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Lawyer, sports advocate and proud owner and founder of the Ladies Who empire, including Ladies who League, Ladies who Legspin, Ladies who Lineout and Ladies who Leap. Check out my podcast on iTunes as well by searching Ladies who League. Send me love on twitter at @mary__kaye and @ladieswholeague! x
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In the last couple of seasons, the St George Illawarra Dragons have often ended the opening month of the NRL competition with the dreaded ‘March premiers’ tag.
This week’s award for ‘television network that has consistently missed the mark’ goes to Channel Seven.
When the Parramatta Eels scored their third try yesterday against the Penrith Panthers to make the score line 14-0, I had a devastating feeling of déjà vu.
The countdown is on to this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be held in June in France. For Australia’s Matildas, this will be their seventh-straight World Cup appearance.
Given the difficulties the NRL has had over the off-season, particularly in relation to player behaviour, the challenges that the Cronulla Sharks are facing off the field have, to a large extent, gone unnoticed.
Today is International Women’s Day, a day where people across the globe come together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
There are just eleven sleeps until the NRL season starts again and for this I’m very grateful.
This Sunday, the Australian women’s cricket team will play in their final game for the summer when they take on the New Zealand White Ferns in game three of the Rose Bowl series.
As the 2019 NRL season creeps closer (less than 20 days to go, but who’s counting), final details about this year’s teams are beginning to be revealed.
While there are times when our major sporting codes are in competition with each other for fans, sponsorship dollars and media attention, for the most part, I believe that our codes have an opportunity to work together, learn from each other and share ideas to benefit the sports-loving Australian public.
It’s a question every rugby league fan loves to debate: who’s the best player in the NRL? Yesterday, we counted down players 50-41 as ranked by The Roar’s experts.
You can say plenty of things about current Commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Peter Beattie, but one thing you can’t accuse him of is being unwilling to listen to the views of fans.
On Saturday afternoon Sydney FC will play Perth Glory in the 2018/2019 W-League Grand Final, bringing to a conclusion the eleventh year of the competition.
On Tuesday, St George Illawarra Dragons player Jack de Belin left Wollongong Local Court having pled not guilty to charges of aggravated sexual assault.
Rugby Australia launched season two of the Super W competition in this week and I continue to be pleased with the increased focus and attention that Rugby Australia is giving to the women’s XV version of the game.
I have loved rugby league since I was eight years old. Back then I was a slightly awkward, chubby, smiling child who would hold hands with my dad who would take me to Parramatta Stadium to cheer on my team, the Parramatta Eels.
So much of the narrative around men’s sport is centred around the idea of a hero.
Season three of AFLW commences this weekend, with an opening round fixture between the Geelong Cats and Collingwood.
It’s hard to imagine how the 2019 WBBL04 final between the Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Sixers to be played at 10.10am at Drummoyne Oval this Saturday is going to top the quality of games we saw in the semi-finals last weekend.
The WBBL semi-finals are upon us and tomorrow the Brisbane Heat will play the Sydney Thunder followed by the Melbourne Renegades taking on the reigning champions, the Sydney Sixers at Drummoyne Oval.
The Barry, I think this is the part I have often struggled to reconcile.
Are there some examples of misbehaviour (e.g. a parking fine/speeding) that we allow players to come back from? What about stealing or assault?
Who makes that decision and where do we draw the line?
