The players going to play, and the haters going to hate. But the AFL Women’s league shook off all the knockers and doubters with an opening weekend that surpassed even the most optimistic hopes.
“No-one will ever be interested in women’s’ footy”. “No-one will ever watch girls play a boys’ game”.
But as evening came on Friday evening and the masses descended on Princes Park, statements like these were blown out of the water.
It was built, and so many came that they had to lock the gates. Then more healthy crowds at Thebarton, Western Oval and under thundery skies at Casey Fields.
It was a league intended for humble beginnings. Just eight teams, only seven rounds. Players on just $5,000 a season, subsequently revised to $8,500. Free admission.
But suddenly, we realise this is bigger than any of us could have imagined.
Of course there are nay-sayers.
There’s the chauvinists. “Women shouldn’t be playing footy, that’s a man’s game” they say.
Well sorry if these women aren’t in the kitchen. But they seem to enjoy playing footy. And 50,000 people at grounds and massive numbers on TV enjoy watching them.
There’s the standardists. “These girls couldn’t beat an under 14 C grade team” they say.
These players were amateurs two months ago. They’ve only had a short pre-season.
Even now, they’re juggling jobs with training in the evening. They’re not full-time like their male counterparts.
But, for the first time, they have access to the facilities, resources and personnel of the full-time professional AFL clubs. The rehab rooms, the analysis to the nth degree.
And with that behind them, you can expect the standard to improve rapidly.
Then there’s the goal-watchers. “Four goals to one, that’s not good footy” they say.
Only five goals in a game makes it no good according to these. How does football survive?
There’s more to footy than just goals. The defence has been top-notch, the tackling intense.
And have a look at the record books, look at the scores in the early years of the VFL. The scores in the early days of that league are not dis-similar to the scores in the early days of AFLW.
It’s taken 120 years for the VFL of then to evolve to the AFL of today. AFLW is just starting out, 120 years behind.
And don’t forget that they’re only playing 15 minute quarters, with time on only after goals.
While a typical AFL men’s quarter goes about 32 minutes, twice as long. So only half the time to score.
Finally there’s the code warriors. “AFLW will entice players away from other sports where they could represent Australia” they say.
At this stage, that looks unlikely. There’s no shortage of AFLW players who have a background in other sports.
For many years, although girls could play under-12s and there were adult comps, for the years in between there were few options. And so girls who wanted to play footy but couldn’t found themselves drifting to other sports.
AFLW has given them an opportunity to return.
The money in AFLW isn’t enough to entice players to abandon their other sports. So there are plenty of players juggling footy with another sport. But if the money improves and the AFLW season lengthens, could it force them to give their other sport away?
No-one’s holding a gun to the head of these players to force them to play footy. It’s their choice, freely made. And made with the full knowledge they will never represent Australia in footy.
It’s a choice, an option. And if other sports are worried they’ll lose players to AFLW, it’s up to the other sports to lift their game and make themselves more attractive than AFLW.
Well, the nay-sayers may have their opinion. But I can have mine.
Mine says that the AFLW league is great. Women have just as much right and deserve just as much opportunity to play our game at the elite level.
Mine says that the uncompromising intensity that these women put into their game is great to watch. And any shortfall in the standard will in time be narrowed; and in the meantime there’s still an entertaining contest to be had.
Women have long supported our game. I think it’s great they now get a chance to play.
Women have long supported the men, and this man will happily support the women.
It’s not perfect. But it’s pretty good. Better than any of us could have expected.
There’s plenty to learn, and things we’ll see as they unfold.
In the AFLW, there are players who have always played footy. Park players with the skills, for whom this is their first experience of professionalism.
Then there are players with a background at the elite level in other sports; familiar with a professional sporting environment but not a background in the game and not up to speed on the skills.
Which group will rise to be the dominant force? It’ll be fascinating to find out. And there could be lessons to learn from that which apply to men’s footy and even to other sports.
With a new league, there are teething issues and things that can be learned along the way. And one that could do with a quick re-adjustment is the allocation of free-to-air TV games.
It’s a shame that the Brisbane Lions’ magnificent win wasn’t shown on free-to-air in Brisbane.
Two games were shown on free-to-air in the Sunshine State, but that wasn’t one of them.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide v GWS Giants game was inexplicably shown live on free-to-air in Adelaide but not in Sydney.
Surely the free-to-air games should be swapped to allow the local team’s games to always be shown in Sydney and Brisbane. That happens during the regular AFL season, and it would make sense to do so in the AFLW as well.
It’s been a great opening to the AFLW league. And there’s plenty more to come.
The knockers and nay-sayers can wallow in their own salt. I’m going to enjoy this women’s footy through February and March, and in seasons to come.
And there’s plenty of fans, both at the ground and on telly, who will join me.
Women’s footy is here to stay. Embrace it!
