Hawks lodge bid for AFLW team in 2019

[bigbuddyboy]

Here's the thing I don't care if you're male or female, but if you fluff up a fundamental part of the game you're going to get crap for it (eg missing a set shot for goal directly in front something Cloke, Bruest and even Dangerfield are known for).

When people criticise players like Breust, Danger, Buddy, etc it is usually in the moment and you criticise them because you wanted them to do better. You were supporting them and it feels like they let you down for a brief moment. That is one side that comes out of a passionate supporter with the other side being the excitement when they do something well for the team.

What I gather from your points about the women's league is that you are not a supporter. It feels like you are sitting on the edge of your seat frothing for an error or for crowds to drop so you can criticise; not because you were supporting for the alternative, but because you want to say 'i told you so' when it comes to your unfavourable opinions on women's footy.

I just can't understand why some people want the women's league to fail... surely, as AFL supporters, we want it to succeed?

 

[Xtreme]

When people criticise players like Breust, Danger, Buddy, etc it is usually in the moment and you criticise them because you wanted them to do better. You were supporting them and it feels like they let you down for a brief moment. That is one side that comes out of a passionate supporter with the other side being the excitement when they do something well for the team.

What I gather from your points about the women's league is that you are not a supporter. It feels like you are sitting on the edge of your seat frothing for an error or for crowds to drop so you can criticise; not because you were supporting for the alternative, but because you want to say 'i told you so' when it comes to your unfavourable opinions on women's footy.

I just can't understand why some people want the women's league to fail... surely, as AFL supporters, we want it to succeed?

Never against it outright. My opinion (and yes I know opinions and arseholes... everyone's got one). Is that they rushed it too soon, fair go setting the teams up. But they should have launched the season a year after making the teams, getting the players. So that they had more time to train and (in theory) play more cohesively together.

 

[Hawthorn United]

Never against it outright. My opinion (and yes I know opinions and arseholes... everyone's got one). Is that they rushed it too soon, fair go setting the teams up. But they should have launched the season a year after making the teams, getting the players. So that they had more time to train and (in theory) play more cohesively together.

I think I agree to a small degree.

What the AFL should have done in the previous few seasons, 3-5 years or whatever, is setup the pathway for females.

The main reasoning people have been giving for why these women don't have the fundamental skills is due to the lack of footy they've played from aged 12-18yo. I'm aware of a VFL womens competition, but not sure how old that is and what competitions are available to girls before they exit high school.

If they set that up correctly, then the natural progress to AFLW would make sense and you wouldn't see the large gap between the skilled girls and the others making up the numbers.

 

[bigbuddyboy]

Never against it outright. My opinion (and yes I know opinions and arseholes... everyone's got one). Is that they rushed it too soon, fair go setting the teams up. But they should have launched the season a year after making the teams, getting the players. So that they had more time to train and (in theory) play more cohesively together.

I think I agree to a small degree.

What the AFL should have done in the previous few seasons, 3-5 years or whatever, is setup the pathway for females.

The main reasoning people have been giving for why these women don't have the fundamental skills is due to the lack of footy they've played from aged 12-18yo. I'm aware of a VFL womens competition, but not sure how old that is and what competitions are available to girls before they exit high school.

If they set that up correctly, then the natural progress to AFLW would make sense and you wouldn't see the large gap between the skilled girls and the others making up the numbers.

Chicken or the egg scenario, I suppose. You lament the lack of footy for women aged 12-18, however, I think that what the AFWL will do is encourage more girls to play footy earlier because there is now a legitimate pathway. I really do not believe that underage/grassroots women's footy could exist before the AFWL was being broadcast on national TV because prior to that women's footy is just a pipe dream.

In 3-5 years from now the professionalism would have increased, the skills would be better and we'll look back on this period and the current crop of women players as trailblazers for future generations.

chicks rule and I'm bloody happy for them.

 

[Xtreme]

In 3-5 years from now the professionalism would have increased, the skills would be better and we'll look back on this period and the current crop of women players as trailblazers for future generations.

If the league survives that long, crowds were down in week 2. Have to hope that they don't drop again in week 3.
Ratings wise it's about the same, last weekends match on 7 rated "ok-ish", it actually rated LESS in Melbourne compared to week 1's Saturday night game.... but what saved it from being a total disaster was the Adelaide audience share. The AFL would be silly to keep investing in something that wasn't working or capturing the audience's interest. So hopefully the tv and crowd figures don't drop any lower, if they do....

 

[jameses]

So

'..women now have an opportunity in sport.' Last time I looked there were good women sport comps in tennis, netball, basketball, volleyball. To name some.

Women have strongly supported AFL for a long period of time, and the AFL enjoys more support from women than any other football code in this country does. But no of course, women shouldn't have the opportunity to play at the elite level because some disgruntled men don't want women to have these opportunities.

