Eagles Women's team

[Doughboy]

How can North afford a womens team when they already cant afford their mens team?

#lolnorf

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Understand your POV, don’t agree with it but I must ask. Why is it better that we don’t have one?

Probably poorly put mate, in the current environment yes it is better we had one.
I just have zero interest in it, I am aware there are those who do and thats great for them.

 

[squashface]

Norf is going to need to host a sausage sizzle to raise money for this

 

[Pottering]

We should have had a team in from the word go. But I think we get treated differently because of the strength of our club. The first year of AFLW was essentially the 2 teams already represented nationally, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne; Victorian powerhouses Collingwood and Carlton; strugglers Freo, GWS and Brisbane; and Adelaide. The Crows had to be in because Port didn't bid. If they had I think they'd have got the nod because of their low profile status. I reckon the AFL think West Coast we're in good enough shape that we'd happily survive with no women's team, effectively penalised for our success as a financially strong club.

Here's how I see their logic. First they had to have the Dogs and Dees because they were the pioneers. Then they had to have a couple of strong Melbourne clubs to generate interest. Next they needed to help the stragglers of the AFL lift their profiles, so Brisbane, GWS and Freo got selected. Next year the Roos are the benificiaries of the helping hand while Geelong no doubt got a spot based on geography. In 2020 we finally get a look in and I think that's because our case is overwhelming and could not be ignored indefinitely. I'm sure they figure now that the Tiger army is back that would logical to include them and get a crowd boost. Gold Coast is clearly a way of enhancing their rock bottom profile. Them having a women's team will surely mean even more AFL money heading their way. It's a reward for non-performance. St Kilda likewise could use a boost. And Essendon and Hawthorn missing out? Like the Eagles before them they are strong enough clubs that they don't "need" a women's team.

 

[jatz14]

Think it will work out better in the long run to have one 2020 rather than now. With the WA talent lost, 2019 was going to a case of keeping a half decent Freo team and getting a really weak Eagles team, or gutting Freo, and having 2 pretty weak teams. However with the rate of expansion, 1 year might be enough to make the difference.

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[Agent93]

Whilst it's a downer in missing out, I've gotta question the need for league expansion in the first place. The talent pool and crowd demand didn't exactly scream the necessity for more.

AFL shot themselves in the foot originally by linking the womens' clubs to the mens, which basically alienated half the the die-hard football fans. What self-respecting Tigers, Hawk, Bombers, or Eagles fan is going to give a stuff about any of the existing teams? It also removed the identity of the womens' teams - they are now seen as hangers-on rather than forging their own history.

 

[Chris_6678]

Is there even enough talent for all these teams?

 

[Cuzz09]

Not interested until we get a team on the park. Even then meh

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[ep2018]

Think it will work out better in the long run to have one 2020 rather than now. With the WA talent lost, 2019 was going to a case of keeping a half decent Freo team and getting a really weak Eagles team, or gutting Freo, and having 2 pretty weak teams. However with the rate of expansion, 1 year might be enough to make the difference.

Our 2020 team will be pretty weak as it stands we'll be sharing talent with three other teams, not to mention whatever talent is available will be taken by North and the cats. The more I think about it the more it boggles my mind that the AFL are bringing in four other teams after 2019 expansion. 8-10 teams would be perfect right now for a competitive competition and perhaps they should have waited until 2024 or longer to determine if other teams were needed.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

I understand why the club has pushed so hard for it, however it's purely marketing.

No one is yet to explain how women's football is sustainable nor is there any evidence at the infancy stages to suggest it's viable to expand the competition to 10 teams in 2019, and certainly not for 14 teams by the following year.

I agree the women's competition will lead to an increase of the women's participation rate, however there is nothing to suggest expanding the competition is sustainable.

As we're seeing nine years on with the Gold Coast, and I guarantee you the support for the Giants will greatly reduce (already off a low base) once they slide. The decision to expand was a poor one and is costing the AFL huge biccies. The women's competition is in the same basket.

 

[Godfather32]

Our 2020 team will be pretty weak as it stands we'll be sharing talent with three other teams, not to mention whatever talent is available will be taken by North and the cats. The more I think about it the more it boggles my mind that the AFL are bringing in four other teams after 2019 expansion. 8-10 teams would be perfect right now for a competitive competition and perhaps they should have waited until 2024 or longer to determine if other teams were needed.

They must be banking on a hell of a lot of mid-late teens taking up the game to provide enough talent in the early 20s.
Edit: and it feels really weird to type early 20s and not be referring to the 1920's

 

[Smeg Head]

Wonder where that leaves Petrie? Does he stay on to help out for the next few years with the female team?

I think we can afford to have some staff here working towards that for a few more years anyway.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Still blame the club that we didn't have one in the inaugural year.

Dropped the ball big time.

 

[Hairy Lager]

This can only be good for the future of Football....AFL treated the club major disrespect ...AGAIN, we should of been a foundation Club...Marketing $ won the race once again.

 

[Tom_Thumb]

This is my spin on the situation, Gillon Mclachlan hates the West Coast Eagles with a passion. Why do I think this ? his actions speak for themself.

 

[Godfather32]

This can only be good for the future of Football....AFL treated the club major disrespect ...AGAIN, we should of been a foundation Club...Marketing $ won the race once again.

I think our crappy initial submission was why we weren't a foundation club. We put in a half-arsed effort probably expecting we'd beat out Freo anyway only to be blown out of the water by what they put forward.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

This can only be good for the future of Football....AFL treated the club major disrespect ...AGAIN, we should of been a foundation Club...Marketing $ won the race once again.

Um, we didn't get a foundation team because we didn't bother putting together a decent application.

