AFLW NMFC AFLW 2025 | 27 straight wins | 29 games unbeaten | Back to Back premiers 2024/25 | Invincibles | KLWT nominates NMFC

[Luke72]

First of all, Marvel isn't being left empty at this time of year. The turf is being chewed up by other events, making it unavailable for footy.

Secondly, one of the reasons women's football is so valuable to the AFL is its ability to attract government funding.

The use of Marvel for events rather than footy games is bizarre given the AFL own the damn thing.

Edit: I get that it’s about dollars but surely if anyone was putting the game ahead of the cash it should be AFL HQ.

 

[Flawed Genius]

It's not strange at all. The play is to get a new 20k venue built asap (should be pretty obvious why the NMFC president wants that).

The case for such a venue is significantly undermined if AFLW grand finals are played at Marvel.

Sure. In the interim though, I think referring to playing in front of 25K people as "deflating" is a bit weird. Id suggest the players would be thrilled to play in front of such large crowds. I remember seeing a video of the Samoan coach and captain at the Women's Rugby World Cup - didn't win a game, but were so overwhelmed with gratitude that they had gotten to play in front of a crowd. Any crowd. I think the captain said she was used to playing in front of six people. And when they turned up to play their first game at the RWC there were 6000 people.

I can only imagine what it'd mean for our players to experience a crowd like that. I also think the symbolism of our club, forever not attracting big crowds, playing front of the biggest crowds AFLW can muster, is pretty cool

I think you can have both - grander plans for the AFLW via a boutique stadium, and getting our players to a professional stadium that isn't falling down/half of it's condemned, to play in front of more people than they've ever played in front of before

 

[Marstermind]

Our Prez with another foot in mouth comment

26k crammed into levels 1-2 would be brilliant.
Doubling the crowd from the 13k at Optus is a no brainer

Maybe the prez is aware that talks are underway for the 2025 AFLW Grand Final to be played at GMHBA.

 

[Only Forwards]

Maybe the prez is aware that talks are underway for the 2025 AFLW Grand Final to be played at GMHBA.

You’re taking the piss right?

Right?

 

[Marstermind]

You’re taking the piss right?

Right?

Why wouldn't Geelong be interested? They have the only ground in the state that's bigger than the ground too small for it, but smaller than the ground that's too big for it. It's free, available and had no other upcoming commitments.

It has the facilities for corporates and broadcasters

They'd be silly not to ask.

 

[Teen Wolf]

grander plans for the AFLW via a boutique stadium

You've got it backwards there. The grand plan is a boutique stadium via AFLW.

If you can't see the importance of that distinction, it's understandable to think Sonja's comment was weird.

 

[Flawed Genius]

You've got it backwards there. The grand plan is a boutique stadium via AFLW.

If you can't see the importance of that distinction, it's understandable to think Sonja's comment was weird.

How condescending. What an enjoyable interaction this has been.

 

[shinboner magic]

You've got it backwards there. The grand plan is a boutique stadium via AFLW.

If you can't see the importance of that distinction, it's understandable to think Sonja's comment was weird.

You’re one arrogant flog.

 

[the big lebowski]

And the moon could crash into the Pacific Ocean and drown us all.

Have you heard something?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

You've got it backwards there. The grand plan is a boutique stadium via AFLW.

If you can't see the importance of that distinction, it's understandable to think Sonja's comment was weird.

If there is a grand plan it would be good if people other than Sonja were in on it - her comments here fly against literally every other public comment from anyone involved in the competition. So yes, it comes across as weird.

Also, as a mean but not incorrect reply on Twitter said, Norths men’s team rarely gets Docklands more than half full but no-one suggests putting them at Princes Park. The women playing now deserve better, regardless of any longer-term vision.

 

[shinboner magic]

I think if we win the prelim - it’ll be a harder game to win than the GF

 

[Teen Wolf]

If there is a grand plan it would be good if people other than Sonja were in on it - her comments here fly against literally every other public comment from anyone involved in the competition.

The comments were practically carbon copies of what Emma Moore said last week, likewise Gill and Dill previously.

More importantly, they align perfectly with reports of the AFL considering a new venue, which circulated at the start of the season.

Obviously a lot of people itt missed it.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I think if we win the prelim - it’ll be a harder game to win than the GF

Higher-ranked team in an AFLW prelim has never lost.

Higher-ranked team in an AFLW grand final has lost 4 times.

 

[Caracas]

Why wouldn't Geelong be interested? They have the only ground in the state that's bigger than the ground too small for it, but smaller than the ground that's too big for it. It's free, available and had no other upcoming commitments.

It has the facilities for corporates and broadcasters

They'd be silly not to ask.

It would be perfect from a facilities/size side of things. I’d say it’d struggle to get a crowd unless Cats make the GF, though.

 

[datakid]

It would be perfect from a facilities/size side of things. I’d say it’d struggle to get a crowd unless Cats make the GF, though.

