AFLW Prelim Final: Crows vs Cats, Sunday 24 March @ 1:10pm, AO

[Cursed Cat]

The amount of fans who are too scared to say the standard is poor for starters.

Why would fans say that the standard is poor?
Detractors would, sure, but the fans, by definition, enjoy the AFLW.

Speaking personally, a game like yesterday's - where my team is badly beaten and gives a poor showing - elicits a similar reaction from me to when the men have a bad loss (e.g. last year's Elimination Final) - it sucks, they played badly, but you try to look for positives/signs of development.

If anything I find it more relatable as these women aren't highly paid athletes devoted full-time to their 'job' - they are basically amateurs with a passion for the game, and I can forgive lapses in standards there far more than I can in the AFL..

I see and hear plenty of criticism aimed at the AFLW, not sure why you'd say people would be too scared to bag it - if anything I'd say the detractors were firmly in the majority.

 

[Turbocat]

Im not on FB so I cant comment on that... although I can only imagine....

And whilst im not here to rip them down they played a poor game, were completely outclassed and got spanked by a vastly superior team.

That said, I can and will still applaud what they achieved, what they have done and look forward to next season and whatever it brings.

GO Catters

I think the results and games conspired to set us up for that final outcome... If Carlton had not missed goals from the goal square etc ..would we have made finals.. and the limited number of games means you don't average out bad luck as much as you do over an extended season. Its probably been quite a trip... Hood look drained in his video on the cats website...when they take a breath ..I hope behind the curtain they can have a hard look and a real world assessment ...cause we were more like two or 3 levels of the Crows not just one.

 

[Turbocat]

Why would fans say that the standard is poor?
Detractors would, sure, but the fans, by definition, enjoy the AFLW.

Speaking personally, a game like yesterday's - where my team is badly beaten and gives a poor showing - elicits a similar reaction from me to when the men have a bad loss (e.g. last year's Elimination Final) - it sucks, they played badly, but you try to look for positives/signs of development.

If anything I find it more relatable as these women aren't highly paid athletes devoted full-time to their 'job' - they are basically amateurs with a passion for the game, and I can forgive lapses in standards there far more than I can in the AFL..

I see and hear plenty of criticism aimed at the AFLW, not sure why you'd say people would be too scared to bag it - if anything I'd say the detractors were firmly in the majority.

Standards are a funny thing. To what benchmark do we calibrate the standard?

Personally I think I have been tough but fair .. as I see no reason we should "area 51" their performances. Lets not start calling aliens weather balloons or setup an Emperors new clothes mindset. The way to improve is to be accurate , to have progressive positive critic's but of course there is also time and a place and one doesnt have to publicly embarrass with in that assessment. Hood said in his video that Speed was something that Carlton , Crows and Freo have made work for them.. Basically id say that means in his eyes our girls are below standard as far as speed go I suspect then we will like girls to have that in their game. If they dont they better have skills better than displayed so far.

I do know what Partridge is saying .. there is current trend in a lot of issues these days that if you dont agree with the current default cultural approach to things then you are an anarchism , an old man yelling at the clouds ... the video the girls made at the start of the years screamed.. we are here whether you like it or not .. basically suck eggs if you dont like it etc... which was a reply to anyone who dared question the aflw standards or existence or what ever.

 

[Max Milburn]

I think the results and games conspired to set us up for that final outcome... If Carlton had not missed goals from the goal square etc ..would we have made finals.. and the limited number of games means you don't average out bad luck as much as you do over an extended season. Its probably been quite a trip... Hood look drained in his video on the cats website...when they take a breath ..I hope behind the curtain they can have a hard look and a real world assessment ...cause we were more like two or 3 levels of the Crows not just one.

Every league has its disparities.
New club. First year. Young list.
To get where they did was a combination of grit and luck.
With good recruiting and a year of experience under their belts, they will give it a good crack next year.
Crows took no prisoners. It will certainly take another two years to get to that level.

 

[Turbocat]

Every league has its disparities.
New club. First year. Young list.
To get where they did was a combination of grit and luck.
With good recruiting and a year of experience under their belts, they will give it a good crack next year.
Crows took no prisoners. It will certainly take another two years to get to that level.

