AFLW-Raising the skill level.

[Lods]

I was watching the Women play in the Rugby League World Cup the other day, and I've seen a couple of women's cricket games in the last week or two.

It may just be my perception but the 'gap' in skill level between the women and men in those two sports seems a lot smaller than our game.

I kind of understand the Rugby League.
Women have been playing a high level of 'touch football' since Adam was a boy.
That sport would have pretty solid participation levels.
Skills and positioning in that game transfer easily to the game involving tackles.

Participation and the depth of the player pool are also factors.
It's hard to find specific figures.
AFLW is still very much in its infancy.
The skill level is one reason some folks express a reluctance to embrace the game.
The skills seem (to me) to be improving.
Is it just a matter of being patient?

[LP]

Is it just a matter of being patient?

Hopefully.

To me at the moment the AFLW is yet to lose it's "We want to play like the men" ethos. Most of those other sports have been around a long time and the tactics and structures have evolved to suit the participants. At the moment the AFLW is just trying to clone the men's game with male structures and tactics, it's a desire that will eventually die off in the participants, it is also possibly driven by a sub-culture in AFLW that is also perhaps in the early stages of starting to wane as well.

I expect to see many more Mimi Hill and Abbie McKay type players become the dominant part of AFLW, and at that stage it can evolve naturally as a game using tactics that suit the playing lists. For me the more is becomes tactically like Gaelic footy, based on speed, skills and agility, the better it will be for the girls to put on a show.

[kruddler]

How many players on a cricket team lods? How many teams?
Ditto rugby.

Aflw has exploded onto the scene and expanded to over double its size in the space of 7 seasons.

The girls coming through now have only seen aflw fro. The age of 11 or so.
When we have girls coming through who have been watching it since they were like 6, then we'll see dramatic improvement.

[Lods]

How many players on a cricket team lods? How many teams?
Ditto rugby.

Aflw has exploded onto the scene and expanded to over double its size in the space of 7 seasons.

The girls coming through now have only seen aflw fro. The age of 11 or so.
When we have girls coming through who have been watching it since they were like 6, then we'll see dramatic improvement.

That's kind of the point I was making

[kruddler]

That's kind of the point I was making

I know, i was just backing that up and answering the question (albeit rhetorical) that it IS just about being patient....and why.

[northernblue]

It’s talent and skills but also a big mental block to be overcome.
AFLW sees some pretty big, hard hits dished out and frankly most women are not mentally ready for it.
The cows, Lions and Dees dish out loads of hard hits that batter and intimidate, they are a step above and ahead of the rest.

[Lods]

It’s talent and skills but also a big mental block to be overcome.
AFLW sees some pretty big, hard hits dished out and frankly most women are not mentally ready for it.
The cows, Lions and Dees dish out loads of hard hits that batter and intimidate, they are a step above and ahead of the rest.

That's an interesting point.
I remember back in the days before a national competition watching underage football and even SANFL and thinking that the skills on display were superior to what was on show in the VFL.

It wasn't until later that I realised the skills 'looked' superior because the players in those secondary competitions had more time and less pressure applied.
The VFL was a whole step above in terms of physicality and pressure.

Even in our dark days, many of the players we were critical of, in terms of their disposal, were probably 'deadly accurate' on the training track when the pressure wasn't the same as in a match.

[Thryleon]

I reckon AFL W might need smaller grounds.  Bring the boundary and goal posts in by about 15 metres and the spectacle might improve.

[shawny]

I reckon AFL W might need smaller grounds.  Bring the boundary and goal posts in by about 15 metres and the spectacle might improve.

Ive been banging on about this for years. The ground is too big for players that on average only kick 30-35metres at best. Shorter grounds will at the very least up the scoring which imo is one of many of the issues facing the girls. Games where 2 or 3 goals is enough to win the game is nonsense for our great game. 

The skills should improve as the years go on but the kicking power of the womens will never match the mens so things should be adjusted to canter for that.

[DJC]

I reckon AFL W might need smaller grounds.  Bring the boundary and goal posts in by about 15 metres and the spectacle might improve.

Yeah, nah!

Just add another two players to each team and the game will flow ?