AFLW Round 1 Countdown - its here. 7.45pm tonight

[The_Wookie]

Round 1

Friday, February 3

• Collingwood v Carlton - Olympic Park Oval, 7.40 PM. Broadcast on 7 and Fox.

Saturday, February 4

• Adelaide v GWS, Thebarton Oval, 4.35pm. Broadcast on Fox only.
• Western Bulldogs v Fremantle, Whitten Oval, 7.35pm, Broadcast on 7 and Fox.

Sunday, February 5

• Melbourne v Brisbane, Casey Fields, 5.05pm. Broadcast on Fox only.

Note

• Entry to all AFL Womens matches is free except where they are curtain raisers to JLT Series Matches.
• There are no JLT Series matches in Week 1 of the AFL Womens competition.

 

[iBeng]

Ah yes, the traditional Brisbane time slot: No where near prime time.

 

[jatz14]

Freo v Crows in Darwin next week. Hope they arrange some vision. Having the first (albeit practice) hit out against another club with fans unable to see it (apart from those in Darwin of course), would be criminal.

 

[DMarsh2077]

Hi Jatz14, surely they'll do a Youtube Live feed or something? I agree - it'll be a waste if just our friends up in Darwin are witness to Fre v Crows!

 

[jatz14]

Hi Jatz14, surely they'll do a Youtube Live feed or something? I agree - it'll be a waste if just our friends up in Darwin are witness to Fre v Crows!

I'm thinking Crows might show something, or even AFLNT.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[Clems Knee]

Freo v Crows in Darwin next week. Hope they arrange some vision. Having the first (albeit practice) hit out against another club with fans unable to see it (apart from those in Darwin of course), would be criminal.

Do you know what day this game is on?

 

[jatz14]

Do you know what day this game is on?

Sat 14th

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[NimFromSudan]

There was an article in the Sun yesterday I think that mentioned a Melbourne-Carlton practice match having been arranged as well. No details about date or location though.

 

[jatz14]

There was an article in the Sun yesterday I think that mentioned a Melbourne-Carlton practice match having been arranged as well. No details about date or location though.

I think every team has a inter club scratchy organised. They aren't very forward with advertising it though.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[The_Wookie]

yeah ive been trying to track them down

 

[Mkcaptain]

Wayne Siekman mentions a practice match between Collingwood and the Bulldogs on Australia day in this article
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2016-12-16/putting-training-into-practice

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[CrowdedHouse]

The Crows v Freo practice match starts at 4.55pm (local time) at TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday.

No word yet on streaming.

 

[Gigantor]

The women's logo has been growing on me.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

Live stream confirmed of Crows v Freo. Saturday 4.55pm (NT Time).

 

[The_Wookie]

The first match of the new women's competition will be held on Friday, February 3 under lights at Collingwood's Holden Centre training base, with the Magpies squaring off against traditional rivals Carlton.

Sitting adjacent to the club's training base, the Olympic Park Oval – Collingwood's home VFL venue and the ground on which the Pies train during the season – has almost no fixed seating.

The AFL says it has no plans to install temporary seating at the venue, meaning it will be virtually a case of standing room only for the historic clash. There are also no plans to close off roads around the venue.

The match will take place during a busy period in the precinct, just five days after the completion of the Australian Open across the road at Melbourne Park, and wedged in between veteran rock star Bruce Springsteen's two Melbourne concerts on February 2 and 4 next door at AAMI Park.

The AFL is believed to have taken the Springsteen concerts into account when choosing when to hold the Magpies-Blues clash. There is also a Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales set to be played at the MCG from February 1-4.

The AFLW season opener will be broadcast on both Fox Footy and Channel Seven and is one of four matches scheduled at Olympic Park Oval for the inaugural AFLW season, which runs for seven rounds before a grand final on Saturday March, 25 which coincides with round one of the men's competition.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/womens...-only-20170116-gtsa1d.html?platform=hootsuite

 

[Gigantor]

Is it an enclosed ground?

 

[The_Wookie]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-01-16/practice-match-to-be-litmus-test-of-aflw-preseason

"WHAT would normally be a regulation summer practice match carries far greater significance for two of the eight NAB AFL Women's teams on Saturday.

