Every AFLW game to be broadcast live in landmark TV deal

Yeh I agree! It would be more interesting to see women play AFLX... even design a mixed women and men AFLX with men restricted to non contact roles More imaginative ideas needed!

Interesting point about the knee injuries. I saw the ABC do a TV show on it, Catalyst or something like that. And it had something to do with the menstrual cycle, seriously. I cant remember what it was, but at certain times of the month the ligaments become loose or weaker and the girls are more susceptible to serious knee injuries at that time. So increased knee injuries for women isn't a statistical anomaly, its a real thing.

I for one enjoy watching women belt into each other. It's great stuff. Great for equality.

So was the Carlton captain saying women aren't suited to playing Aussie Rules was she? Was she saying they might be better off playing AFLX instead? Sounds as though she was suggesting that some injuries were due to a lack of experience. An entirely malleable factor that's bound to change sooner rather than later.

All i have said is what basically the Carlton AFLW captain has said, all you have said is basically ...... Zilch - is the Carlton Captain trying to save them from themselves ?, or actually talking about real problems?.

It is amusing how quick you guys are to play the victim card. I called the comment "sending them out there" paternalistic. So you'll have to try and pull out another parlour trick to try distract from the point. It's their choice to go out there. They train during the off season under pretty well resources set ups. You trying to save them from themselves?

Oh i get it. -the standard weak labelling people misogynistic or paternalistic when in fact they are just being realistic, is it OK if a female says the same thing ?. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/womens-afl/lauren-arnell-says-some-collision-injuries-in-aflw-can-be-attributed-to-players-lacking-experience/news-story/69e312eee7408407bafc180e7fd99d4a?nk=4c01217620c5c50f3937ec9fbc72081d-1545019970 CARLTON captain Lauren Arnell says a number of big injuries and collisions in the AFL Women’s competition can be attributed to players lacking experience when it comes to the physical side of the game. A percentage of the players in the inaugural season have either crossed from other sports or only played football for a few years. “So when you have, I guess, a lack of education coming into the game, a lack of experience in using our bodies in a physical nature but an absolute desire and a passion to do so, injuries will happen. Sheahan, who ruptured her ACL against the Western Bulldogs, said the game could be cleaned up by players focusing on winning the ball, rather than being the extra numbers around the contest. “I’m finding that a lot of the time, girls would rather go for the man than the ball,” Sheahan said on Women’s Footy on Fox.

Ever heard of basketball, netball, volleyball, even soccer. Plenty of twisting and turning, maybe even more in some cases. Aussie rules could be seen to be "dangerous" for everybody. No one's "sending" them out. It's a bit paternalistic to think that way (as is the NFI schtick). They're making a choice to play. You're uncomfortable with it and your response is to want to make the choice for them.

Not true,if the women have played football as a child they know how to position themselves to get the ball and how to embrace for contact. Don't they also play on smaller ovals. As for skill levels just watch some of the men's teams they are terrible at times.

Why is my twisting and turning comment a stunner - " Female athletes tear their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) at an alarmingly higher rate in certain sports including basketball, team handball, and soccer." Statistics revealed that women are 2 to 10 times more likely to experience an ACL injury than men. I think quite a number of the AFLW games i have seen have actually been quite dangerous, because quite a number of the girls have no real idea about how to play and protect themselves, whatsmore if skill level is bad the ball spends more time in packs and not out in the open which IMO would add to injuries. So - here you have a game where skill level across the board is woeful, people not fully understanding the game and how to protect teammates, themselves or in quite a few instances duty of care to the opposition. My daughter in the past has played for West Perth senior team and i am not against girls or women playing football, but i am against sending players out with NFI just because they happen to be athletes or particularly fit which seems to be the case.

Males are definitively stronger than females, hence bigger kicks, higher marks and whatnot by the blokes. However, the clanger rate is very similar. If skills is your benchmark you wouldn't watch the blokes either.

All those things will improve rapidly with experience. It was a bit of a stunner your twisting and turning comment. You don't think they do much twisting and turning in other sports???? What you're really saying is you think it's too dangerous for them and you're uncomfortable with them playing it. The women who play the sport are not uncomfortable with getting the opportunity to play AFLW. What are you going to prescribe to them what sport they should play?

People also want to have the opportunity to play their game at the highest level they can. Of course, placing the competition within clubs people care about and familiar with will mean there's an added percentage of investment from fans and sponsorship. It makes perfect sense for the AFL to do that. What's the problem? Maybe it's that your overly-rigid brain has told you there's only one way to grow a competition?

You've written that a couple of times, and it really has nothing to do with anything. Women will continue to watch and support men's footy, because most people don't watch sport based on the sex of the players; they want to watch it at the highest level, regardless of who's playing.

Many accidents actually happen in the kitchen, they can be dangerous places, but i said nothing remotely like that, is your ploy to just accuse people of things which of course no matter what they say they have no hope of refuting a negative. Sounds to me like you are hysterical! - there you go- are you hysterical?, even if you claim you aren't- doubts linger and judging by your posts its quite possible!!. Of course the alternative is adult discussion.

Oh boo hoo the girls might get hurt let’s force them back into the kitchens. You’re just as bad as IAP.

The ball is not the biggest issue, it is the poor skills, lack of peripheral vision and understanding and game awareness, all these combined make the game quite dangerous to play for girls, combined with the twisting and turning sees the women have a much higher rate of knee injuries etc.

Actually some the women's matches are very physical and I think that suits some of the teams. The skill level is improving. But you can't be critical of the women's game when some of the men's team skills are terrible at times.

Why are they ‘not suited’? Because they aren’t male clones? Ridiculous expectation. It’s like saying children shouldn’t play Aussie rules because their games are nothing like the men. The biggest issue with AFLW is the size 4 ball being used. Go kick one 100 times and then do it with a men’s size 5 ball. You’ll be shocked at the difference. Prior to the AFLW starting the VFLW used to use a 4 1/2 size. The size 4 ball is much rounder. It’s like a balloon. It’s like when a size 5 ball is worn out and loses its shape. Combined with the lighter weight which allows environmental conditions effect it more it makes for a very different game.

And without women supporting the AFL and it’s predessors for the past 150+years there would be no AFL either.