Women's Footy International Women's Day: Crickets from the AFL

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Proper Gander

Owl whisperer and secret agent
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Posts
15,088
Likes
24,384
Location
Port Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Mt Buller Demons
#27
ad victoriam just brought this up on the Crows board and I thought it was worthy of a main board discussion (hopefully where SOMEONE in the press will pick it up and ask some questions).

Today is International Women's Day. Perfect and prime opportunity to showcase AFLW. For the AFL to beat their chest on how wonderful they are for supporting women in the sport. Clear air, no other distractions. Prime time.

AH, but the AFL has chosen instead to showcase a JLT pre-season match of the men's comp, while the AFLW season proper games are relegated to Saturday and Sunday.

For a segment of the sport that is growing enormously in the AFL, way to miss an opportunity.
A nice thought.

But the reality is that when AFL schedule a fixture with their television partner (Fox in this case) they don’t dictate whatever they want, they negotiate with the broadcaster what both can agree to. The POV of the broadcaster is going to hinge on profit - which means maximum viewers.

A broadcaster whose bottom line is profit may have a different ideal fixture from other bodies who would like to endorse social ideals. TLDR: this might not be down to AFL indifference - it is more likely driven by the commercial reality at this time. And currently the JLT delivers more sets in use numbers than an AFLW match.
 

Turnover

All Australian
Joined
May 30, 2015
Posts
764
Likes
892
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Liverpool
#28
Just for a bit of context/explanation, it will be the T20 World Cup final (so fairly unlikely for it to be Aus vs NZ) and the goal of selling out the MCG was being talked about well before the tournament dates were even locked in. There hasn't been any reason yet to suggest they'll achieve it, but nothing wrong with aiming high I guess.

That makes sense. Only heard a bit of the conversation as got sidetracked by one of Andy Mahers questions/statement/essays.
 

jenny61_99

Premium Platinum
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Posts
50,312
Likes
38,926
Location
Brisbane
AFL Club
Adelaide
Thread starter #29
Just as a curiosity have you thought about running a poll for BF Joe and Joanne Public about what they'd rather watch?

AFLW game or JLT game?

I'd be interested in the results and am gonna speculate it'd be a fairly even split.
I have no doubt what the answer would be, but it’s beside the point. Fact is the AFL have undermined the AFLW this year, first with a shit fixture and ridiculous conferences, second with putting both AFLX and JLT up against it. You either want it to do well or you don’t. But tonight just tops the cake. Coulda, woulda, shoulda- didn’t. Stupid.
 

Topkent

Premium Platinum
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
32,196
Likes
38,734
Location
Canada
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Winnipeg Jets
#30
International women's day is a joke, it feels like an award for trying like they give out at footy clubs or sporting events. Like an encouragement award.

There's already mothers day which is far more important than fathers day
There's Valentine's day when men have to pay extra money for the day or they don't get to touch their partners.

The OP wasn't even aware of the day, it's hilarious.

Maybe when the world starts recognising women like Alice Bowman rather than scum like the Kardashians I'll celebrate that day.
 

dzussy

Team Captain
Joined
Sep 28, 2018
Posts
424
Likes
713
AFL Club
West Coast
#33
FFS, stop thinking that every little comment about women is about oppression! It’s purely a comment on a missed opportunity by the AFL at a time when they are trying to grow the sport. Nothing more, nothing less.
Really? The AFL could not grow the sport any more than they do, is it ever enough? The AFL pay the ground hire fee's, supply the coaches, the equipment, the TV coverage, they wear the free entry to get crowds, all absorbed by the AFL. The list goes on. The AFL have never done anything for domestic state football and its dying, though they are happy to let them nurture the talent for their draft. Yet you find a way to pick a stupid day to crack them for not doing enough? Look up perspective & ungrateful in the dictionary.
 

jenny61_99

Premium Platinum
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Posts
50,312
Likes
38,926
Location
Brisbane
AFL Club
Adelaide
Thread starter #36
Really? The AFL could not grow the sport any more than they do, is it ever enough? The AFL pay the ground hire fee's, supply the coaches, the equipment, the TV coverage, they wear the free entry to get crowds, all absorbed by the AFL. The list goes on. The AFL have never done anything for domestic state football and its dying, though they are happy to let them nurture the talent for their draft. Yet you find a way to pick a stupid day to crack them for not doing enough? Look up perspective & ungrateful in the dictionary.
The AFL have done a tremendous job to get the AFLW up and running (never thought I’d see it in my life time - and it’s brought me to tears many times)... however this year has seen them drop the ball a bit. They seem to be torn. Girls in the sport are absolutely their biggest growth opportunity in the immediate future. It doesn’t mean they don’t love the boys competition, because, clearly, they still do. However, they have made some pretty dumb decisions this year (putting AFLX and JLT up against it, shortened the comp, conferences etc). Not grabbing this fabulous opportunity to showcase the Women’s competition on International Women’s Day is just poor vision.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Carringbush2010

Premiership Player
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Posts
4,468
Likes
2,472
Location
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Pines Football Club
#37
I have no doubt what the answer would be, but it’s beside the point
So you're speculating a result, and is it beside the point?

Yes the AFLW fixture is up against the AFLX and JLT - hardly big time tv rating stuff. If you had a 10 yo footy tragic daughter I'm gonna speculate what she's gonna watch......... guess you know what that answer would be. Lot's and lot's of 10 you footy tragic daughters around by the way.

I get your frustration on the original point, and yes HQ could've and should've used the day to bolster the women's league. But if you wanna prove that the people are pissed off just like you are then put a poll up, bet you'll get a pleasantly surprising result.

Won't hurt any.
 

