As football fans we can look back and laugh at the absurdity of the 2015 grand final played in 31-degree conditions in spring, the 2019 game at Canberra’s Manuka Oval played in snowy two-degree conditions or 2021’s West Coast vs Melbourne game delayed for 29 minutes due to lightning strikes. But what if extreme weather conditions start to become a trend and continue to have an effect on the game we love?
The AFLW is a prime example of the need to have courageous conversations around weather and welfare. Scheduled in the middle of summer, players are expected to play in extreme heat week after week. Across the February Round 6 fixture St Kilda and Brisbane played in 34-degree conditions in Melbourne and the Adelaide Crows and Western Bulldogs match reached a temperature of 33 degrees in Adelaide. The recent Round 7 match between West Coast and Richmond was played in mid-afternoon 37-degree conditions in Perth.
Contentiously the league has decided against changing the starting time of the games to offer players respite from the heat and has instead used their heat policy to encourage teams to employ extra water carriers and have water mist fans on the sidelines. The halftime break was extended for the Round 7 match by just four minutes. For a league that prides itself on sports science and the health and wellbeing of its players, this stands in stark contrast.
Many may argue these conditions are simply the by-product of playing in the middle of the day in summer, but alarming statistics suggest the hot and dry conditions are here to stay. Released in 2020 by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, the State of the Climate report found key trends of “continued warming of Australia’s climate.” A Climate Council report ascertained that nine out of ten of the hottest years in Australia have occurred since 2005, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) research found that “Australia is one of the most vulnerable developed countries to the impacts of climate change”.
So let’s talk about those contentious C words: climate change.
While the AFL and AFLW may be a victim of the consequences of climate change, it can’t neglect the fact that it is also a contributor. The league’s corporate partners include mining magnates BHP, historically one of Australia’s largest emitting companies; Toyota, whose parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation, was earlier this year fined US$180 million (A$250 million) for breaching emissions-reporting requirements; and Virgin Australia, whose jet fuel usage has a significant environmental impact.
Next season the AFLW will expand, with Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, and the Sydney Swans all adding teams to the league. With five states represented as well as the Kangaroos playing games in Tasmania, travel is an imperative part of the national competition but also leaves the largest carbon footprint.
To their credit, a group of players are taking action. Last year a union of players formed the AFL Players for Climate Action (AFLP4CA) movement. Co-founded by North Melbourne’s Tom Campbell and former teammate Jasper Pittard, more than 260 past and present AFL and AFLW footballers have already signed up.
“We’ve heard so many stories from around the country. Training relocated due to bushfire smoke. Regional clubs facing closure due to rising insurance premiums in flood and fire-prone areas. Grounds so hard during prolonged droughts they’re leading to increased injury,” the group tweeted. “As footballers, we want to play our part in tackling climate change. We know Australia stands to benefit from strong climate action. We want to be part of building that future.”
If football is a game of one-percenters, then taking proactive environmental steps is the bare minimum the AFL Commission can do not just for the welfare of the players but for the planet and future generations.
With the highest spectator attendance and television audience of all sports in the country, it has a responsibility to lead by example before it’s too late.
Dusty does Danger
Roar Rookie
I’ll believe it when the RBA settles it’s Daily Cash operations in crypto and it’s actually traded in a regulated market and settled through swift operations, otherwise your still dreaming. You might Google counter party risk before you put your life savings there.
Eureka
Guest
Very few cryptos are mined today. Ethereum is dropping mining soon. Bitcoin is still mined. This niche hobby you refer to will replace physica AUD, USD etc in the form of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in the not to distant future. There were many crypto ads during this years Super Bowl. It takes a while for the masses to catch on.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Not sure that's true, as whilst night games rely on power for lights, it also means the people at the game aren't using power at home. I expect that the power needed for lights per spectator would be well below the power used if that person was at home.
Horses for courses
Guest
A return to day games would be VASTLY more environmentally sustainable.
Horses for courses
Guest
No. It's an opinion. We all have to read your opinions on white supremacy, so you can suck it up this time.
Paul2
Guest
"The AFLW is a prime example of the need to have courageous conversations around weather and welfare." Look, I'm all for taking action on climate change, but can we please stop with this BS of describing it as a "courageous" when someone takes to twitter to demand others do something to reduce carbon emissions? There's nothing courageous about saying things that you know full well your twitter followers will be falling over themselves to agree with. Like, good on the players and everything. Just don't tell us it's a show of bravery. It isn't.
Adam
Roar Guru
I feel like this was missing a 2nd half somewhere. The most obvious way that they can fix climate change is making it the VFL again and kick out all the non-Victorian sides. No more flights, easier to have day games and all the players can walk to the games
Marty
Roar Rookie
Maybe I’m missing something but from what I can see in this article the only ‘action’ these players have taken is press a button on their phone.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
This is propaganda. Please stop it.
Ball Burster
Roar Rookie
I have obtained the AFL's secret plan to merge footy with water polo. Gillon, in a hastily scribbled margin note, asks "Can we have horses too?": https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5849668/afl-ceo-gill-mclachlan-saddling-up-for-barnbougle-polo/
XI
Roar Guru
I appreciate that you asked. I'll probably write it this weekend and edit it next week.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Yeah, that's so funny, we've gotta save the environment. And how do we do that? By driving bigger guzzlers. It's why they say Commodores and Falcons lost market because they were gas guzzlers and that people wanted smaller cars. And we wanted so bad we bought Land Cruisers. ------- I could only guess a what Gill drives but l bet ya he doesn't know how to drive it.
Windrince
Roar Rookie
When are we going to get the not at all random AFL ladder for this year XI?
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
good luck with that, we have been talking about the climate for over three decades, but still aggregate emissions goes up. Yes, all one can do is lead by example.
Sally Kickett
Roar Rookie
Don't most footy players drive massive late model SUVs? What's Gill driving these days I'm sure it isn't economical and I'm betting it's late model. The process I've getting materials from the Earth and turning it into a transportation device is massively energy intensive. It's as much as a problem as the burning of fossil fuels, but none of these people seem willing to give up their luxuries. Not to mention I bet most footy players, Gill live in large luxurious houses with climate control constantly running. Certainly houses for bigger than for their needs. We could also look at eliminating night matches I suppose. Just no reason to waste electricity playing games at night. That won't happen of course LOL but they'd be putting their money where their mouth is.
Steve
Guest
I agree that game should not be played in the middle of summer, not just because of the oppressive conditions, but because we live in a country where 1 in 3 people will develop a melanoma, and it is a very bad example to the young women that we are trying to inspire. However, it is a big stretch to link the conditions to climate change. Nobody can accurately predict what the climate is going to do. If you need proof of that, you only need to look at the past thirty years of predictions by climate scientists in peer reviewed studies. If we are serious about protecting our players from the sun, don't conflate the issues of player welfare and climate change. It just detracts from the weight of the argument.
Chum
Roar Rookie
The AFL would need to re-forest the entirety of the Darling river catchment to offset the emissions from BT's mouth
Prez
Roar Rookie
moving away from using fossil fuels is a good thing. However if AFL and AFLW players are serious they need to stop flying around the country as the amount of air miles they do would put themin the top percentage of polluters in the world. Maybe overnight train sleepers or 3 games on the road in a row (AFL) to reduce emissions. Otherwise just more empty words...
Horses for courses
Guest
Well said.
XI
Roar Guru
If the league really wanted to make a stand about climate change it wouldn't have signed up crypto sponsors. That such a niche hobby uses more power than many countries (not to mention chip usage) should put it in the bin for anyone considering environmental impacts