The experience thing is questionable .. depends on how many of the current side stay going forward.

 

[Max Milburn]

The experience thing is questionable .. depends on how many of the current side stay going forward.

What team ever stays the same? They have the youngest list in the comp.
Of course there will be improvement, aided no doubt by more recruitment.

 

[Turbocat]

What team ever stays the same? They have the youngest list in the comp.
Of course there will be improvement, aided no doubt by more recruitment.

I pressume you mean other AFL teams? It almost entirely different as most clubs in the mens only have a 1/3 of their list coming out of contract

 

[Partridge]

Why would fans say that the standard is poor?
Detractors would, sure, but the fans, by definition, enjoy the AFLW.

Speaking personally, a game like yesterday's - where my team is badly beaten and gives a poor showing - elicits a similar reaction from me to when the men have a bad loss (e.g. last year's Elimination Final) - it sucks, they played badly, but you try to look for positives/signs of development.

If anything I find it more relatable as these women aren't highly paid athletes devoted full-time to their 'job' - they are basically amateurs with a passion for the game, and I can forgive lapses in standards there far more than I can in the AFL..

I see and hear plenty of criticism aimed at the AFLW, not sure why you'd say people would be too scared to bag it - if anything I'd say the detractors were firmly in the majority.

Because it's an honest observation. You've never heard footy fans say they watched a bad game?

To me the game needs investment and patience, and it will improve.

 

[Partridge]

Do you know many of the spectacularly cowardly personally? Or is your pronouncement primarily based on your observation of the media coverage?

And, either way, of what do you think they are afraid?

Being called sexist is the most obvious (and of course idiotic) one.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Standards are a funny thing. To what benchmark do we calibrate the standard?

Personally I think I have been tough but fair .. as I see no reason we should "area 51" their performances. Lets not start calling aliens weather balloons or setup an Emperors new clothes mindset. The way to improve is to be accurate , to have progressive positive critic's but of course there is also time and a place and one doesnt have to publicly embarrass with in that assessment. Hood said in his video that Speed was something that Carlton , Crows and Freo have made work for them.. Basically id say that means in his eyes our girls are below standard as far as speed go I suspect then we will like girls to have that in their game. If they dont they better have skills better than displayed so far.

I do know what Partridge is saying .. there is current trend in a lot of issues these days that if you dont agree with the current default cultural approach to things then you are an anarchism , an old man yelling at the clouds ... the video the girls made at the start of the years screamed.. we are here whether you like it or not .. basically suck eggs if you dont like it etc... which was a reply to anyone who dared question the aflw standards or existence or what ever.

I don't think there is any current default cultural approach, life would be far less contentious if there was (not that I'm advocating one).

That's why you've got a country split up the middle on every issue from immigration to climate change. I don't see a lot of homogeneity in society, and that applies to footy as much as anything else.

As to standards, the Geelong AFLW side was playing its first season in the comp as we all know - so, no standard had really been set for us to live up (or down) to - we could aspire to be like the better AFLW teams, but really it was unlikely that we could achieve that after just one pre-season and with a list made up of kids and veterans.
I watched a fair bit of AFLW1, and the Crows, who took out the flag that year, are a far better team this season than they were in 2017. That's just natural progress.

I thought our form fluctuated like basically any sporting team throughout the first half of the truncated season before we fell in a heap over the final 3 rounds. It was tough to watch and we were barely able to score as you well know Turbo.

But, being a team sport, there are a lot of different standards within any one team - Olivia Purcell sets a higher bar for herself than say Julia Crockett-Grills; or rather, she clears that bar more often than Crockett-Grills clears hers.

And so it was a year of development and learning. Some of our players caught on quicker than others, some looked comfortable, some looked out of their depth.
Some people might not enjoy watching that progression, and fair enough, I wouldn't expect people to watch things out of a sense of duty or whatever.

But the point of my response to Partridge was; who are these people too scared to voice an opinion on the AFLW?
Because from what I've seen and read every man and his dog has had their say, usually under the emboldening cover of anonymity.

