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

 

[efcboy]

Skill level is about on par with U12's. A lot of them can't even kick a drop punt. What is exiting about it other than the novelty factor. What makes it harder to watch is the commentators constantly talking everything up, even the skills.

Agree - they may need to reduced the size of the grounds (like Auskick) so there is more scoring. The women can't kick it very far at present so shortening the ground may increase scoring. Don't want teams only scoring 1 or 2 goals a match regularly.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

Agree - they may need to reduced the size of the grounds (like Auskick) so there is more scoring. The women can't kick it very far at present so shortening the ground may increase scoring. Don't want teams only scoring 1 or 2 goals a match regularly.

Somewhat agree but easier said than done when they're playing on VFL and AFL grounds as it's not like cricket where you can bring in the rope - there are 4 huge poles at either end of the ground to consider.

 

[vaughany]

Cooney happy to coach the side.

http://eonsports.com.au/cooney-to-coach-essendon/

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Zach Package]

The first season already seems to be put together a little haphazardly, and the talent pool already stretched quite thin, so I don't really see the harm in waiting, especially if it meant we were developing infrastructure and pathways in the meantime.

I also think getting someone that's not Gilligan to head up the league is probably a smart thing to.

 

[Doss]

Cooney happy to coach the side.

http://eonsports.com.au/cooney-to-coach-essendon/

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Haylea Cooney for those who don't click the link - wife of Adam.

 

[DERO]

They have s**t tatts like the blokes too.

 

[Cold Sober]

As far as football goes it's bloody AWFL,entertainment value is awsome.
Like to see a Bomber team eventually,hope we'd have a bit more talent available by then ?

 

[table tennis]

By having the games being a resounding success, it will be interesting to see how that corresponds with the youth girls teams at local levels. If the local clubs and the AFL are good enough to capitalize and if numbers rapidly increase, this could be the shot in the arm to fast track talent to then get enough quality players coming through that it doesnt dent the brand.

To be honest, they got it right, just in terms of dilution. If they put another two teams in, the standard would ne rubbish. Each side has a couple of natural footballers and stars, the rest are made up of inexperienced unskilled players (of course they will develop).

There are a few "unfit" woman running around. As this game becomes more and more professional the athletes will become more elite.

Give it some time and understanding, its entertaining and in a great fixtured time of the year

 

[JayJ20]

It doesn't look like we are anywhere close to having a team to be honest.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-02-09/no-aflw-expansion-in-2018-leaves-cats-blindsided

"Geelong, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast were given provisional licences after applying for and missing out on the initial competition."

These teams are probably going to be next in line considering that we didn't even apply for it.

 

[Stopher]

When even my darling wife makes a casual remark about deciding which women's team to follow, I can see that this thing has legs!

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Good solid concept.

Disappointing execution. The major issue I have is the standard of players. I'm sorry but there's no nice way to put this, they're simply not up to it.

The skills are appalling and the reason imo is simple - there's too many non-footballers there. They've plucked athletes out of any number of random sports and plonked them in there... god knows why. Women's footy isn't the world's favourite pastime but there are definitely enough seasoned players out there to fill this league. Why regular footballers were overlooked in favour of other sports, I don't know.

As we've seen many times, it's not a sport grown adults can just pick up. There's exceptions but largely they end up like that joke Izzy Folau. I think they'd have been far better getting senior footballers and putting them through boot camp fitness if that's what they needed (but I doubt they did).

I don't know, maybe it was ol' AFL trying to crush other sports as usual.

I've seen a couple of senior women's games a couple of years back (whatever the Melbourne / Vic comp is). I reckon it was a better standard. Seriously.

They'll improve but always be behind the eight ball.

As for expansion, I doubt it'll be happening. The equality pay issue is too big and the AFL too image conscious. More teams means more games and players, any extra money allocated to the women's league will boost current wages to get them closer to the blokes, not employ more players.

They'd much rather have ten players on $100k than 100 players on $10k. Expansion won't happen.

 

[efcboy]

After watching a couple of games I'm glad we're not in it - seems likely to be a concept that will lose clubs money. I don't see it lasting. Some early interest will quickly drop off as the product is very poor. Harsh but reality.

 

[efcboy]

Just read Geelong are spending $300k this year developing a womens team with the view they'd enter next year. They're now concerned that Gill has announced they won't be expanding the comp until 2019 at the earliest. Seems a likely money waster although could be difficult to judge how much extra support your club receives in general for supporting women's football.

 

[Capt Hindsight]

Considering the talent pathways are going to take many years to set up so there is a yearly draft of young talent. Which then in turn lifts the overall standard and quality of the matches. Rather than needing to get athletes from other sports. Getting in later isn't too much of a disadvantage. Especially as the pool of fans that will support the team will be Essendon fans anyway. Playing the odd match at Windy Hill would be a nice selling point aswell.

 

[table tennis]

Just read Geelong are spending $300k this year developing a womens team with the view they'd enter next year. They're now concerned that Gill has announced they won't be expanding the comp until 2019 at the earliest. Seems a likely money waster although could be difficult to judge how much extra support your club receives in general for supporting women's football.

If geelong couldn't read the tea leaves then they are stupid. I think most were pretty sure expansion wouldn't take place for a while.

 

[LB#16]

It doesn't look like we are anywhere close to having a team to be honest.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-02-09/no-aflw-expansion-in-2018-leaves-cats-blindsided

"Geelong, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast were given provisional licences after applying for and missing out on the initial competition."

These teams are probably going to be next in line considering that we didn't even apply for it.

St Kilda and North Melbourne? Surely teams who have a solid fan base for their men's team should be considered first.

 

[Doss]

Skill level is going to take a while to get up to scratch, as is top-level endurace.

Also, if people are expecting it to be anything like as intense as men's football then they will be disappointed. Women on average are shorter, lighter and less explosive; that's just biological fact.

However I would not be writing it off. It's very early days.

 

[Runk]

St Kilda and North Melbourne? Surely teams who have a solid fan base for their men's team should be considered first.

s**t, the membership base for the Women's team at Norf may overtake the men's. Wouldn't be hard.

 

[daffo]

I'm hopeful that Essendon does get a women's team sooner rather than later.

 

[Liberator]

I've seen a couple of senior women's games a couple of years back (whatever the Melbourne / Vic comp is). I reckon it was a better standard. Seriously.

I have to agree. Dropping chest marks over and over, being clean-bowled - something I didn't see at the suburban league. Having said that, I find AFLW really entertaining...

 

[carnthedons]

Meh

 

[efcboy]

St Kilda and North Melbourne? Surely teams who have a solid fan base for their men's team should be considered first.

We pulled out of the process

 

[GUMBLETRON]

I've seen a couple of senior women's games a couple of years back (whatever the Melbourne / Vic comp is). I reckon it was a better standard.

Of course, those suburban footballers weren't playing against the same standard of athlete. Essentially we've jumped to a weird imbalance between athleticism (and hence pressure, tackling and the like) and skills. Those with both clearly stood out, but those natural footballers not gifted with that extra yard of pace struggled with time and space.

 

[LB#16]

We pulled out of the process

True. I was more concerned about their name being mentioned alongside the others, those clubs should be last to get a team.

 

[efcboy]

True. I was more concerned about their name being mentioned alongside the others, those clubs should be last to get a team.

Not sure that's fair if the others went through with applications, missed out and have already invested funds into developing a team for expansion. It would be unfair if we effectively jumped the queue - however when has the afl ever played fair!