Oppo Camp Womens Footy - what are the issues, what arent you happy with

[The_Wookie]

It's unrealistic to expect all games to be live on FTA TV. Ignoring the fact that Foxtel paid for the rights to televise it, there are established competitions that don't have that sort of coverage. Even the NBL, A-League, Super Rugby etc. don't have that sort of coverage.

Foxtel didnt pay for the rights, they and seven are covering production costs for the AFLW.

 

[BringBackTorps]

My thoughts on all the other replies in this thread...

1) Recruiting Athletes over Footballers
- bigger grounds + less players requires more running
- they already possessed "50% of the requirement" in that they had been in semi/professional envirnoment sbefore, had near/elite capacities in specific qualities already (speed, aerobic etc)

2) Limited FTA coverage which means if I don't go to the game I can't watch it until the replay comes on online after I've found out the score...I would have loved to have watched the GWS/FREO and ADE/CARL games this week without knowing the final score beforehand...especially when there is shoe lace tying races or something similar on all 4 C7 channels

3) Expansion should probably be 3 years away for mine BUT then there is an issue with all these academy girls coming out in that time and if they can't all be drafted because of limited spots available then what happens to them? Also what happens when new teams do come in? Can you "protect" 5 players and the rest are free to be signed up wherever?

4) Skills need work yes but I figure as these academy girls come in who have played footy since they were 5, it will pick up quite dramatically...The teenage girls I've seen kick the footy at AFLW games with subconscious ball drop, kicking technique etc and the way they move towards the footy in flight all bodes well for future draftees.

5) Intensity is great but they need to learn how to protect themselves...At one point I think in the GWS/FREO game a player was running to the next contest running away from the kicker and ran right under the drop zone and got smashed by 2 or 3 on-coming players - could have been bad.

6) The injury toll is frightening for mine...In understand the short build up, huge increases in intensity and such but they again they need to learn how to take and give constant without hurting themselves. I know the Lions have worked a lot of tackling technique to avoid injury even if it's not pretty...As the women's have more pre-seasons I hope this improves greatly

7) That being said they'll be going from local season to AFLW season to local and so on if they keep the AFLW season where it is which I do like but then it means there is little down time, little general/semi specific prep time (base fitness/strength etc) and the high rate of injury is maintained.

8) More players per list for sure but again, more training time is also needed to prep players

9) Dropped marks with players on their own has actually hurt teams - a simple skill really.

10) I wouldn't be against players names on their jumpers like basketball to help us get to know the players quicker

11) Smaller grounds/venue might be better for the game but I don't see the crowds decreasing soon which is a logistical nightmare.

12) I'd like to see the AFLW season stand alone and not be on during the men's season as that will affect crowds dramatically with females (and me) playing footy those days and not being able to go to games...Also families with kids who play footy/Auskick might find it hard to go as well

13) Congestion is an issue which is part skills and part coaching...I wouldn't be against having to keep 1 or 2 players/team in each half of the ground at all times but then we don't get to see McCarthy's goals from the weekend

14) How many of these players picked from different sports will actually go back to them or stay in footy "full time"? I'd like to think that the how outrageously successful AFLW has been so far that they'd stay...

15) How hard do the AFL go in funding women's football at all levels? I'd say they have to go as hard as they can and back it in - it can't all be about the top end and simply ignore the bottom...At least set liaise with bottom feeder teams/leagues etc and make sure they an all survive initially as they build up

Great Thread!

Great summary.

I agree with virtually all your points -but NO names on jumpers! Not necessary, & keep the "look"of AF jumpers, as Australian.

I'm also concerned with the injuries -& some dirty sling tackles. Hope they will decline, but the congestion is VERY disappointing -adds to the injury rate, more tackles & bumps.

TV cameras & commentators should be on scaffolding in the outer for AFLW games, panning across to the most crowded side of the ground/grandstand. Adds greatly to the atmosphere for the TV viewing audience.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I had the H./Sun prior to the 1st Pr. Park game. It listed a profile of all 216 AFLW players, with their AF skill strengths and/or sporting background (but not all bios. detailed their sporting background).

I recall there might have been about 20 (?) who, it appeared, had never played any (ie jnr or snr) AF prior to the 2016 Academies/athlete Rookie camps.

The brand "newbies"I recall were Phillips, Melb. (frisbee); Cordner, Melb. (soccer); Mickle, Freo. (javelin); Bibby, GWS (basketball); Barclay, GWS lingerie Gridiron. There was also a speed skater & an Army doctor, both of whom had elite fitness. Most of the others were from soccer & basketball.

I recall being a bit surprised that there were very few from netball; & appeared to be NONE who came only from netball(ie never played AF before).
At jnr. girls'AF, there are huge numbers who have played netball (40% +?).

Bentley has been one of the best footballers for a while, but she's from a netball background.
Birch for us is another netballer (and one of the rookie picks mind you)

 

[cptkirk]

My net is pretty crap and its generally ok.

mine is throw-your-computer-at-the-wall bad!

 

[jatz14]

My issue is the games just seem to short. I understand with the heat and 16 on, there is a need to shorten the games, but 15 min with limited time on has gone to far imop. Teams start to get on top in a quarter, and then the quarter is done. The last quarter starts with a team a couple behind, there is a little bit of an arm wrestle at the start, then you check the clock and the quarter is half over already. It also makes the boundary line too tempting late in close games. Move the ball out as close as possible to the line, if you are lucky and get a few throw ins, you have pretty much killed the quarter.

