News AFLW in the news

[TigermanM2]

Take note of Eddie McGuire and Mark Ricciuto's comments about funding. Those who moan about the $$ invested in women's football need to have a rethink.


Mark Ricciuto joins AFLW debate after Steve Price’s scathing criticism

Earlier this week, Steve Price claimed he “wouldn’t cross the road” to watch women’s football. AFLW Board member Mark Ricciuto has returned serve.

Adelaide Crows legend Mark Ricciuto has labelled Steve Price an “official pot-stirrer” following his controversial comments about women’s AFL.
Radio broadcaster Price called the sport’s investment in the AFLW “ridiculous” on Triple M’s The Hot Breakfast on Tuesday, insinuating he refuses to watch women’s football. He explained a club official told him $1 million was spent on the women’s competition in 2020.

“I was talking to a club official at the ground on Sunday … they reckon it’s going to cost them $1 million for the four games. Is that a good spend?” Price asked.
“I wouldn’t cross the road to watch it.
“Governments are shaming you into supporting women’s football so that you can get infrastructure built.
“I love female sport, but the amount of money we’re ploughing into this is ridiculous.”

In response, Collingwood Football Club President McGuire claimed membership numbers had risen because of the AFLW’s popularity.
“Yes, we have invested probably $1 million here at Collingwood, and we are a mile in front because of our women’s program,” McGuire said.

“It has absolutely made football so much money in the last three years. Seriously, you would not know how much money it has helped.
“It’s going to be an absolute revolution for our game — it’s the next stage.
“Women are not being carried along by the AFL. Quite the opposite. They are propelling this game to new heights.”

Ricciuto contested Price’s scathing comments on Wednesday, asserting the AFLW has been “profitable” for Adelaide Football Club due to new sponsorships.
“I don’t really know how they’re measuring that,” Ricciuto said on Triple M when asked about the $1 million figure.
“One thing I do know is that women’s football club is not costing Adelaide Football Club anything — it’s actually making money.
“It is profitable, and has been since day one … We’ve got some big sponsors on board as a result of women’s footy.
“The AFL are throwing plenty of money into it.
“It’s a long term vision for them; it’s not a short term thing … I think it’s going pretty well.”

However, AFLW Board member Ricciuto conceded the expanded competition has lessened the quality of football in the 2020 season.
“They’ve just expanded the competition from ten teams to 14 teams, which I think’s probably too fast and I think has dropped the standard this year a little bit.”
On Tuesday, former Western Bulldogs star Luke Darcy pointed out to Price 32 per cent of all football participants in the country are female, the number exceeding 530,000.
“You’ve got to provide a pathway. You’ve got the build these things over time,” Darcy said.
“You need to get down and watch an U13 girls game — it’s as pure a sport as you will see.
“We’re building something special.”
Over 178,000 spectators have watched the AFLW this season thus far, on track to comfortably eclipse that year’s total of 239,763.

 

[Phar Ace]

Take note of Eddie McGuire and Mark Ricciuto's comments about funding. Those who moan about the $$ invested in women's football need to have a rethink.


Mark Ricciuto joins AFLW debate after Steve Price’s scathing criticism

Earlier this week, Steve Price claimed he “wouldn’t cross the road” to watch women’s football. AFLW Board member Mark Ricciuto has returned serve.

Adelaide Crows legend Mark Ricciuto has labelled Steve Price an “official pot-stirrer” following his controversial comments about women’s AFL.
Radio broadcaster Price called the sport’s investment in the AFLW “ridiculous” on Triple M’s The Hot Breakfast on Tuesday, insinuating he refuses to watch women’s football. He explained a club official told him $1 million was spent on the women’s competition in 2020.

“I was talking to a club official at the ground on Sunday … they reckon it’s going to cost them $1 million for the four games. Is that a good spend?” Price asked.
“I wouldn’t cross the road to watch it.
“Governments are shaming you into supporting women’s football so that you can get infrastructure built.
“I love female sport, but the amount of money we’re ploughing into this is ridiculous.”

In response, Collingwood Football Club President McGuire claimed membership numbers had risen because of the AFLW’s popularity.
“Yes, we have invested probably $1 million here at Collingwood, and we are a mile in front because of our women’s program,” McGuire said.

“It has absolutely made football so much money in the last three years. Seriously, you would not know how much money it has helped.
“It’s going to be an absolute revolution for our game — it’s the next stage.
“Women are not being carried along by the AFL. Quite the opposite. They are propelling this game to new heights.”

