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Was brought up in Victoria, where I barracked for the Bombers in winter and the Aussie cricketers in summer. Life took me to Sydney many years ago, where I've gained an appreciation of many other sports; including tennis, rugby league and soccer/football. But AFL remains my first love; and I'm now proudly a member and supporter of the Greater Western Sydney Giants. In between working a boring desk job and attending sporting events, I trawl the internet for sporting stories and discussions.
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It's not enough to put a couple of scapegoats on gardening leave. Cricket needs a paradigm shift. The culture is toxic and now is…
As the second season of AFLW nears its conclusion, we can see they've done a lot right with this competition. But we haven't got…
It may only be a sample size of two, but this is the most even AFLW season yet. Had Collingwood been able to run…
Enough with the negativity! AFLX is here, I'm looking forward to it, and I think you're going to love it. It promises to be…
Fixturing can be tricky at the best of times, but some interesting ideas can come from unlikely places. For the AFL it's hard to…
And so this is Christmas/ And what have you done?/ Another year over/ And a new one just begun. John Lennon's classic Christmas song…
It won't come cheap. $2.3 billion dollars and these things always blow out. But the decision is made. Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium are…
With the National Basketball League looking to expand, speculation is circling that AFL clubs are looking to field teams in the competition. In Europe,…
The Ashes. Australia versus England on the cricket pitch in one of world sport's greatest rivalries. While the men have had the limelight for…
In a city of many sports, it's hard to find common ground. And competing priorities are up for grabs when the stadium funding pie…
Stalemates and brinkmanship run high as the AFL trading period meanders along. We're nearly a week in and not a single trade is done.…
The game of Australian Football is well known in Australia. But a new shorter form is under development. Known as AFLX, it's still a…
When it comes to expansion, the difference between the AFL and reactionary short-term knee-jerk panic merchants is that the AFL, when it has made…
There's always a sense of excitement when game day comes around. But there's always a crucial decision to make - to go to the…
Someone at the Brisbane Lions must have broken two mirrors, as the club's rotten run with luck continues into its 14th year, missing out…
The Ides of March are come. But not gone. And while this is a day for Julius Caesar to beware, for cricket fans it's…
It’s Thursday night and JLT Community Series footy is back. Join us live on The Roar from 7:40pm AEDT tonight as the Western Bulldogs…
The coming of AFL Womens has transformed the pre-season period. We're now in footy season from the beginning of February. AFLW has gone better…
Match result: The Adelaide Crows have stayed undefeated in AFL Women's with a big goal from Erin Phillips in the final quarter delivering them…
Match result: The Brisbane Lions have maintained their undefeated start to the AFL Women's competition, and left premiership fancies Fremantle winless, taking a 13-point…
Particularly in terms of soccer/football/call it what you will. The participation rates are higher than other sports, and there’s also a strong overseas element. Sometimes called the Eurosnobs; but they far outnumber the followers of the local A-League, as you’ll see whenever an EPL or European club comes to Australia.
In Sydney, more people follow an AFL club than an A-League club; but clearly more people support soccer/football than Aussie rules. The difference is in stronger NPL & grassroots support and in overseas club support; which is quite strong for soccer/football in Sydney but is very small for Aussie rules.
Why are we so worried about attendances?
“But next season will probably be a squeeze if they do stay, because every team playing each other once, plus a semi-finals round, will add three weeks to the league, putting its starting date one week before the Australian Open.”
I have a solution to this. A bit radical, but here it is:
Instead of starting the womens season earlier, why not hold the mens season back a few weeks? If would mean the AFL mens season runs well into October, but would that be an issue?
The women would avoid the January heat and clashes with the BBL & tennis; and October is the quietest month on the sporting calendar at the moment – it’s almost crying out for the AFL to move in.
A wishlist for AFLW season 2019
Great call Scott. Let the Games begin!
2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony live updates, photos, blog
Both the early comments from Hoy and Akkara have something in them; even though there’s some contradiction. Australia are not the only country to have done the wrong thing; although they do seem to be worse than most.
But one country alone can’t fix this. It needs to be something that the whole cricket world resolves to clean up.
A culture shift, not suspensions alone, needed in cricket crisis
Completely agree about the scheduling for the AFLW Grand Final. I wrote an article on here about it last week and have been vocal on Twitter & Facebook.
As it is now, it’s shambolic and doesn’t give the AFLW comp the respect it deserves.
It’s become clear the AFLW Grand Final should have a stand-alone timeslot. Ideally its own weekend. And if that means the mens AFL season starting and therefore finishing a week or a few weeks later, so be it.
If a stand-alone weekend can’t be done, at least give it an exclusive Friday night when no mens AFL games are scheduled.
That would ensure the best grounds are available; and no clashes for fans.
Mary's Wonder Women: Free Katie Brennan
Interesting that Josh Kelly is named as a captain, when he isn’t one of the Giants’ current captains; and yet Callan Ward (not Callum as the article says) is in the team.
What would the Swans and Giants look like if they merged?
Adelaide Oval has the issue that Port v Freo is scheduled for 4pm that afternoon.
Friday on my mind - scheduling the AFLW Grand Final
Wasn’t our night. Shocker of a first quarter.
But onwards and upwards to 2019. The competition is expanding; and across the country participation rates for womens footy is on the rise.
The Giants won’t be holding up the trophy next week. But whoever does will be at the pinnacle of a growing game.
Mary's Wonder Women: A Giant game for GWS
For a season of the current length, that could be done. Start the men’s AFL season a week later – that would mean going through to the Grand Final being early October; but that happened a few times in the last few years anyway.