Players and coaches from Carlton and Melbourne will get the first indicators of the worth of condensed pre-season programs during the important season rehearsal at Ikon Park, the Blues’ home ground. "

 

[The_Wookie]

Also if anyone missed it, the Pies have video of their Practice match against Vic talent academy in december
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2016-12-21/aflw-practice-match-highlights

 

[jatz14]

What would we like to see in the first season.
These are all optimistic, but achievable goals. Doubt we will see them all, but some would be good.

First - a profile, for it to impinge on the national consciousness, be on sports news, be talked about, have people not followers of footy aware of it.
Second - W League - put simply, it needs to blow the w league out of the water in terms of ratings and crowds. FFA had a decade start with womens sport, then did nothing with it, and it has drifted ever since. If the AFLW does not start bigger and better than the w league, it may do the same.
Third - crowds (as above), first round, Pies Blues, needs to start with a bang and be 5K+. This first game could be the biggest game of the season apart from the Final. Ideally, every team needs crowds of 1K+ as an average, but an overall average of 1k + is a bare minimum. There need to be big games with crowds of a couple of few thousand throughout the season.
Fourth - Stars. The league needs to produce high profile stars like Brennan, Hope and Pearce, but at least another dozen.
Fifth - seriousness. People need to stop talking about the league in an unconsciously condescending manner. Reporting is often of the `girls playing footy, how odd is that` tone. No more, How did you get into footy? questions. No more subtexts of `she is very good (for a girl).
Sixth - Final. It needs to be an event. Being 1 game straight after the regular season works against that to a degree, but the season needs to work up to a big finish. Unfortunately, this might mean a Pies Blues GF may be good for the league. If it is a close, good season, that gets a bit of momentum, and finishes in a Carlton v Collingwood GF, what sort of crowd is possible? Could it be 10k+
Seventh - Value for sponsors/broadcasters. I think some of the sponsors have gone into the season for the goodwill and feesl factor, they need to see some value out of this. If they do not, the danger is they think, we have done our bit, and will always be seen as a founding sponsor of the league, now we save some cash and pull out.
Eighth - girl talk. We need girls arguing over who the best CHF is. Playing juniors and describing how they play with reference to female players. The AFLW needs to be seen as a life goal for girls. Adelaide board had a poster (teacher) mention he had an 11 year old girls say, if she didn't become an AFL player, then she wanted to go into music.

 

[BringBackTorps]

What would we like to see in the first season.
These are all optimistic, but achievable goals. Doubt we will see them all, but some would be good.

First - a profile, for it to impinge on the national consciousness, be on sports news, be talked about, have people not followers of footy aware of it.
Second - W League - put simply, it needs to blow the w league out of the water in terms of ratings and crowds. FFA had a decade start with womens sport, then did nothing with it, and it has drifted ever since. If the AFLW does not start bigger and better than the w league, it may do the same.
Third - crowds (as above), first round, Pies Blues, needs to start with a bang and be 5K+. This first game could be the biggest game of the season apart from the Final. Ideally, every team needs crowds of 1K+ as an average, but an overall average of 1k + is a bare minimum. There need to be big games with crowds of a couple of few thousand throughout the season.
Fourth - Stars. The league needs to produce high profile stars like Brennan, Hope and Pearce, but at least another dozen.
Fifth - seriousness. People need to stop talking about the league in an unconsciously condescending manner. Reporting is often of the `girls playing footy, how odd is that` tone. No more, How did you get into footy? questions. No more subtexts of `she is very good (for a girl).
Sixth - Final. It needs to be an event. Being 1 game straight after the regular season works against that to a degree, but the season needs to work up to a big finish. Unfortunately, this might mean a Pies Blues GF may be good for the league. If it is a close, good season, that gets a bit of momentum, and finishes in a Carlton v Collingwood GF, what sort of crowd is possible? Could it be 10k+
Seventh - Value for sponsors/broadcasters. I think some of the sponsors have gone into the season for the goodwill and feesl factor, they need to see some value out of this. If they do not, the danger is they think, we have done our bit, and will always be seen as a founding sponsor of the league, now we save some cash and pull out.
Eighth - girl talk. We need girls arguing over who the best CHF is. Playing juniors and describing how they play with reference to female players. The AFLW needs to be seen as a life goal for girls. Adelaide board had a poster (teacher) mention he had an 11 year old girls say, if she didn't become an AFL player, then she wanted to go into music.

