More than perhaps anything else, Australian sport in 2017 has been defined by the rise and rise of women’s sport, but what needs to be done to keep it growing? That’s the question we tackled in the latest episode of The Roar Podcast.
In the fourth instalment of our new podcast, Riordan Lee, Ryman White and Daniel Jeffrey were joined by Roar Expert and Ladies Who League founder Mary Konstantopoulos to look back at how far women’s sport has come, and what everyone can do to keep it on its current upward trajectory.
We looked at a number of different issues, including:
You can hear all our thoughts on those topics in the player above, but we want to hear what you think about women’s sport; how can media coverage improve? And what do the likes of AFLW, WBBL and W-League have to do to keep moving in the right direction?
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, so please do leave a comment or get in touch with us to tell us about any ideas or improvements you have in mind for the show.
And if you liked the podcast, why not check out our three other episodes?
» The Roar Podcast Episode 1: Money in sport
» The Roar Podcast Episode 2: Judging the success of a competition (without descending into code wars)
» The Roar Podcast Episode 3: The rise and rise of short-form sports
I ate pies
Guest
It needs to be played in small enclosed arenas, like when they play tennis and netball,so they can’t give TV viewers the illusion that they’re playing at an elite level. The gulf between elite women’s sport and club level men’s sport is stark when cricket and soccer are played. Sports fans want to watch people who can do things that they can’t; the challenge for women’s sport is to provide that.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
You're right, Rabbitz, in the long term they will have to stand alone as "entertainment products" (I hate that term, but anyway). The novelty and "feel good" effect will not last very long. I reckon at the moment only netball and soccer (at the international level - Matildas) are safe. There's a lot of talk about player salaries for women, and rightly so, but there also needs to be long term investment in skills development, so that the standard of play is high enoughh for people to be willing to pay to watch it.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
I think the way forward is clear. Women's sports now need to deliver, to capitalise on all the positive press. They are in the entertainment business and in one of the most competitive areas of the business. Women's sport is competing on the world stage against all comers, so the product must be able to attract eyes and bums on seats or the advances will be lost. A lot of commentary seems to be skewed in the direction of "you must watch women's sports because it is the right things to do". This thinking devalues the experience and pushes toward niché status. The messaging needs to be "watch women's sport because it is compelling viewing". To get to that point the product needs to be up to scratch in the public's perception.
Jarren
Guest
I think the fact that it is crowded is a plus. There is definitely a competitive aspect to the recent expansion in womens sport. A lot of Australian sports have the money to do more than they are. In the past they haven't done more because they saw no reason to. Starving women's sport of resources to have more to put into mens sport had no downside as far as sports admins were concerned. The competitive nature of the space now has changed that equation somewhat. Fear of the consequences of being left behind has been a powerful motivator.
Kangajets
Guest
Tommo The Matilda’s can win without Kerr and have done so many times . If you know how to use google you could have found that out. Next question
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Men
Tommo
Guest
How is it clear? Care to explain? One player does not make a team. Would the side be as good if she didn't play because of injury?
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
It's clear that Sam Kerr and the matildas are now the yardstick for all women's sport in Australia.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
Professional sport here is such a crowded and competitive market. My fear is that there is not enough money to sustain mirror competitions in just about all sports. I suspect most currently rely on funding from national bodies but at some stage they will need to be able to stand on their own feet, and I really hope they will. At the moment, football (soccer) has taken the lead in women's sport. The Matilda's style is fantastic to watch, and they are close to the best team in the world currently. Given the global market of soccer, I think they have the best chance of long term viability.
Kangajets
Guest
It needs elite players to be recognised. Sam Kerr and Emily van egmond and the Matilda’s will win a genuine World Cup for Australia within the next 3 years and maybe an Olympic gold . The Matilda’s should be hosting world class tournaments in Australia every year. The crowds would be fantastic. Plenty of sugar hit fizz abt the afl for women and give it 10 years and the whole playing group will be elite rather then the odd player . With these codes reliance on dinosaur that is mainstream media to financially survive , these codes will need to attract new investments in the digital age.