But when AFLW expands to 10 teams then to 14, there’s more rounds; and possibly semi finals. Some overlap is inevitable.
Friday on my mind - scheduling the AFLW Grand Final
No rain or heatwave would be an all-time first ever for AFLW in Sydney.
Mary's Wonder Women: A Giant game for GWS
I’m definitely doing the trip down to Melbourne if the Giants make it.
Our mens team is playing in Canberra on the Sunday; so the dilemma is whether to fly back to Sydney on a late flight on Saturday then drive to Canberra on the Sunday, or stay in Melbourne on Saturday and fly to Canberra on Sunday.
Friday on my mind - scheduling the AFLW Grand Final
After dropping the first two games, and only kicking one goal in the thundery conditions at Drummoyne, you’d have got long odds on the Giants being where we now find them.
It’s been a remarkable story. The rise of the likes of Courtney Gum and Cora Staunton has been great to see. And of course Pepa “Burrito” Randall; who now features as a fashion icon with the Burrito t-shirt becoming a cult feature of its own.
It’s a great story; I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out tonight. See you at Blacktown!!
Here Come The Giants!! !!!
Mary's Wonder Women: A Giant game for GWS
In just six weeks, for every team to have had two wins and two losses is extraordinary. I’ve never seen a ladder like it for an even competition.
The possibilities are enormous, and who knows how it will finish. My Giants are on first on Friday night. If they lose, we know it’s over. If they win, we won’t know whether to book flights to Melbourne until Sunday evening because of the risk of the Crows winning by more and getting their percentage ahead.
And if we are going to Melbourne, Princes Park carries the risk of a lockout. Admission is free; but I’d be willing to pay something to guarantee a spot. Would be an expensive exercise to fly down to Melbourne and be locked out of the ground.
Parity achieved
A day game on a working Thursday will always struggle to draw a crowd. We’ll have a better idea of the level of support after the weekend.
I like the current timeslot, we can watch a few hours before bed time. But I can’t help thinking the only way to grow crowds would be with the pink ball.
What does South Africa's poor Test attendance mean for the format's future?
Can I make a suggestion.
There’s a button on the top right of the screen with a picture of a pen on it.
If any of you want an article about racism in the AFL on The Roar, click on that button and knock yourself out.
"There is a clear lack of balls": Red and Black Bloc makes the kind of statement which only hurts football
Fair comments Ryan. Some of the talk from some quarters over the last couple of years that the Giants were being gifted an eternal dynasty that within a couple of years would be a Frankenstein’s monster that would never lose a game again was absolute rubbish – it was never going to be like that.
The premiership window is open for the Giants, as it is for other clubs. After some compromised drafts and distorted lists in the early years; an inevitable consequence of introducing new clubs to a draft-based league; by now things have settled into some form of normality.
The GWS Giants are now just a regular AFL premiership contender
England had a bad series, and Moeen made no contribution whatsoever to England’s cause.
But this summer’s Ashes series was played in front of crowds that England could only dream of. This is a game in rude health.
Moeen Ali just made the most ridiculous statement about Australia's Ashes crowds
The stats are impressive for Alex Blackwell. Her career has spanned an era when the image and recognition of womens cricket has grown considerably. When she started, womens cricket happened in relative obscurity – thankfully that situation has improved somewhat during her playing days.
But I’ll have to admit, my favourite Alex Blackwell moment was when, by a brilliant stroke of luck, I happened to be in Melbourne on the day the Thunder won both the Big Bash and the inaugural WBBL. With only a couple of days’ notice, I was one of only a few Thunder fans there. And it was Alex Blackwell who lifted the first WBBL trophy that night.
Mary's Wonder Women: Thanks Alex Blackwell
I enjoyed it. Was a fun day at the SFS yesterday – unfortunately the Giants couldn’t get the chocolates, but you couldn’t take anything away from the Lions.
AFLX is like the AFL equivalent of rugby sevens. It’s not the Bledisloe Cup or Super Rugby and doesn’t try to be. But it has its own audience, non-stop scoring and a party vibe.
I appreciate it for what it is. And the traditional form of the game, which I love, is still there.
AFLX: What's not to like?
Not brilliant ratings. Well beaten by the Winter Olympics, as you’d expect on a secondary channel.
Tonight you’d expect a bigger crowd, with six Victorian teams in action. They’re bringing the boundary lines in to make a rectangular configuration at Docklands so hopefully a good spectacle. With those teams in action, the ratings may be better tonight.
I doubt the ratings for tomorrow, with two NSW and two Queensland teams and the whole thing over before 7:30pm, will be crash-hot. I’ll be there, but I’d be surprised if the crowd is more than 8,000.
AFL X-cess: That's too much, man
Hard to tell with the injury factor. We’ll need more data than last night. There didn’t seem to be any injuries last night so far as I saw; but there’s always the potential for something to go wrong.
There’s no pack marking, the ball never seemed to go to any bigger group than a one-on-one contest. And it would have been good to see someone go up for a speckie, but no-one did.
One thing that didn’t work was the silver ball. I found it hard to see on the telly, and it was something of a relief when they ditched it and went for the yellow ball once the lights had taken over.
AFLX debut hailed by coaches and players
Write us off at your peril. Here Come The Giants!! !!!
Are the Giants lumbering towards mediocrity?
LOL! If Ted Whitten were alive today, he’d turn in his grave.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
TV ratings are probably just as important; especially in this era where broadcast rights is the main income driver for professional sport.
Why are we so worried about attendances?