Great Summary!

Three other points:-
1. At the end of the season, I hope a highlight to be acclaimed for the 1st AFLW season would be the open, one-on-one, free flowing style of play. Helped by 16 a side.
After the 3.9.2016 Melb.v. Footscray women's game, many said it was entertaining & enjoyable to watch because of these factors. Like a pre 2000 era game. Spectators loved the old matchups/duels - a subplot of the enjoyment of watching football.
Now in the AFL, we have a swarm of about 30 players around the ball quite constantly.

2. Since the AFLW will have more publicity than the standalone FTA 3.9.2016 game which attracted 6,000, it would be hoped the average Melb. crowd is over 6,000; Perth & Adelaide over 3,000; Sydney & Brisbane over 1500 (The standard of play, often in hot conditions, will not be as high as the last two FTA games). This assumes no hot days over 30 deg., or rain -which will reduce the averages.

3. Given the publicity & FTA exposure for the AFLW, it is hoped female regd. partipation numbers, by the end of 2017, would show a 20% minimum increase on the current 380,000 regd. female participants.

 

[NoobPie]

Great Summary!

Three other points:-
1. At the end of the season, I hope a highlight to be acclaimed for the 1st AFLW season would be the open, one-on-one, free flowing style of play. Helped by 16 a side.
After the 3.9.2016 Melb.v. Footscray women's game, many said it was entertaining & enjoyable to watch because of these factors. Like a pre 2000 era game. Spectators loved the old matchups/duels - a subplot of the enjoyment of watching football.
Now in the AFL, we have a swarm of about 30 players around the ball quite constantly.

2. Since the AFLW will have more publicity than the standalone FTA 3.9.2016 game which attracted 6,000, it would be hoped the average Melb. crowd is over 6,000; Perth & Adelaide over 3,000; Sydney & Brisbane over 1500 (The standard of play, often in hot conditions, will not be as high as the last two FTA games). This assumes no hot days over 30 deg., or rain -which will reduce the averages.

3. Given the publicity & FTA exposure for the AFLW, it is hoped female regd. partipation numbers, by the end of 2017, would show a 20% minimum increase on the current 380,000 regd. female participants.

Great post again bbt!

Just thought I'd point out one thing though. I'm not sure the 380,000 figure is the best to use. It includes a large chunk of "promotional" participants. I think the afl should separate these out from the Aus kick and club registered numbers (which they do for the aggregate number).

Still I agree with the sentiment. Given the time of the season you would hope/expect even that clubs are inundated with new players

 

[Vicky Park]

Is it an enclosed ground?

No, the ground itself is open, although the oval is of course fenced. Not sure if temporary fencing will be put up for the first game, as a means of crowd control.

I watch training and VFL games at Olympic Park, and it's a poor ground for spectators.

 

[ColinWood]

The location is sub par for the opening game of the season. I really wanted to bring my dad (who needs a knee deco so won't be able to stand all game) & young cousins to the game (they will not love the game experience without seats and hot chips lol). This is disappointing as the opener to the women's season to be honest.

 

[Vicky Park]

The location is sub par for the opening game of the season. I really wanted to bring my dad (who needs a knee deco so won't be able to stand all game) & young cousins to the game (they will not love the game experience without seats and hot chips lol). This is disappointing as the opener to the women's season to be honest.

I suspect the club will deliver on the hot chips! At the February intra-club matches they always manage to have food trucks available, and other refreshments (wont miss the opportunity to make a $). The cafe will be open too. But the big issue is seating and fan amenity. Seating is currently restricted to some open concrete terraces on the east side of the ground. A temporary awning may be put up there (the club has done this before). But standing room will be very congested on the Olympic Boulevard side of the ground, and at the south end adjacent to the freeway/river.