15 min, with normal time on, or something like 18 min, with limited time on.

 

[GreyCrow]

My issue is the games just seem to short. I understand with the heat and 16 on, there is a need to shorten the games, but 15 min with limited time on has gone to far imop. Teams start to get on top in a quarter, and then the quarter is done. The last quarter starts with a team a couple behind, there is a little bit of an arm wrestle at the start, then you check the clock and the quarter is half over already. It also makes the boundary line too tempting late in close games. Move the ball out as close as possible to the line, if you are lucky and get a few throw ins, you have pretty much killed the quarter.

15 min, with normal time on, or something like 18 min, with limited time on.

Clock management will go on whether there is 15 or 30 minutes available. Its when that starts that is the only issue.

I think the 15 minute quarters will stay not for heat, nor women nor 16 a side. It will come down the '' the package'' that can be sold to TV stations and to families.

'Hey come down to a game its only 2 hours out of your busy schedule'

Its the BBL of Test Cricket

 

[Aeglos]

mine is throw-your-computer-at-the-wall bad!

*raises hand*
Sub 3.0 download speed here

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Clock management will go on whether there is 15 or 30 minutes available. Its when that starts that is the only issue.

I think the 15 minute quarters will stay not for heat, nor women nor 16 a side. It will come down the '' the package'' that can be sold to TV stations and to families.

'Hey come down to a game its only 2 hours out of your busy schedule'

Its the BBL of Test Cricket

I think the issue is that teams that are ahead can "force" stoppages as a form of clock management. Up to 20 seconds can run off the clock when the ball goes out of bounds, for example, so if there's say 3-4 in a row, you can lose 10% of the quarter just through the style of play.

15 minute quarters are short enough, its the fact that the game clock runs when there isn't actual any gameplay going on which makes it too easy for winning teams to play the boundary or throw extra numbers around the ball.

 

[hamohawk1]

One of the issues with them playing no time on is the consistent stoppages end up taking too much playing time.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

I thought the standard wasnt as good this weekend in some games. Its still driving me crazy as to how bad they are at picking the ball up off the ground. I was also a bit concerned about the lack of crowd at the Dockers Crows game.

 

[Garlic muncher]

I think the idea of the AFLW is great, but like a few other posters I think the standard bar a few players in certain teams is way below par.

Really shoddy skills, hospital handball and kicks make me not want to watch.

The lack of awareness of what is around them is a bit frightening actually.

I don't want to sound negative because the idea is great and eventually good footballers will filter through, which I hope will allay the congestion around the ball which comes in the main from poor hands around the ball.

Had they waited a couple of years we may have had the same problems, so perhaps better to bite the bullet now.

It is easy to point the finger from up In the stands and I don't want to sound critical but if it was a men's team I would be saying the same thing

 

[jatz14]

I thought the standard wasnt as good this weekend in some games. Its still driving me crazy as to how bad they are at picking the ball up off the ground. I was also a bit concerned about the lack of crowd at the Dockers Crows game.

WA doesn't do women's sport. It was the first game that was the outlier for me. I thought this week's crowd was the sort we would get at that first game.

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[Eaglemaniac]

WA doesn't do women's sport. It was the first game that was the outlier for me. I thought this week's crowd was the sort we would get at that first game.

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Might be more if they were winning, mind you that shard to do when three quarters of yoru state team is stolen to be marquee players at interstate franchises.

 

[fanackapan]

Might be more if they were winning, mind you that shard to do when three quarters of yoru state team is stolen to be marquee players at interstate franchises.

* Where "three quarters" of the team is actually 6 players, or arguably 5 since Gibson had already left. Still a big difference, of course, especially in the cases of Randall and Frederick-Traub, who have been killing it.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

* Where "three quarters" of the team is actually 6 players, or arguably 5 since Gibson had already left. Still a big difference, of course, especially in the cases of Randall and Frederick-Traub, who have been killing it.

There's many other of WA's state team that have gone to other clubs as part of the draft that would have been first selected for Freo. It was well known that the WA team was the strongest before this comp was put together.

 

[jatz14]

* Where "three quarters" of the team is actually 6 players, or arguably 5 since Gibson had already left. Still a big difference, of course, especially in the cases of Randall and Frederick-Traub, who have been killing it.

That's 6 players who would have ranked in the first 12, or even 10 picked. There are 2 more that are best 20 (Edwards, Schmidt), and another couple that would have been contenders for spots (Williams, Schleicher).

So there are 8-10 players on the list who probably do not make it if the others were available.

That's huge for any team, let alone one with depth issues.

Freo is relying on players who should have been depth.


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[fanackapan]

There's many other of WA's state team that have gone to other clubs as part of the draft that would have been first selected for Freo. It was well known that the WA team was the strongest before this comp was put together.

I'm definitely biased being a Brisbane supporter, but it seems to me that pre-season suppositions about the relative strengths of teams from the different states have, thus far, proven unreliable.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

I'm definitely biased being a Brisbane supporter, but it seems to me that pre-season suppositions about the relative strengths of teams from the different states have, thus far, proven unreliable.

I think that sort of stuff was based on state champs etc, where WA had been a dominant side, but as we've mentioned above, losing half your best players decimates any comp.

 

[fairfooty]

It hasn't taken long for the AFL to lapse into old Vic-centric habits. In their wrap up on ALFW round four on the AFL website you'd think the only players were Victorian with virtually no mention of sides outside Victoria and the two top non-victorian sides and their games.

So much for a national womens competition.