It is a legitimate competition right now.
Is the current standard the final outcome? No way......and many of the reasons for improvement have already been stated.
There is nothing token about the comp. from the afl right down to all the support staff.
If you want it improved further and faster, support it by anyway you see fit.
Comparing Aflw to boys footy standards at this very early stage is a fundamentally flawed approach. Instead compare it to girls footy from 2 - 3 years ago.
When I say legitimate competition I mean, most elite competitions are charging entry fees, and customers are willing to pay for it to the point where it is a self sustaining business model. Until then the AFLW is very much token relatively speaking. The lower levels are not and that is where the majority of the girls should realistically be playing. It's their duty to prove otherwise.
The objective would be for this to be a competition which can be earning the girls a living whilst still being a profitable business. I'm saying for it to do so, you would need all the people who are currently not finding the competition entertaining, to be fans.
What I am saying is that there are girls who have played football from the age of five, continuously until today in the AFLW and are still unable to master the drop punt (the most basic, fundamental skill of AFL)
This is a hurdle the AFLW needs to overcome.
What I have observed at club level is a coddling culture which has created an entitled attitude amongst the girls I have dealt with. This is what I feel is the biggest contributor. There is zero requirement for girls to master any of the skills and this is reflected in their attitude.
The coddling attitude from people on this forum is exactly what I have seen at the clubs. Defiance. Excuses. An unshakable belief that 'it will get better'
What I am saying is that the fundamental attitude towards skills etc needs to change and those who don't fall in line need to be scrutinised. Just like the men.