogs because it'll help draw the number of viewers needed to trigger the season extension clause.

I don't know what relevant point you were making about social media, given this is a fixture thread, but it did provide a good springboard to further reject that earlier poster's suggestion.

I said the cricket is further along the path than footy, ie in how they treat the women's game. That means things like pay, general media coverage, and in the sport taking a unified cross gender approach to how it presents itself.

Except here's the truth:

• The 140th best women's cricketer in Australia isn't making any money. But the 540th best AFLW player is making $56k this year, so that puts footy a fair way in front on the matter of pay.
• Women's footy gets 4x the amount of media coverage of women's cricket, and it gets a better ratio in terms of share with men's footy/cricket coverage.
• The national men's and women's cricket teams have separate social media accounts, just like AFL clubs.

And most relevantly, fixturing for AFLW is also much better than CA's fixturing of women's cricket. Nevertheless, there are easy improvements the AFL can and ought to make, a few of which I've mentioned on page 1.

 

[petits]

Personally I only follow AFLW so fully consolidated social media would be annoying for me. And I think they get a lot of backlash from people who are only fans of the men's, like whenever AFL or 7's AFL page posts something about the women on facebook, it's a cesspool. But this leaves a weird situation where, say, the 'main' Swans channels do want to post women's news sometimes... but then people say it should only be on the women's page since one exists... Don't know the answer.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Nothing major in terms of match-ups but looks like we’ll hear about the official fixture for this year before July 31st it seems, according to Big Ant Studios.

 

[Teen Wolf]

MORE GAMES IN BIGGER STADIUMS?
Let us not waste anymore time on this issue. If the AFL bean counters change their mind, great, but for the time being: just get over it, and accept AFLW games will almost exclusively be played at small suburban venues.

Orrr instead let's headline a nothing article about stadium funding with the bombshell that AFLW games won't be played at Marvel Stadium this year...

Marvel’s $225m upgrade improved women’s facilities. But AFLW still won’t play there

Marvel Stadium will not be used for AFLW matches in 2024 despite recently being upgraded with $225 million of state government funding, in part for “improved facilities to support professional women’s sport”.

www.theage.com.au

...sorry, perhaps somebody could remind me, which club is requesting to play AFLW home games there??

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Orrr instead let's headline a nothing article about stadium funding with the bombshell that AFLW games won't be played at Marvel Stadium this year...

Marvel’s $225m upgrade improved women’s facilities. But AFLW still won’t play there

Marvel Stadium will not be used for AFLW matches in 2024 despite recently being upgraded with $225 million of state government funding, in part for “improved facilities to support professional women’s sport”.

www.theage.com.au

...sorry, perhaps somebody could remind me, which club is requesting to play AFLW home games there??

Hawthorn and Essendon requested rd 1 be a repeat fixture at Marvel

 

[Teen Wolf]

Hawthorn and Essendon requested rd 1 be a repeat fixture at Marvel

No they didn't.

Every club is happy to be the away team at Marvel, nobody wants to give up any of their home games to play there.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

No they didn't.

Every club is happy to be the away team at Marvel, nobody wants to give up any of their home games to play there.

I can tell you, both did request it. My source is from several aflw staff (and not the boot studder)

The hawks and bombers requested rd 1 each year at marvel

 

[Teen Wolf]

I can tell you, both did request it. My source is from several aflw staff (and not the boot studder)

The hawks and bombers requested rd 1 each year at marvel

Requesting to play each other at Marvel is not the same as requesting a home game there (strange how neither club ever mentioned the venue in their bids for a licence... just slipped their minds!).

Essendon were happy to move a home game there in 2022 because they hadn't yet worked out an arrangement at Windy Hill. Hawthorn made a lot of noise to get the game moved in 2022 because it wasn't their home game anyway.

Noticeably the campaigns to move the game to Marvel last year were non-existent. In fact I seem to recall a lot of "we love Frankston" stuff emanating from Hawthorn spokespersons.

 

[Dirty Bird]

The 6 v 5 should be obvious.

All teams play 5 home, 5 away. Then you have a "neutral" game for 6

Adelaide vs Port Adelaide at Adelaide oval
Fremantle vs West Coast at optus stadium
Sydney vs greater Western Sydney at scg/Hansen Park
Brisbane vs Gold Coast at gabba
Then do a couple of doubke/triple headers.

Do north Melbourne vs Melbourne and Collingwood vs Carlton on a Friday night
Then essendon vs Richmond, Western bulldogs vs Geelong and St kilda vs hawthorn on the Sunday the week of the afl gf?

 

[Dirty Bird]

Alternatively the 9 teams that should get the extra game are the 8 non-victorian teams plus north Melbourne due to the travel factor. Evens up an imbalanced fixture

 

[Teen Wolf]

The 6 v 5 should be obvious.

All teams play 5 home, 5 away. Then you have a "neutral" game for 6

Adelaide vs Port Adelaide at Adelaide oval
Fremantle vs West Coast at optus stadium
Sydney vs greater Western Sydney at scg/Hansen Park
Brisbane vs Gold Coast at gabba
Then do a couple of doubke/triple headers.

Do north Melbourne vs Melbourne and Collingwood vs Carlton on a Friday night
Then essendon vs Richmond, Western bulldogs vs Geelong and St kilda vs hawthorn on the Sunday the week of the afl gf?

It's obvious to screw Port Adelaide out of a home showdown at Alberton Oval? After they had to play the Crows at Norwood last year?

It's obvious that's not going to happen, just like your other suggestions.

North Melbourne chose to renew their deal with the Tas govt, so idk why that entitles them to an extra home game (which would draw a smaller crowd than an extra Geelong or Essendon home game).

