09-05-2023, 07:07 AM
(09-04-2023, 10:25 PM)LP link Wrote:Personally, my conviction remains that the AFLW needs to develop it's own game style and tactics that suit the player physiology. At the moment it's still full of competitors that want to copy the men, and that is never going to work long term because it consigns AFLW to be a B-Grade version of AFL. If minority politics win and it goes the AFL imitation way it's long term fate is sealed and aligned to competitions like the VFL.
In my opinion the AFLW needs to look towards Gaelic footy and develop a much more frenetic style of game that is less dependant on physicality, collisions and tackling with more emphasis on speed of ball movement and swarming tactics.
Secondly, it has to start appealing to a wider subset of the segment it represents, at the moment it's a niche product largely supported and sponsored by niche sectors. That also has to change, if it doesn't then it's going to place another artificial cap on the potential for broad AFLW growth.
Firstly, you keep spruiking this alternate game style. You've suggested this multiple times.
It is!
There is a different number of players on the ground.
There are different rules with the ball going over the boundary.
There are different rules with length of game, size of ball, number of rotations, numbers on the bench etc etc.
Secondly,
The number of girls playing the game now, at junior levels, compared to 10 years ago is night and day.
Wait for these kids to get to AFL level, the quality will improve the sponsors will come.