02-13-2022, 12:36 PM
What we have at the moment is a bit of a skeleton that needs fleshing out....and maybe that shouldn't just result in the cloning of the men's competition.
AFLW is a competition that can win folks like me back but there is a bit of a process involved, and it may not happen in my lifetime.
You see....
The first, and to my mind one of the most important things, is to establish a bit of history.
You can't drop a navy jumper on a set of players and share a famous club name and expect that to immediately resonate with supporters.
I just don't feel that connection with the women's side.
That kind of bond and respect from supporters is something that has to be earned...and it's earned over years of highs and lows.
The club can contribute through stability, continuity and retention of players.
The players can contribute through improving their skills, sacrifice, success and loyalty.
They need to create their own history...and take the supporter along for the ride.
They have to show they care as much as the supporter.... and that it's not,, for them, just a part-time job.
The problem though, is that it will be basically a part time job, for a few years at least, because things like a professional approach and improved rates of pay are dependent on the interest and finances generated by the competition.
1000-2000 crowds wont cut it.
The AFL may prop it up for a while but they'll want to see some return for their outlay down the track.
The competition faces some other challenges.
The talent spread has been mentioned... and that is a biggie.
The attractiveness of the game is another factor. I haven't seen a lot of football this year but a standard I thought was improving last year doesn't seem to have kicked on.
Teams scoring one goal for the game aren't going to have fans rushing back in great numbers.
If it was our men's side they'd be crucified.
How to solve that...skills and fitness levels will improve eventually but some consideration should be given to not following blindly the rules of the male competition.
Create points of difference with the men's game.
Introduce rules and measures to increase the scoring.
As I mentioned things like draft and salary equity have to stay on the backburner until the competition reaches a level where it's possible for the game to support these options.
You can't be sending people from Victoria to Queensland or WA to live without adequate financial support.
Rivalries are in their infancy. These may develop over time but they're not, should not, be aligned to the rivalries of the men's teams. Let them develop of their own accord.
Some decisions have already been made with additional sides that may mean the competition needs to have a bit of a trough before re-establishing itself and kicking on.
From a Carlton point of view that means establishing a competitive successful side that supporters want to follow in its own right, not just because it shares a jumper and a name.
AFLW is a competition that can win folks like me back but there is a bit of a process involved, and it may not happen in my lifetime.
You see....
The first, and to my mind one of the most important things, is to establish a bit of history.
You can't drop a navy jumper on a set of players and share a famous club name and expect that to immediately resonate with supporters.
I just don't feel that connection with the women's side.
That kind of bond and respect from supporters is something that has to be earned...and it's earned over years of highs and lows.
The club can contribute through stability, continuity and retention of players.
The players can contribute through improving their skills, sacrifice, success and loyalty.
They need to create their own history...and take the supporter along for the ride.
They have to show they care as much as the supporter.... and that it's not,, for them, just a part-time job.
The problem though, is that it will be basically a part time job, for a few years at least, because things like a professional approach and improved rates of pay are dependent on the interest and finances generated by the competition.
1000-2000 crowds wont cut it.
The AFL may prop it up for a while but they'll want to see some return for their outlay down the track.
The competition faces some other challenges.
The talent spread has been mentioned... and that is a biggie.
The attractiveness of the game is another factor. I haven't seen a lot of football this year but a standard I thought was improving last year doesn't seem to have kicked on.
Teams scoring one goal for the game aren't going to have fans rushing back in great numbers.
If it was our men's side they'd be crucified.
How to solve that...skills and fitness levels will improve eventually but some consideration should be given to not following blindly the rules of the male competition.
Create points of difference with the men's game.
Introduce rules and measures to increase the scoring.
As I mentioned things like draft and salary equity have to stay on the backburner until the competition reaches a level where it's possible for the game to support these options.
You can't be sending people from Victoria to Queensland or WA to live without adequate financial support.
Rivalries are in their infancy. These may develop over time but they're not, should not, be aligned to the rivalries of the men's teams. Let them develop of their own accord.
Some decisions have already been made with additional sides that may mean the competition needs to have a bit of a trough before re-establishing itself and kicking on.
From a Carlton point of view that means establishing a competitive successful side that supporters want to follow in its own right, not just because it shares a jumper and a name.