 

[Dirty Bird]

It's obvious to screw Port Adelaide out of a home showdown at Alberton Oval? After they had to play the Crows at Norwood last year?

It's obvious that's not going to happen, just like your other suggestions.

North Melbourne chose to renew their deal with the Tas govt, so idk why that entitles them to an extra home game (which would draw a smaller crowd than an extra Geelong or Essendon home game).

The Showdown at Norwood oval locked fans out.
And that was WITH the AFL STUPIDLY scheduling it to clash with the Adelaide Football Leagues Womens GFs occuring at the same time across town.

Never should have been at norwood Oval to begin with.

All those derbys should be neutral (and yes, I know I suggest SCG and Gabba, but those 2 grounds aren't even used by the womens teams as they play at Hansen/NSO and their training grounds respectivly)

 

[Teen Wolf]

The Showdown at Norwood oval locked fans out.

Well it didn't. So there's that.

Such rewriting of history reminds me of Caroline Wilson on television today: "They packed out Adelaide Oval at the AFLW Grand Final, and yet Adelaide Oval didn't get to host the next time the Crows played in the grand final."

 

[Teen Wolf]

The AFL and NT Government have begun talks of hosting an AFLW Gather Round in Darwin in future years as plans “mature” for the women’s game to make a return to the Territory later this year [via AFLW Dreamtime game].

The Sunday Territorian understands both stakeholders are in the early stages of planning a potential Gather Round for Darwin to host across four grounds.

TIO Stadium would be the main stadium used with options to play games at Cazalys Arena in Palmerston and potentially even the smaller boutique Gardens Oval situated just outside the CBD. TIO Stadium Oval 2 would also be considered as an option.

The "in future years" part is rather suss. An 11-round season makes this year a decent time to introduce a Gather Round. Having a Gather Round (in Darwin of all places) in a 12-round season would really mess up the fixture, leaving half the competition with 5 home and 7 away games.

But... one may keep in mind the AFL's obligation for 2025-27 is 12 games at a minimum. So if a 13th game was introduced upon a deal being struck with NT, then that would be the ideal scenario.

 

[CURVE]

This could be an interesting idea if it can an attract a larger audience, but it feels like the AFL taking the AFLW for granted.

Squeezing 'em in: Compressed AFLW fixture on the cards

Squeezing 'em in: Compressed AFLW fixture on the cards​

Four games in three weeks will require extra preparation from clubs and players
By Sarah Black
1 hr ago

Players walk on to the field during the AFLW Captains Day at Marvel Stadium, August 21, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

THE AFLW fixture is expected to include a compressed period of four games per club in three weeks when it is released in coming days.
The fixture block overlaps with term three school holidays around the country, and the mid-week evening games are expected to be weighted towards whichever state is on holidays at the time, with an aim of building buzz and attendance.

The AFL confirmed in February that the length of the home and away season would be 11 matches, but played over a 10-week period.
At the time, clubs were anticipating three games in two weeks, but with the release of the fixture imminent, they are now preparing for four matches in three between weeks four and seven of the season.
https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1072838/ins-and-outs-every-clubs-full-list-changes-ahead-of-2024
The AFLW season has already been confirmed to start on the last weekend of August, which is also the pre-finals bye for the men's competition.
Week four of the AFLW fixture will fall in preliminary final week for the men's competition, week five will coincide with the Toyota AFL Grand Final, while week seven will be during the men's Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period (which runs from Monday, October 7 to Wednesday, October 16).
When contacted for comment, the league said the fixture – with an additional home-and-away game in 2024 – is still being finalised and will be released in the coming weeks.

Clubs are planning for four- or five-day breaks throughout the window, and are hoping for equality when it comes to gaps between games in the period, given the travel involved.
Squads of just 30 players means rotation, injury management and training loads will be vital.
Some clubs share staff (physios, trainers etc) across both the men's and women's programs, although an increasingly smaller number will be affected the further the men's finals progress.
There is a chance clubs will be based away from home for a period of time (for example, last year saw Fremantle playing two consecutive games in Melbourne and have a mini-camp throughout the week), with only a small group of players across the competition still working full-time outside of football.
https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1135293/a-tier-y-farewell-salary-cap-on-the-horizon-for-aflw
Assistant coaches and support staff, however, often work "day" jobs away from the club.
An example would see Adelaide travel to Perth and play both Fremantle and West Coast before returning home.
Complicating fixturing matters is ground availability for weeknight games, with some grounds – such as RSEA Park – not having suitable lights for night broadcasting, with daylight savings in the eastern states not kicking in until the final weekend of the compressed period.
All teams are expected to have a minimum of five home games across the 11-game season.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Suppose weeknight games during school holidays somehow turns out a winner, it still doesn't solve the problem of the inevitable expanding season.

11 games this year becomes at least 12 in 2025. At some point clubs and broadcasters have to find a way to deal with the men's season clash, rather than initiate these compromises.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

Article on the Herald Sun website tonight saying fixture due by Friday.

Confirms there will be a Tuesday night game during the school holidays in Frankston.

Also says the Tigers will play two home games at Punt Road towards the back end of the season.

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Article on the Herald Sun website tonight saying fixture due by Friday.

Confirms there will be a Tuesday night game during the school holidays in Frankston.

Also says the Tigers will play two home games at Punt Road towards the back end of the season.

I reckon with the men's midseason draft on Wednesday night a Friday AFLW fixture announcement allows the selections a clear 24 hours in the news so I would be expecting a few more fixture snippets until then.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Article on the Herald Sun website tonight saying fixture due by Friday.

Confirms there will be a Tuesday night game during the school holidays in Frankston.

Also says the Tigers will play two home games at Punt Road towards the back end of the season.

I'll believe it when it happens.
Last season they had articles saying similar at this time of year too