Because it's an honest observation. You've never heard footy fans say they watched a bad game?

To me the game needs investment and patience, and it will improve.

Geelong's women played terribly against the Crows .. not every player, but the majority (around about as many stood up as have done in the men's more horrific finals losses in recent years; i.e. not bloody many).
They weren't always great in 2019, but they weren't always terrible.
Personally I can accept that, and as I mentioned above, as long as I can find positives and see signs of development then I am happy to continue investing my interest.

 

[dazbroncos]

Because it's an honest observation. You've never heard footy fans say they watched a bad game?

To me the game needs investment and patience, and it will improve.

Are you saying the Cats were just poor or the Crows standard was shit as well?

Id suggest for a 3 rd year competition the standard has lifted year on year and the Crows was decent footy to watch for what it was. Our lot were poor in this game no doubt and they earned the whacks for it. Still think there is upside coming with that list and some players on it but it will take time no doubt.

GO Catters

 

[goyoucatters]

Being called sexist is the most obvious (and of course idiotic) one.

I would actually dispute that too many people at all are bothered by this anymore.

I find most people I encounter are more in the mould of those who don't give a rip what others might think of their view. Political correctness might had had its day but I think Australian society is now far more geared towards encouraging people to say exactly what I think.

The media and elements of society then rejoice in the opportunity to howl down those with whom they disagree, I admit. But, in particular, to suggest that people are scared of being called 'sexist' if they question the standard of AFLW seems fanciful to me.

After all, even on here there have been a number of posters who have definitely bemoaned what they consider to be the mediocre skills on show. And they certainly haven't been pilloried for taking that view. Or 'frightened off' continuing to maintain their perspective over the course of this season, as an example.

 

[Landgraft]

If you take the skill level of even lower level than AFL mens footballers then yes, the AFLW is still a long way behind.

But at the same time I don't think the fans are watching because they're looking for a highly skilled game, or at least not immediately (the ongoing improvement year-on-year has been pretty neat to watch). I've watched all three seasons of AFLW because I enjoyed following the sport, and when I watch a match it's a conscious choice to do so instead of doing something else for fun - and as a big ol' nerd I am never short of things I want to spend more time on.

Personally I'm pretty happy with where women's footy is heading. It's a fun competition, has a lighter/friendlier atmosphere in its particular community because it's not as life-or-death as AFL can be and overall is just something that I find starts the year on a positive sporting note. That's all I'm really looking for from it, and it's what I get out of it.

 

[Cursed Cat]

If you take the skill level of even lower level than AFL mens footballers then yes, the AFLW is still a long way behind.

But at the same time I don't think the fans are watching because they're looking for a highly skilled game, or at least not immediately (the ongoing improvement year-on-year has been pretty neat to watch). I've watched all three seasons of AFLW because I enjoyed following the sport, and when I watch a match it's a conscious choice to do so instead of doing something else for fun - and as a big ol' nerd I am never short of things I want to spend more time on.

Personally I'm pretty happy with where women's footy is heading. It's a fun competition, has a lighter/friendlier atmosphere in its particular community because it's not as life-or-death as AFL can be and overall is just something that I find starts the year on a positive sporting note. That's all I'm really looking for from it, and it's what I get out of it.

very similar to my attitude too, Landgraft

 

[Max Milburn]

I just love watching anything run around in blue and white hoops!
Standards mean little to me at this stage. It's the inspiration behind the whole movement.
These girls have busted through a barrier.
They lost their first final by a big margin.
Well, I've seen our men lose by bigger margins, and it didn't stop me supporting them.
Their skills will grow and we will come to appreciate the differences.
Not everyone, of course.
But that's their loss, and prerogative.

 

[Turbocat]

HArford on SEN today ...

" Talking to a Geelong guy in Adelaide last week .. they have gone from 62 players on the Bellarine Pen.. 2 or 3 years ago to now having 1600 ...."

Its sort of says what its really about .. the standard of player will get better..when you increase the playing stocks ... so its coming ...