Ricciuto contested Price’s scathing comments on Wednesday, asserting the AFLW has been “profitable” for Adelaide Football Club due to new sponsorships.
“I don’t really know how they’re measuring that,” Ricciuto said on Triple M when asked about the $1 million figure.
“One thing I do know is that women’s football club is not costing Adelaide Football Club anything — it’s actually making money.
“It is profitable, and has been since day one … We’ve got some big sponsors on board as a result of women’s footy.
“The AFL are throwing plenty of money into it.
“It’s a long term vision for them; it’s not a short term thing … I think it’s going pretty well.”

However, AFLW Board member Ricciuto conceded the expanded competition has lessened the quality of football in the 2020 season.
“They’ve just expanded the competition from ten teams to 14 teams, which I think’s probably too fast and I think has dropped the standard this year a little bit.”
On Tuesday, former Western Bulldogs star Luke Darcy pointed out to Price 32 per cent of all football participants in the country are female, the number exceeding 530,000.
“You’ve got to provide a pathway. You’ve got the build these things over time,” Darcy said.
“You need to get down and watch an U13 girls game — it’s as pure a sport as you will see.
“We’re building something special.”
Over 178,000 spectators have watched the AFLW this season thus far, on track to comfortably eclipse that year’s total of 239,763.

530,000 female participants alone for AFL, and I heard on a news bulletin that NRL was approaching 180,000 participants overall - and they were happy with that. So AFLW has 3 times the women particpation than all of NRL - that's some kind of uptake when it's thought of like that ...........................

 

[Matthew2708]

The home and away season has been cut short. Top 2 from each conference will play in the Preliminary finals this weekend.

 

[Lsta062]

What a disaster season for us. 3 points in our last game of the season with no wins all year

 

[Matthew2708]

I was looking forward to playing Brisbane Lions at ikon Park.

 

[Bojangles17]

That’s it folks , season over and thank heavens for that , we can put it behind us , learn our lessons and come back better than ever

 

[Stan Judkins]

That’s it folks , season over and thank heavens for that , we can put it behind us , learn our lessons and come back better than ever

oh well I suppose the only good thing to come from this is, say hello to draft pick No 1

 

[Matthew2708]

The home and away season has been cut short. Top 2 from each conference will play in the Preliminary finals this weekend.

Apparently there has been a miscommunication in the press conference, it's top 4 from each conference.

Collingwood players went from tears to cheers in the space of minutes after a miscommunication from the AFL was clarified, leaving the Magpies in the AFLW finals for the first time.

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan was vague about the details of the women’s finals series when addressing the media on Wednesday night, however, the Magpies - who are fourth in Conference B and have never made the finals - were of the belief that only the top two teams from each conference would progress.
Watching the press conference after training from their base at the Holden Centre, Pies players wept, believing their season was over. They had even started planning consolatory drinks for Wednesday night.

However, doubt soon emerged about the format of the finals. The Age spoke to players and officials from half the AFLW clubs in the hour after the press conference, with confusion reigning supreme.
Players subsequently received communication from the AFL Players’ Association to say that the AFL’s information was wrong, and that the top four teams from each conference would advance. The league subsequently confirmed this.
The upshot is that Fremantle, Carlton, Melbourne and Collingwood will be joined by North Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast in the finals.

 

[TigermanM2]

Apparently there has been a miscommunication in the press conference, it's top 4 from each conference.

Collingwood players went from tears to cheers in the space of minutes after a miscommunication from the AFL was clarified, leaving the Magpies in the AFLW finals for the first time.

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan was vague about the details of the women’s finals series when addressing the media on Wednesday night, however, the Magpies - who are fourth in Conference B and have never made the finals - were of the belief that only the top two teams from each conference would progress.
Watching the press conference after training from their base at the Holden Centre, Pies players wept, believing their season was over. They had even started planning consolatory drinks for Wednesday night.

However, doubt soon emerged about the format of the finals. The Age spoke to players and officials from half the AFLW clubs in the hour after the press conference, with confusion reigning supreme.
Players subsequently received communication from the AFL Players’ Association to say that the AFL’s information was wrong, and that the top four teams from each conference would advance. The league subsequently confirmed this.
The upshot is that Fremantle, Carlton, Melbourne and Collingwood will be joined by North Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast in the finals.

Look I am glad that 8 teams get to participate in finals but I wonder if this is the right call given the circumstances.

That's a further three weeks of competition needed to get a winner when the reality is that there is no guarantee of any games played beyond this week. You can put a plastic bubble around the men as footy is their full time job but most of the women have to work so their risk of exposure is far far greater.

I think the wise decision would have been to play the GF between the two top teams in each conference this week. Probably not the popular view but it just makes sense to me.