Why girls need to join the boys' club of AFL

Molan, Sampson, Maddern. There all attractive and easy on the eye. It seems woman's inclusiveness is conditional. You won't get on prime time if you've got a face for radio.

Sounds like a big beat-up. Although 100% of AFL players are men, almost 50% of supporters are women. What's wrong with having just one women on The Footy Show. Much ado about nothing really. It's 2015, and there should probably be a few women on The Footy Show (if they'd be inclined to appear on such a rubbish show). It's like when Channel 10 used Kellie Underwood as the commentator about a decade ago, and the male chauvinists went overboard in their vitriol. Why should Channel 9 ignore half of it's audience? Why is there such a clamour for teams in the proposed women's league? Because women love AFL as much as men do. I look forward to one day having an all female panel on The Footy Show (not sure who'd play the part of Sam Newman), and not one word mentioned by the media.

The Footy Show jumped the shark years ago. Maybe going in a new direction could save it, and last week's episode had the highest ratings for years. But I suspect that was more curiosity value than anything likely to be sustained.

Have a look at Kacey's articles on these subjects, “Breast is best is another way to control Women’s bodies”. or “the subconscious bias of unisex baby names”. That was on page one, i was actually to scared to look further Have a think for a minute, Breast is best is another way to control women's bodies. seriously FFS and OMFG !! I totally dispute, totally dispute that 2 of your articles are worse than these, please don't let me down Giovanni, for the love of god !!.

Very well said Judy

Jeez qhat a load of rubbish so what about the NRL footy show they have had a female on that for a long time

According to you but unfortunately you can't speak for all and especially me I love the AFL Footy Show

Impossible Giovanni, your articles are not way worse, they are way better, the footy show is not a equal opportunity PC show, that is actually its beauty, BTW i don't watch and haven't for a number of years. I seriously don't think i have read a worse article than this, try your best but i don't think you can beat it.

Good article this. There seems to be a bit of hoo ha in the comments but I don't see why. People seem to apply the notion that if you identify a problem in a company or a country or a code, that you're suggesting it applies universally to a monolith and that there is no resistance or progress happening, or even diversity of views. You can say there's a gender problem in footy culture while knowing that many fans and players and clubs are really excellent on gender and inclusion, because we can do better. The Footy Show has been on air since 1993 and Maddern is the first ever female co-host. Like Eddie McGuire when he started she has 20 years of reporting under her belt, and zero senior games. Girls and young women (and women of all ages) watching footy who see female umpires and commentators and presenters will be given a strong message that they have as much right as anyone to love and play the great game. Not really sure what the downside to having her host is, unless she's actually a crap host - and I understand from the comments here that she's pretty good.

"You mean the meaning has changed over time." The meaning has not changed. Its etymology is crystal clear. Like what has happened with 'homophobe' and 'Islamophobe', bigots and activists misuse the term to imply that their detractors are irrational and/or have a mental problem. By characterising someone as a misogynist, you are asserting that their opinions are invalid because of an irrational hatred. It's classic ad hominem - attack the person when you cannot attack their argument. Nothing but lies and defamation. To have this tactic adopted by the 'Prime Minister' of Australia was a disgrace. The only way to counter this behaviour is to adopt the activists' own twisted logic. Accuse those who flippantly or vexatiously refer to misogyny as misandrists, or to homophobia as heterophobics. Tolerating the children who employ these histrionics as misdirection is not productive.

Marngrook is excellent. Great show.

No way. At least two of my articles are WAY worse than this. Seriously though, it's a good article. This isn't a strict affirmative action quota at work, it is an acknowledgement of the fact there are very good journalists who understand the game and have something worthwhile to say about it who are also female. It is also an acknowledgement of the fact women like AFL, and watch AFL, and play Aussie Rules in growing numbers. Makes sense to have a female co-host on the show. And she's what - one person on a panel of six?

My main point here is that Ch9/The Footy Show don't hesitate to eat their own . . . when they have them over a barrel ! I expect heaps more of the same re. the 60 Minutes Lebanon abduction story

Yeah, claiming something isn't misogyny because it doesn't meet the strict definition of the word is a copout, the behavior remains the same regardless of what label is applied to it.

'Even certain dictionaries have changed the meaning...' You mean the meaning has changed over time. It may have been much more narrow in the past but the word is widely accepted to have a broader meaning than purely 'hatred of women' these days. And by 'these days' I don't just mean 'since Gillard's speech'. There are loads of words in our language which have a broader or slightly different definition now than they once did. In fact, common use over a period of time is what affects the definition of words.

Judy, well said. The sooner your number stands up to the loonies amongst you gender and brings some balance, the better. Nice start with squashing Julia by the way, truely an opportunist on display there.

Harry, C Ford, Kasey and all the hysterical leftyloonies who contribute to Daily Life"" are NOT journo's. They are simply self serving, sanctimonious spoilt brats who have tapped into a vulnerable and equally sanctimonious audience, oh and they can fill a "trashy mag" website folder. As others have put it very well here already...............aussie rules (and numerous other team sports) traditionally seen as male domains have always been underpinned by female participation, and that is expanding. Great, it will simply grow the sport and the interest therein. Kasey's point of view would not change even if she was accurately informed; which I suspect is already the case. Like so many millions like her, she is running a control agenda. Her poor daughter/children, I pity them. As for her "partner"............... run away as fast as you can.

Not sure whether to critique the Kasey Edwards piece in the first instance. Reading that piece what is clear is a lack of understanding of the community dynamic over much of the 120 year history she refers to (although of course Australian football dates back to 1858-59 but we can't really judge issues around egalitarianism and feminism from that era). Those of us growing up in country regions know fully well that the boys played footy and the girls played netball. And only now is that being seriously challenged. That Australian football has not infringed upon the domain of netball in the main has been due to this complimentary relationship - most obvious in country towns but also at least in the past visible around metropolitan regions. This has been changing in very recent times - largely due to Government pressure. For local sporting clubs access to funding is largely linked to 'diversity'. Are there juniors? females? ethnic minorities? the handicapped? etc. Sports that benefit most are those played by boys and girls. Most obviously - basketball, soccer, swimming. The interest in Womens footy has been growing over the last 10 years. We've even seen a womens division in the AFL International Cup in 2011 and 2014. I was pleased to see AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick made sure to bring then female commissioners Linda Dessau and Sam Mostyn to the Punt Rd oval to watch the womens final between Canada and Ireland. Women's footy has been a big growth area in recent years - in 'new markets' in Australia up in Queensland in particular and also internationally. This is great to see - but I do hope not at the expense of the great game of netball. That community co-existence is a social glue for many small towns and regional centres. The AFL and Australian football shouldn't be too harshly judged then for having been or appeared to be a boys club environment for so many years as the netball subject has to be included in the portrait. For a male dominated local footy club environment that I've played through - I've seen female committee members, umpires, trainers etc. Now we see female teams. There has been limited female involvement through the media over the years - I remember growing up seeing Penny Crisp reporting in the Melbourne Sun. We've had Sam Lane, Christie Malthouse and Caroline Wilson in particular develop profiles in the footy media. Correct - they haven't played at the top level but each had a link to the industry that probably helped them get a look in ahead of perhaps others who might be equally if not more deserving. As it is - the other irony around footy is that women were able to become VFL/AFL members well before the archaic MCC relented.

Here, here, well said Judy

harry houdini I couldn't agree more