 

[jameses]

Of course the skill level is low, women do not have the same junior development opportunities that talented boys have from as young as the age of 12. The AFLW will change this with girls being able to commit themselves to a goal from a young age, and naturally the skills will improve over time. We have women playing in this league that had to fight the courts to play footy as a teenage girl, I don't think any males had that problem growing up. Women participation levels have rapidly grown since the announcement of the AFLW, and this engagement with an entire half of the population is only good for AFL in general. I don't know why you would want it to fail.

 

[Hawthorn United]

Chicken or the egg scenario, I suppose. You lament the lack of footy for women aged 12-18, however, I think that what the AFWL will do is encourage more girls to play footy earlier because there is now a legitimate pathway. I really do not believe that underage/grassroots women's footy could exist before the AFWL was being broadcast on national TV because prior to that women's footy is just a pipe dream.

In 3-5 years from now the professionalism would have increased, the skills would be better and we'll look back on this period and the current crop of women players as trailblazers for future generations.

chicks rule and I'm bloody happy for them.

There are existing state leagues for women before AFLW but participation numbers I wouldn't be aware of, so I understand your point. It is the old chicken or egg argument.

But I think they needed to make a solid first impression and delaying the Opening season a year or starting the State leagues earlier would've been better to get these women prepared for prime time coverage.

 

[jameses]

There are existing state leagues for women before AFLW but participation numbers I wouldn't be aware of, so I understand your point. It is the old chicken or egg argument.

But I think they needed to make a solid first impression and delaying the Opening season a year or starting the State leagues earlier would've been better to get these women prepared for prime time coverage.

Women are so far behind the men in development that people would still be complaining about skill level if they delayed the competition by 30 years. Starting the league in 2017 will accelerate improvement and skills in the women's league more so then grass roots development on its own.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

If the league survives that long, crowds were down in week 2. Have to hope that they don't drop again in week 3.
Ratings wise it's about the same, last weekends match on 7 rated "ok-ish", it actually rated LESS in Melbourne compared to week 1's Saturday night game.... but what saved it from being a total disaster was the Adelaide audience share. The AFL would be silly to keep investing in something that wasn't working or capturing the audience's interest. So hopefully the tv and crowd figures don't drop any lower, if they do....

Still challenging or out-rating the A-League. The Saturday night women's match was still in the top 10 FTA programs also. The A-League still persists despite those TV viewing numbers.

 

[kazzooka]

We get that you don't like the AFLW. Now move on, I'm just happy that my sister can now have a female role model instead of playing a game that does not value her. FFS, I'm sorry but you have been incredibly rude about this whole competition and the idea that women now have an opportunity in sport.

Thanks, for calling him out. It's getting annoying. My sister played footy as a junior and was told she could no longer play past under 12s when she was one of the best 2-3 on the team (Jack and Sam Frost and Max Gawn also on said Team). She has now been able to start playing again due to the increase in teams she is now able to play in a local comp and has the chance to also play at national level like her former team-mates got.

Regardless of how good the skill is or how good it is to watch, the ratings and attendance. I think we can all agree that there should be a pathway for Girls who want to play footy to have 1. local junior and senior comps for varying levels of skill. 2. a progression to a national comp that can slowly build a following as it matures. AFLW is something the girls playing junior football can now aspire too.

It's also great for the Teams that have a Women's side to be able to support 2 teams in their colours. If there was a Hawthorn side in the AFLW I would be watching them each week and cheering them on.

 

[Xtreme]

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Still challenging or out-rating the A-League. The Saturday night women's match was still in the top 10 FTA programs also. The A-League still persists despite those TV viewing numbers.

Nice to know that the FFA like spending money as though it's growing on trees

And yes it was 9th compared to 11th the previous week. It lost 22,000 viewers in Melbourne . As I said the Adelaide figures helped bump the overall figure up, but what I didn't see (on Sunday/Monday) were the additional Sydney and Brisbane numbers that pushed the program over 300,000+ viewers. Still not the greatest (7 would be hoping for higher numbers).

 

[Gralin]

Nice to know that the FFA like spending money as though it's growing on trees

And yes it was 9th compared to 11th the previous week. It lost 22,000 viewers in Melbourne . As I said the Adelaide figures helped bump the overall figure up, but what I didn't see (on Sunday/Monday) were the additional Sydney and Brisbane numbers that pushed the program over 300,000+ viewers. Still not the greatest (7 would be hoping for higher numbers).

the round one numbers out rated some regular season AFL games last year, they've had bigger crowds than some regular season games.

They are posting better numbers than some competing mens sports in this country. There is obviously interest from the community in this

 

[Xtreme]

IF those numbers continue to drop, what then?

 

[Ned Ryerson]

IF those numbers continue to drop, what then?