And why would it be a money-related decision? We're one of the richest clubs.

 

[Hairy Lager]

Um, we didn't get a foundation team because we didn't bother putting together a decent application.

And why would it be a money-related decision? We're one of the richest clubs.

Source?
Afl trying to grow the wider game in WA and Oz?

 

[DJMac]

Based on who they think can give away the most tickets.

 

[W.C. Fry]

I am a bit half half on this.

Firstly think the AFL itself doesn't have the talent pool for 18 clubs. AFLW currently doesn't have the talent pool for 6. The state of origin game a few weeks ago was testament to that.

But if they are going to bring in more teams I fail to see what benefit 2 more Vic sides bring. Yay North Tassie Melbourne. Small market in Vic, smaller in Tassie.

An Eagles side would have done so much more for the comp and for growing the game than either cats or roos.

Son plays Auskick at Kingsley for year 2's. Vast majority of all the kids in the club are eagles supporters. Maybe 15% are dockers and then a few of the other teams. This year the number of girls playing has already pretty much halved from year 1. Last year there was 2-3 in every team. Now 1 or none. They were hoping to get an all girls team together to play against other clubs but that didn't happen.

Would an eagles AFLW club bring (and keep) more girls in Auskick than North. 100% yes. Would a local AFLW derby bring more interest in the game than North v anyone? 100% yes again. Puzzling decision by the AFL. Not sure if more is at play here.

But in the end it is only a year longer wait. Hawks and Bombers miss out altogether and I am just not sure when the talent pool would be big enough to accept them. They might be waiting a very long time.

 

[frenchconnection]

This is stupid. The men's league is already lopsided with the number of Victorian teams, now they go and repeat the same mistakes for the womens league.

Are you really surprised

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Whilst it's a downer in missing out, I've gotta question the need for league expansion in the first place. The talent pool and crowd demand didn't exactly scream the necessity for more.

AFL shot themselves in the foot originally by linking the womens' clubs to the mens, which basically alienated half the the die-hard football fans. What self-respecting Tigers, Hawk, Bombers, or Eagles fan is going to give a stuff about any of the existing teams? It also removed the identity of the womens' teams - they are now seen as hangers-on rather than forging their own history.

I thought the same. No way do I give a shit about a Fremantle women's team. Zero ****s given. Had it been a new identity WA/Perth side, I'd be inclined to support it... but...

Would it have been more of a fad? Perhaps. Do I support ANY women's sporting teams? Lol nup. But I love the Eagles. So that's where it does make sense. I'd take more of an interest in an Eagles side. And I can see that doing somewhat slowly is the way to go, given they need to start small. And sure, the crowds aren't there. And let's face it - they probably won't be for some time. It may take decades of persistence. But if the AFL can support it, despite a lot of the naysayers saying it's a waste of time/money, and grow it, it becomes a viable sporting path for a lot more girls->women in Australia and who knows?

100 years from now, if humanity still exists and we don't get blown up by Trump vs North Korea or crash into the plant Nibiru, we could have an intergender competition or maybe even a flourishing "A League of Their Own" style women's comp should all the blokes be sent off to fight interstellar space bugs.

 

[jatz14]

They must be banking on a hell of a lot of mid-late teens taking up the game to provide enough talent in the early 20s.
Edit: and it feels really weird to type early 20s and not be referring to the 1920's

Its been shown that at this stage, girls with the raw talent can take the game up seriously one year, and have an impact the next. I dont think people realise how many of the players that had a bit of an impact in the AFLW were relatively new to the game. The touted number 1 draft pick this year (Molloy) was playing basketball until last year. The pool of players in 2019 (when the Eagles pick) is going to be massively more than in 2016 when the first draft was held, and some of the top talent then will not even be playing now.

Concerns re depth are overstated, and the speed of growth in the womens game is still underestimated, and the length of time required to develop top talent is overstated.

 

[jatz14]

I thought the same. No way do I give a shit about a Fremantle women's team. Zero ****s given. Had it been a new identity WA/Perth side, I'd be inclined to support it... but...

Would it have been more of a fad? Perhaps. Do I support ANY women's sporting teams? Lol nup. But I love the Eagles. So that's where it does make sense. I'd take more of an interest in an Eagles side. And I can see that doing somewhat slowly is the way to go, given they need to start small. And sure, the crowds aren't there. And let's face it - they probably won't be for some time. It may take decades of persistence. But if the AFL can support it, despite a lot of the naysayers saying it's a waste of time/money, and grow it, it becomes a viable sporting path for a lot more girls->women in Australia and who knows?

100 years from now, if humanity still exists and we don't get blown up by Trump vs North Korea or crash into the plant Nibiru, we could have an intergender competition or maybe even a flourishing "A League of Their Own" style women's comp should all the blokes be sent off to fight interstellar space bugs.

Ireland got 48000 to a womens GAA game recently (stand alone, pay for tickets).

 

[jatz14]

Whilst it's a downer in missing out, I've gotta question the need for league expansion in the first place. The talent pool and crowd demand didn't exactly scream the necessity for more.

AFL shot themselves in the foot originally by linking the womens' clubs to the mens, which basically alienated half the the die-hard football fans. What self-respecting Tigers, Hawk, Bombers, or Eagles fan is going to give a stuff about any of the existing teams? It also removed the identity of the womens' teams - they are now seen as hangers-on rather than forging their own history.

So you do not give a stuff about the Freo Dockers womens team. If there was no Freo, would you have given a stuff about the Cannington Cougars? or anticipated the expansion to add the Melville Marauders? Would you have had the slightest interest in the AFLW at all if there was no prospect that the Eagles would be involved?