Cat
Roar Guru
If you are expecting scores like the men's game you are kidding yourself and haven't actually paid attention. AFLW quarters are only 15 min long plus time on (which so far there has been very little time on). In the men's game a big portion of scoring comes in 'red time', cut that out as it has essentially been in AFLW and the men would score a lot less too.
rob
Guest
They need to score more. I wouldnt accept a free ticket to the soccer because i can find better things to do for free than watch a bunch of girls run around not scoring. Same for the womens AFL. Im all for it and want it to be succesful but they have to be entertaining and currently its just jot. Those massive crowds will need more than novilty factor in a few weeks and if we are still getting scores of 5 goals to 2 then expect similar crowds to the a-league... which are bearly passable since theres no actual competition for most of their season.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
mds Did you read about Wagga wanting to attract an AFL Women's game to Wagga? http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/4450418/lets-lure-afl-womens-team-gws-giants-to-wagga-council-boss/?cs=149 Let’s lure AFL women’s team GWS Giants to Wagga: council boss Wagga council has launched an audacious bid for an AFL women’s game at Robertson Oval. Council general manager Alan Eldridge has been in formal talks with Greater Western Sydney Giants in a bid to stage another “long overdue” major sporting event here. To build a case, Mr Eldridge must first seek approval from councillors to test the viability of hosting an AFLW match in 2018. Council’s three-year partnership with the Giants, costing $300,000, has expired, but the relationship continues to flourish, according to Mr Eldridge. He was in awe of the Giants’ talent when he attended a women’s pre-season training session in 2016, and he wants to give people living in the City of Good Sports a taste of what he watched.
steve
Guest
That's a big tick from me, The off season in AFL is painful, with only minor sports (can only watch so much cricket) to fill the void. I envision a 16 week season played at night starting in Nov and ending beginning of March with 2 weeks off over Christmas/ new year. Allows 1 home and 1 away for each team with 2 weeks of finals, 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 first round, winners to the GF. That way it compliments the AFL and State leagues and doesn't compete against them. And the LOOONG wait from October to March will finally be filled!
Dmak
Guest
Yes it is silly that the Brisbane Games are not being broadcast until the later rounds but it is great that all the games are being streamed live for free both Nationally and Worldwide.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Well said Penster.
jeff dustby
Guest
the word hater is the most overused term in sport. basically it is used for anyone who is realistic about something you have jumped the gun and make a range of assumptions about a one off event. it will die in the ...
Penster
Roar Guru
The way some of these posters are carrying on, you'd think they'd been forced to watch and finance it out of their own pocket! Stupid sweeping statements about skills that will never improve (huh?), novelty that will wear off (51% of the population is not a "novelty"!), "poaching" women from other sports (hint - the women do have some say in it) .......................... chicks have always had to battle in a mans world, for opportunity, a few resented crumbs from the mens table, guess this is no different. Must be tough for some of these people, facing a losing battle, and for around 30 seconds I wondered why anyone would disagree with the formation of a sporting league for a group who've been denied this opportunity for so long. It's here, it's fun, it ain't going anywhere.
SonOfLordy
Guest
I accept my comment to be not approved because we don't allow free and honest speech any longer. I'll try any way. I couldn't last than a few minutes watching AFLW. The quality was really low. For the same reason I don't watch under 14's footy, or watch suburban third division teams on a Saturday afternoon, I won't be watching AFLW. Credit to the AFL for making it free entry, but if you started charging $20 for general admission I think most matches would get crowds of 1,000. The AFL gets to slap itself on the back now, tell themselves they're reaching out to women and ensuring equality among the sexes (paying them $1,000 per week), tick off some boxes (engage with females, gender equality, donate some money to breast cancer). I'm just waiting for the AFL to cynically promote the first gay player in AFLW/AFL footy. I will be interested to see how AFLW is received in Sydney and Brisbane. I
Johnny Dalmas
Guest
Agree. If the AFLW was played at the same time as the AFL then it wouldn't get anywhere near the same amount of attention and the competition would suffer for it. For this reason I don't think the Final should be played as a curtinraiser to an AFL game. Let it stand in its own two feet -- the AFLW Final with be a big enough event that there will still be a significant crowd.
Bruce
Guest
That's right - how could it have gone any better - 50K locked out of princes park? - Australia is full of naysayers
Snert Underpant
Roar Rookie
Nailed it AnotherFastnet. Well put!
Mister Football
Roar Guru
All these naysayers with egg on their collective face, and some still don't get it. The AFL Women's could not have had a better debut, the AFL would not have even dreamt that such a good debut was possible. Even if there is a slight drop off, the numbers are so big, the public and media interest so big, that the numbers will continue to exceed initial expectations, and by a long way. Even with two games in teeming rain - the numbers are big!
I hate pies
Guest
It seems to me that you are wrong. You are making excuses for poor skills. We've been told all along how these women have wanted to be footballers all their lives and have come from the local leagues around Australia. Yet many of them just can't kick. It doesn't take 15 years at the top level to learn how to kick. If they haven't played before they should be getting experience in the lower leagues, just like men would (even Folau and Hunt played a year in the NEAFL before hitting the AFL). If there isn't enough talent to fill 8 teams without playing women who've never even been near a footy then the women's game isn't ready for a (semi) professional league, and it definitely shouldn't be on TV.
Maggie
Guest
Men's (and mixed) netball already exists. The Australian championships will be held on the Gold Coast this year. Plenty of men are interested although you are not.
mds1970
Roar Guru
LOL!!!!
northerner
Guest
Well, that's not the fault of the BBL or the AFLW. There's a market for women's sports and those two are capitalizing on it. It's an investment that's paying returns. So where are the other leagues?
northerner
Guest
It seems to me you are wrong. These ladies have not had the kind of exposure to the game and the game experience that their male counterparts have had. It's all pretty new to them, and they will certainly never have played this game at this intensity before. That they don't have the full set of skills now doesn't mean they won't acquire them: think of them as P platers in the game. No reason they won't have full licences by the end of the learning process.
James
Guest
I was bemused by the choice of words "shook off all the knockers" at the start of this article......
mds1970
Roar Guru
8 teams, 7 rounds, not much money. I think the AFL intended AFLW to start as s small, low key minimalist event. But it took on a life of its own and took on much more publicity and a much bigger audience than was intended. I don't know whether GWS & Brisbane will draw much in the way of crowds. Probably not. But we'll find out soon enough.