Then we panic, fold the league and pretend it never happened. The TV ratings have held steady - there is obviously an audience for this. It works well being prior to the AFL season also as it gives us some footy inbetween the cricket ending and AFL starting. If you don't like the quality and still want to support women's sport - give the Super Netball a viewing this weekend and get behind the Vixens.

 

[Xtreme]

I watch plenty of womens sport already!

As I've said im not against the league despite my protests about figures. I just think the afl rushed the setup which might have hampered the chance of the league working long term.

 

[bigbuddyboy]

IF those numbers continue to drop, what then?

I'm assuming you would celebrate... You seem really concerned about supporter/ratings/attendance numbers in AFWL... do you share/voice the same concerns about teams such as Brisbane, Gold Coast, Port and North when they need propping up from the AFL? or does your concern only really come out when discussing the viability of the women's league?

If number 'continue to drop' (i like how you have forecast a trend on 2 measurements) i am hoping that the AFL realises that investments like this don't necessarily provide consistent positive returns for several years and stick it out beyond perhaps an initial lean period. I think in 5-10 years the AFWL will be a boon for the AFL, as they have directly included 50% of our species in the sport.

So, to directly answer your question: if numbers continue to drop i trust the AFL will stick to their exact plan, which is investing in women's footy for the long term growth of the game and the eventual bottom line return on their investment.

 

[Xtreme]

I wouldn't celebrate and I disagree, once they figure that they can't and won't make money from the concept. They'll shut up shop faster than when the Titanic sunk.

I actually am more concerned about the health of the game in QLD.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I wouldn't celebrate and I disagree, once they figure that they can't and won't make money from the concept. They'll shut up shop faster than when the Titanic sunk.

I actually am more concerned about the health of the game in QLD.

Lions winning the AFLW could help! They're who I'm barracking for.

 

[Gralin]

I wouldn't celebrate and I disagree, once they figure that they can't and won't make money from the concept. They'll shut up shop faster than when the Titanic sunk.

I actually am more concerned about the health of the game in QLD.

you're still talking like you expect it to fail, why do you think Women's footy will fail when plenty of other sports with less $$$ behind them have succeeded?

 

[Xtreme]

you're still talking like you expect it to fail, why do you think Women's footy will fail when plenty of other sports with less $$$ behind them have succeeded?

Because they will be in a lose lose situation, they can talk about growing the game all they like. But if they can't make money and turn a profit from it, they will abandon it. I wouldn't even expand it with more teams until they get bigger crowds. Why dilute a thing market ?

Why do I think it will fail ? Because the afl rushed it too soon. The public will gradually turn off due to the poor skills being put on display.

 

[flinchfree]

Because they will be in a lose lose situation, they can talk about growing the game all they like. But if they can't make money and turn a profit from it, they will abandon it. .......

Don't think there's any chance of that happening.
AFL honchos didn't go in to this with any pixie dust clouding their irises. They know exactly how hard it is to make money in this sporting environment, and despite the players wanting greater slabs of the TV cash the commish and others continue to make spreading the moolah throughout ALL levels of footy a priority. Is that enough to make local and suburban footy clubs happy?
Of course not. But you can be sure they are in a better place now than before the mega bucks that media rights have brought.

The AFL knows it's in a looooooong time battle for hearts and minds and will not give an inch to other sports winning support to any un-associated potential sports player or consumer.
The money it will continue to funnel - with UNDOUBTED support from the male AFL players who don't want to be seen as neanderthals - to the girls game would be guaranteed for 10 years for sure.
It would take a complete falling off of interest to negligible levels for that to change.

The only thing I think up for discussion in the medium term is how heavy they market the ladies playing our national game, and how much TV time they get. If the interest finds a steady level that is considered not a disaster, I imagine they will try and keep the women's league on live to air to some reasonable degree.
Should the interest, corporate support, or play itself just not justify people wanting to watch it much, then you could look at a more modest effort by the AFL to keep branding it hard on the telly.

There is no way in my opinion it falls over, and I foresee girls participation growing steadily for a decade until it finds it's natural point of saturation from which it must battle other sports as viable pathways for girls who want to follow it as a professional or semi professional career.

 

[Hawthorn United]

I watch plenty of womens sport already!

As I've said im not against the league despite my protests about figures. I just think the afl rushed the setup which might have hampered the chance of the league working long term.

It was long overdue, but the AFL definitely did rush it. Even the lyrics of the team songs weren't fixed for the women. Just a small thing but shows how ill prepared they were. Feels more like a trial season.

 

[CD Xbow]

Hopefully we don't waste money on this rubbish

Rubbish???? How can you say that? I know there haven't been many 'battered savs', but there has been a good few 'hello boys'.

 

[Steven Tyler]

Rubbish???? How can you say that? I know there haven't been many 'battered savs', but there has been a good few 'hello boys'.

The only time Roy and HG were remotely funny, anytime throughout their career
That Olympic show wasn't half bad!