The history of the AFL Women’s competition began in no quiet fashion on Friday night with the Carlton Blues putting in a dominant performance over the Collingwood Magpies at Ikon Park.
Collingwood found the first goal of the game and indeed the history of the AFL Women’s competition through Jasmine Garner, but it was all Carlton from there on out as the Pies failed to score another major.
The Blues snagged three goals in that first term with two coming from superstar Darcy Vescio, who finished the night with four to her name.
Carlton steadily built out their lead from that point on, with some great passages of play leading to a further four goals for the match.
In the end the scoreline read 7.4.46 to 1.5.11 in favour of the home team.
The clear player of the match was Vescio, a dominant force up forward – take away every other Carlton player’s scores and she still would’ve more than doubled what the whole Collingwood team could put together.
However the Blues also would’ve been thrilled with elite performances from Brianna Davey, who had a match-leading 26 disposals and kicked a goal, and Bianca Jakobsson with 16 touches and a goal.
For the Pies Sarah D’Arcy looked dangerous whenever she got near the ball, and with 14 touches had the most for them, equal with Amelia Barden. Captain Stephanie Choicci played well too.
Unfortunately for the Collingwood faithful though it was a disappointing night – despite breaking even or close to in the clearances and inside 50s, Carlton’s ability to get numbers around the ball and put the Pies under pressure saw them cough it up too often and the Blues finished with 35 more disposal than their opponents.
Of course one couldn’t properly describe this match without talking about the crowd – the AFL was hopeful of 15,000 tonight and they were blown away, as the 22,000-capacity Ikon Park was packed to the rafters.
In fact more than 2000 fans were locked out of the match for safety reasons because there was simply no room, with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan himself making a public apology at the gates to those who had to miss out.
A history making night indeed, and a night of jubilation for Darcy Vescio and the Carlton football club, living the dream.
Carlton Blues 7.4.46
Collingwood Magpies 1.5.11
Bakkies
Guest
There is off side in Rugby. You have to be behind the hind most foot of your last team mate at rucks and mauls. At scrums and line outs both teams have to be five metres behind the set piece A player from their own team can't pick up the ball in front of a fellow team mate that has knocked the ball on With kicking you have to be behind the player that has kicked the ball.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
and those are free if you are an afl or club member with game access
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
You should know Phil. Being a third grade student yourself, judging by your literacy standard. Get an adult to help you next time.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Smart move by the afl by using team names well entrenched into Melbourniens psych but really please a game wear 8 goals are scored betweenboth teams reminds of watching Neilson bay v singleton in 3rd grade in the Newcastle comp??? Only in Victoria
Macca
Guest
Cat - the skills were closer to a suburban game than an AFL preseason game but it doesn't matter, they are just weeks into being semi professional and the pool to choose form isn't massive - if they don't make this first step they will never get to the point where the skills are top quality.
Mat
Guest
That's funny because I went from RL to Aussie Rules when I moved to the Riverina and was immediately the best player in the team. I found it very easy to play with the wide open spaces, basic skills of kicking and catching and lack of rules. But I must admit most of the girls last night were pretty poor.
Darren L
Roar Rookie
I played Amateurs and Country footy and skill level was easily at that level and it was quicker than most - except Amateur A. We aren't that good mate.
Penster
Roar Guru
Yeah the girls don't have years of conditioning and specialist coaching behind them and they have day jobs, making comparisions with pro females from other sports moot. Comparing women with men is plain silly. Good fun, solid start, great crowd roar which is important, and looking forward to more girls playing sport - especially this sport. No bad can come of opening sporting opportunities to the other half, BOOOO to the sexist whingers your time is up.
Slane
Guest
What a load of rot. AFL level footballers shank the ball out of bounds every game. AfL footballers handball to flat-footed teammates all the time. AFL footballers fumble the ball around below their knees all the time. Can you not see how diametrically opposed your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs are? Apparently most of the girls have been playing for years but recruiters are focusing too much on players who aren't footballers? You saw what you wanted to see.
northerner
Guest
If you meant to be funny, you weren't. If you meant to be serious, you need to move out of the 1880s.
mds1970
Roar Guru
All of them except the ones that are curtain raisers for JLT Challenge games.
alicesprings
Guest
I was impressed and a tad surprised also by how hard they went at it. Didn't see too many girls duck their heads. Could teach a few AFL players a thing or two. Also the match was umpired very well, allowed the game to flow nicely.
alicesprings
Guest
Last night literally was a game changer, not to mentioned the fact that 900k watched at home. Think everyone is a tad surprised in the interest this new league has generated, especially with women who generally don't care for the sport.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Well said Wabi. I sat down before the game with an open mind knowing that I was going to be watching women playing Australian Rules, not men. Sure the skill level was nowhere near AFL level (I wonder what the skill level was like in the first men's game 150 years ago) but given the participation numbers in the sport by both sexes there is a much bigger talent pool of men playing. What I saw was 2 teams attacking the ball with a ferocity and endeavour matching that of any men's game. I am sure that the level of interest will drop off as the season progresses but well done to the AFL for giving girls the same chance to live their dream that boys have.
Steve
Guest
Didn't pick it- apologies ?
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
593k watched on 7 around the country, with another 180k in regional areas, and a further 126k on Fox. nearly 900,000 people tuned in.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Great to see another professional women's league kick off. Are all the games free or just this one?
Ahmed
Guest
I thought Pakistan was a powerhouse of hockey? The hockeyroos have even more competition now
Ahmed
Guest
Donald?
Wabi
Guest
Not clear what the commentators are on about dismissing the game because of the skill levels (news flash: the girls don’t run as fast or jump as high, either). It would be naive to expect Dangerfield-like skills to emerge overnight in what up until now are amateur, largely part-time, athletes – it also trivializes how rare those skills are. If the point is that women must be able to perform at the same as men before they are taken seriously as professional athletes then there needs to be opportunities to develop that skill. We saw the beginning of that last night. Skills of course are integral to the game but so is heart and endeavour, and there was plenty of that on display. I think some of the tut-tutting about skills is a dog whistle signalling disapproval, and not a little resentment, of the whole enterprise. Another example, like the Indigenous and other theme rounds, of the AFL trying to be politically correct in a world that is changing way too quickly.