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Not sure where that 9/10 figure has come from…
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
BA Sports, I feel like people have been calling for a strong stance for quite some time now…
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Rabbitz, particularly when discussing domestic violence, it’s an exceptionally challenging area and many complaints/claims never reach court – for a number of reasons – fear, children are involved, one partner is dependent on the other etc…
Whilst the codes might appreciate the help, I still think the codes need to think about how they protect the integrity/reputation of the game even if a conviction doesn’t happen.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
Rabbitz, I do see your point, but the reality is it’s less about being judicial and more about protecting the reputation of the relevant company or that company taking a stand on what it believes its culture should be. The reality is, if any high profile person (whether they be a CEO of a company, an athlete, a musicial or leader) is caught doing something against the law or against the values of the company that they work for, then I do expect the company to come down hard on them and make a decision about the sort of people they want to employ.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour
If they aren’t elite then, then AFL fans should stop comparing the standard to the men’s game and expecting the same level of skills and professionalism as in the men’s game.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Maximus, I wrote this article before the launch which, to be fair, happened three days before the competition started. Perhaps the more useful conversation is about how the AFLW promotes itself given that cricket seems to dominate most of the sporting conversation until February. That is an issue that isn’t going away any time soon.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
AFLX is not really my thing either – but if it gets kids excited about the sport and brings a new audience, then I’m all for it! I just won’t watch it (I’ll watch AFLW instead!) 😛
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Peter, I think the thing with Beth is that she often goes under the radar and then puts in a performance like that that reminds everyone why she is in the Aussie set up – similar to her century in the Ashes T20 game at Manuka last year!
So glad your daughter is getting the opportunity to see such amazing female role models take the field. She will grow up in a different world to the one that I did!
Beth Mooney: The stuff heroes are made of
What I don’t understand is why people that don’t like or appreciate something read an article then take time out to leave a comment? Bizarre isn’t it!
Beth Mooney: The stuff heroes are made of
Not sure how running a business by ignoring 50% of the population is meant to be successful…
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
As someone who has watched Channel 7’s coverage for most of the summer and who is prominent on social media if the message hasn’t reached me then there are plenty of others it hasn’t reached too. What about people who watch the cricket on Foxtel? Or people who don’t like cricket that much? Or people who listen on radio? Are they markets the AFL isn’t interested in reaching?
To be honest, I think it’s lazy to suggest that marketing has been sufficient just because it’s been shown on television.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
So just so I understand your point – you want them to play in AFL stadiums, charge AFL prices for entry and continue to pay them small wages whilst expecting the same quality of football as you would from the men, despite the fact that they aren’t professional and many are juggling work, family and study?
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
I haven’t seen the advertising. And neither have any of my friends. Television is but one means to advertise or share information about a sport – I think the AFL have dropped the ball massively here.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
I’ve been glued to Fox and Seven during the summer given that I cover cricket, so not sure what your point is…
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Great idea! If we’re going for equality, then why not pay the women the same as the men too?
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Fair point Downswy re the new stadium. And the fact that it was the opening of the new stadium is something I should have included in the article.
We are at a point with women’s sport where the advertising/marketing has to be a concerted well thought out strategy. I know the WBBL is thinking about this right now – especially as they head into their first stand alone season later this year.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Now that I know it’s happening this weekend, I’m sure plenty of articles about the season will follow. But I still think that the marketing around the competition needs to be better thought out.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
I think because the AFLW was started first and the AFL made it clear in season one that the reason it was being played when it was was to give it airtime and some free space. The AFL, by introducing a new competition now have two competitions at the same time – why?
Also, by simply focusing on ticket sales I think you really miss out on the bigger picture and the longer term investment and benefits which AFLW will lea to – more women invested in the game and more importantly, more women playing the game too.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Hi Tom – thanks for your comment! If I’m completely honest, I don’t think I have so much of an issue with AFLX, but my issue is more with the fact that it is played at the same time as AFLW. I’m not sure why the AFL would make it seem like they are trying to pit the two competitions against each other. Wouldn’t you play them in separate windows to try and maximise attendance and ratings?
On the conference system – agree that that will be the big talking point this season. I wasn’t pleased when they brought it in, but I want to see how it plays out this season.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
Reullum really good point and I have certainly been keeping an eye on the WNCL and JLT. I should have made it clearer that my winter time is taken up with rugby league – so with the NRL GF on tomorrow, that’s when my brain flips to cricket. But you are absolutely right – enjoy the game tonight!
The summer of cricket starts at North Sydney Oval tonight
Bangers n Mash, being able to be open about domestic violence is only something that has started happening quite recently. For decades this is an issue that has been going on behind closed doors which is potentially why you have never known anyone – or potentially it is just because no one has ever told you about it.
The reality is that last year more than one woman a week was killed as a result of male violence – I’m calling it a national emergency, because that’s exactly what it is.
NRL left with no choice but to impose tough stance on player misbehaviour