Carringbush2010

Premiership Player
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Posts
4,468
Likes
2,472
Location
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Pines Football Club
#39
Some excellent points that I've unintentionally missed have been raised.

  • The broadcasters are very much dictating what they're broadcasting - not the AFL. Maybe the op should direct the frustration toward them.
  • Even if HQ were to dictate the broadcasting, this time of year they can't avoid clashing with pre season and the x model, unless there are other suitable times of the year so they don't clash - I can't think of any.
  • HQ are very generous in it's support of the women's league. Free gate entry, lot's of advertising, tv broadcasting etc. etc. is showing that HQ do have a vested interest in the AFLW - seems there's not a lot of gratitude for that.
International women's day has not had the saturation advertising I thought it would have, even the op "stumbled" across that it was the day. Maybe the op should read:

"International women's day, crickets from the AFL ....................... and everyone else."
 

Isaac Cumming No 1

Premium Platinum
Joined
Mar 28, 2018
Posts
10,245
Likes
8,008
AFL Club
GWS
#40
So you're speculating a result, and is it beside the point?

Yes the AFLW fixture is up against the AFLX and JLT - hardly big time tv rating stuff. If you had a 10 yo footy tragic daughter I'm gonna speculate what she's gonna watch......... guess you know what that answer would be. Lot's and lot's of 10 you footy tragic daughters around by the way.

I get your frustration on the original point, and yes HQ could've and should've used the day to bolster the women's league. But if you wanna prove that the people are pissed off just like you are then put a poll up, bet you'll get a pleasantly surprising result.

Won't hurt any.
A straw poll measuring misogyny in the BF community? Not sure I'd see the point.
 

Carringbush2010

Premiership Player
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Posts
4,468
Likes
2,472
Location
Perth
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Pines Football Club
#41
A straw poll measuring misogyny in the BF community? Not sure I'd see the point.
Wait? What? Who mentioned misogyny? Oh that's right YOU did.

You're reading your own mind friend and assuming most others will think alike. You do know what assumptions are the mother of don't you?

From that post I gather you think that I think if we have a poll that the overwhelming majority would vote for the jlt or the x model. Babow! fail, that's not what I thought at all.
 

Isaac Cumming No 1

Premium Platinum
Joined
Mar 28, 2018
Posts
10,245
Likes
8,008
AFL Club
GWS
#42
Wait? What? Who mentioned misogyny? Oh that's right YOU did.

You're reading your own mind friend and assuming most others will think alike. You do know what assumptions are the mother of don't you?

From that post I gather you think that I think if we have a poll that the overwhelming majority would vote for the jlt or the x model. Babow! fail, that's not what I thought at all.
I'm not making a accusation of you personally. It's very obvious it's a factor in the thread through. The fact you haven't mealntioned it is neither here nor there.
 

Teen Wolf

Club Legend
Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Posts
1,846
Likes
3,086
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Rancho Carne Toros
#43
League officials have talked about how much better the scheduling is this year, except there's almost twice as many clashes with JLT and half as many Friday night AFLW games.

And the gratitude argument is ridiculous. The AFL stand to gain the most out of women's footy, if they don't screw it up.
 

ad victoriam

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Posts
6,153
Likes
5,351
Location
Barossa
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC
#44
To be fair they are giving it just as much attention as International Men's day.
Pretty hard for the AFL to do that as the International Men's Day is November the 19. After the season has finished,
But the International Women's day is during the AFLW competition. Instead, they are having a Capt Marvel Day at Marvel stadium to Celebrate Women day a day later on the 9th.
Just Curious how many releases the 8th of March as the official release date for Capt Marvel and the reasons.

good rating bad ratings, The AFL missed the boat on this one. They missed a free pass to more national exposure for there AFLW competition.
 

quotemokc

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Posts
11,925
Likes
12,916
Location
Perth
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Atlanta Falcons/Winnipeg Jets
#45
Pretty hard for the AFL to do that as the International Men's Day is November the 19. After the season has finished,
But the International Women's day is during the AFLW competition. Instead, they are having a Capt Marvel Day at Marvel stadium to Celebrate Women day a day later on the 9th.
Just Curious how many releases the 8th of March as the official release date for Capt Marvel and the reasons.

good rating bad ratings, The AFL missed the boat on this one. They missed a free pass to more national exposure for there AFLW competition.
Women vs women isnt really the spirit of Womens day though is it?
 

Jobe Watson

Brownlow Medalist
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Posts
13,461
Likes
16,756
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Arsenal
#47
OP didn't even know it was International Women's Day and yet wants the AFL and broadcasters to sacrifice a prime viewer slot for a far less watched, far less cared about competition as some sort of token gesture.
 

ad victoriam

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Posts
6,153
Likes
5,351
Location
Barossa
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC
#48
OP didn't even know it was International Women's Day and yet wants the AFL and broadcasters to sacrifice a prime viewer slot for a far less watched, far less cared about competition as some sort of token gesture.
I was the OP that instigated the Call that the AFL missed the boat and I knew about it being International Women's Day,
It not about a Rating winner, It was about the AFL missing a chance to Promote the AFLW national and Possibly Internationally, with a Lot of Free Publicity.
Think about this Did the AFL simply missed the boat because of a directive from the Foxtel. and if so what's next. do we only televise the games that rate,
 

ad victoriam

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Posts
6,153
Likes
5,351
Location
Barossa
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
CDFC
#49
Women vs women isnt really the spirit of Womens day though is it?
Do you mean Women Playing Women showcase in Primetime on International Women Day, At Marvel Stadium coinciding with the international release of Captian Marvel
Instead, they are Showcasing it today a day later with a doubleheader at Marvel starting at 4.10 pm (SA time)with the 2nd game at 6.40.
 
Top Bottom