This is the issue. Having the game in Geelong is incompatible with a night final. I probably wouldn't go there for a day final, and I live west of town and love NMFC.

 

[Horace]

If there is a grand plan it would be good if people other than Sonja were in on it - her comments here fly against literally every other public comment from anyone involved in the competition. So yes, it comes across as weird.

Also, as a mean but not incorrect reply on Twitter said, Norths men’s team rarely gets Docklands more than half full but no-one suggests putting them at Princes Park. The women playing now deserve better, regardless of any longer-term vision.

Absolutely. And "better" now means playing the GF at the AFL's own stadium, Marvel.

In my Fitzroy supporting days, I went to many games at Princes Park when it was Fitzroy's home ground, and most importantly, all of the Stands were safe to sit in. There were games where 30000 plus people attended.

Now its a very depressing place to watch football, rundown and dilapidated and apart from the playing surface the rest of it is a disgrace. Our women at every club deserve much, much better than that venue.

Building a 20000 seat venue is absolutely not the answer (just as 23000 in Hobart is far too small as well). Aim big and right now Marvel is the answer. A crowd of 25000 at Marvel for an AFLW Grand Final would be a wonderful step forward for the AFLW.

We have no-one at the AFL with any vision for the future. Truly dreadful. Where is Euge when we need him.

 

[toepoker]

I know they filled Adelaide Oval when they let in everyone for free when Adelade won their first Grand Final, but didn't they have something in the low 20000s for their next one? And the world continued to turn somehow and no one thought too much of it?
Just be honest AFL - you want to maximise revenue at this time of year with rock concerts and Nitro Circuses and the like.
Money is way more important than women's football, right?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

The comments were practically carbon copies of what Emma Moore said last week, likewise Gill and Dill previously.

More importantly, they align perfectly with reports of the AFL considering a new venue, which circulated at the start of the season.

Obviously a lot of people itt missed it.

I’m relatively attentive to AFLW news. I don’t think I’m the problem if they have messages that are not getting out. Especially from the people who announced they were changing the men’s finals system DURING a women’s finals game. They are either incompetent or sabateurs.

 

[Caracas]

If Erika turns in another two performances like that, there would be grounds for declaring her our best player…

 

[shintemaster]

If there is a grand plan it would be good if people other than Sonja were in on it - her comments here fly against literally every other public comment from anyone involved in the competition. So yes, it comes across as weird.

Also, as a mean but not incorrect reply on Twitter said, Norths men’s team rarely gets Docklands more than half full but no-one suggests putting them at Princes Park. The women playing now deserve better, regardless of any longer-term vision.

Agree.

It's a bad ground in almost every way and very inaccessible unless you happen to live on a specific corridor. I'm not even that far from Carlton and it's basically a deal breaker for me, can't imagine for those on the other side of the city.

Honestly it would be great if Arden St could become the centre for AFL with a boutique stadium (that both AFLW & North could use where appropriate), perfectly situated on the new MM1 line as well...

 

[CURVE]

If Erika turns in another two performances like that, there would be grounds for declaring her our best player…

She is my pick for third in the clubs B&F, behind Riddell and Garner, and just ahead of Bogue, Randall, Smith & Birch

 

[Liam Boy]

Agree.

It's a bad ground in almost every way and very inaccessible unless you happen to live on a specific corridor. I'm not even that far from Carlton and it's basically a deal breaker for me, can't imagine for those on the other side of the city.

Honestly it would be great if Arden St could become the centre for AFL with a boutique stadium (that both AFLW & North could use where appropriate), perfectly situated on the new MM1 line as well...

I would much prefer they just built some seating on a couple of the hills instead of totally transforming the current community space that exists. There are better places to build a boutique stadium than a park oval that's wedged between two major streets with a public pool at one end.

Personally I would love to see a revival of this idea:

Proposed E-Gate Stadium | Austadiums

Information about the proposed E-Gate Stadium on the Austadiums website.

www.austadiums.com

The spot is accessible to pretty much anyone with a train station near them and it's also just up the road from Arden St.

 

[shintemaster]

I would much prefer they just built some seating on a couple of the hills instead of totally transforming the current community space that exists. There are better places to build a boutique stadium than a park oval that's wedged between two major streets with a public pool at one end.

Personally I would love to see a revival of this idea:

Proposed E-Gate Stadium | Austadiums

Information about the proposed E-Gate Stadium on the Austadiums website.

www.austadiums.com

The spot is accessible to pretty much anyone with a train station near them and it's also just up the road from Arden St.

E Gate doesn't exist anymore because VicGov decided a traffic sewer would be a better use of inner city space. Agree Arden St (as it stands) doesn't suit. It would have been ideal to have the state come to the party and get ownership of a larger area adjacent as part of the plan to upgrade the train line.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

2 weeks without North

 

[datakid]

2 weeks without North

View attachment 2473679

Hard agree.