AFLW- Round 1 Carlton V Collingwod-Match thread.

[LP]

If it's a success, then good luck to them, but it's not for me and was every bit as disappointing as I expected it to be.

Often you get out of something what you expect to get out of it, change your attitude and you will change your experience.

I thought the girls were great, this is the first time ever most of them have played in front of a crowd bigger than a few hundred.

Most blokes I know who would come off suburban football into a 24,000 crowd venue would shizen themselves and run around for three quarters like zombies. Then be bagged mercilessly by narrow minded posters about how shizen they are!

I have a mate who played in the EJ Whitten Legends game a few years back when it was still half serious, teams full of 1st year retirees, a super footballer and a suburban football legend. He ran himself in the ground in the first quarter and struggled to get a touch after that, straight after the game he echoed the comments of many of the girls last night. He couldn't hear sh1t out there, couldn't make himself heard over the crowd, felt invisible to his team-mates and was totally overwhelmed by the experience.

Late in the game when our girls linked up with a series of handballs it was clear that with time the run and carry aspect of football will be no different from the mens football, or from Gaelic for that matter. I don't expect the girls to handball 30m or kick 70m, but many of them hit the contest kilogram for kilogram every bit as hard as their male counterparts. Just wait until we see some of those indigenous girls starting to see AFLW as a way out of their oppressive lives.

PS:
Chiocci, it was very hard watching you run around in the prison bars knowing who you love but you did great. I hope you have a long and successful career, it's clear why you were made the captain, the filth obviously want to lift themselves out of the gutter!

[jeza]

At the risk of being unpopular, if that standard is the norm for women's football, then omfg.

I watched the 2nd half and I don't need to watch another second of it in my lifetime, wow, it was an absolute trainwreck. I was unpleasantly surprised at the skill level or moreso lack thereof.....for all the hype this league and this particular game has generated, what a letdown.

I'll never complain about having to watch the half time Little League ever again.....that standard is light years ahead of what was on display tonight.

To summarise, it was appalling and 24,000 people appear to have been duped.

If it's a success, then good luck to them, but it's not for me and was every bit as disappointing as I expected it to be.

One of the strangest posts I've ever read.

[laj]

At the risk of being unpopular, if that standard is the norm for women's football, then omfg.

I watched the 2nd half and I don't need to watch another second of it in my lifetime, wow, it was an absolute trainwreck. I was unpleasantly surprised at the skill level or moreso lack thereof.....for all the hype this league and this particular game has generated, what a letdown.

I'll never complain about having to watch the half time Little League ever again.....that standard is light years ahead of what was on display tonight.

To summarise, it was appalling and 24,000 people appear to have been duped.

If it's a success, then good luck to them, but it's not for me and was every bit as disappointing as I expected it to be.

It's the first year of the competition. We know they can't kick as far, 30m would be a tough shot at goal, and breaking tackles will be harder, and being so early skills would be down given the competition has shallow depth, but you can bet in 2-3 years time those skills will be infinitely better. If you were  unrealistically expecting something like the highly professional, slick men's game you were going to be disappointed. If you went in realising there's be differences then you'd likely enjoy the game, especially the high intensity.

[PaulP]

Nice post Jim.

[LoveNavy]

At the risk of being unpopular, if that standard is the norm for women's football, then omfg.

I watched the 2nd half and I don't need to watch another second of it in my lifetime, wow, it was an absolute trainwreck. I was unpleasantly surprised at the skill level or moreso lack thereof.....for all the hype this league and this particular game has generated, what a letdown.

I'll never complain about having to watch the half time Little League ever again.....that standard is light years ahead of what was on display tonight.

To summarise, it was appalling and 24,000 people appear to have been duped.

If it's a success, then good luck to them, but it's not for me and was every bit as disappointing as I expected it to be.

Yep, does seem unpopular Brettie.
It's all relative .....

Each to their own and all that. But this is here to stay and I for one will embrace it.
What I won't do though is compare the competition to AFL. Why would you? Apples and oranges.
Rather, I view AFLW in line with other elite sports played by women in this country.

From that perspective, I'm wrapped with the performance of our girls. I thought our forward structure and efficiency was outstanding. Gee if our boys could replicate that we'd all be grinning from ear to ear.

There was some real inside grunt that was pleasing. I was surprised by the preparedness to put head over the ball, and bump fearlessly. This is going to be a cracker competition and I'm glad our club's been awarded the opportunity. Early days, but this may provide the leg up the club needs to claw its way back to success.

Congratulations to all involved. I'll be watching the next game with Carlton Supporter passion. After all Navy is Navy. The rest goes without saying )

Go Blues girls

[kruddler]

One of the strangest posts I've ever read.

There's a reason Brettie has that Avatar.

[jeza]

There's a reason Brettie has that Avatar.

Carlton's own Donald Trump.

We were watching a suburban game of women's footy played by non-professional athletes - in a sport that has never had any support at all for women.

I was surprised how good it was considering. I played footy and I remember how hard it is to do some of those things they were doing. The backline organisation was brilliant and some of the overhead marking was great to watch. Mostly it was the intensity that surprised me. They really worked hard to close down opponents in a 16 a side game. And Monday they get up and go to work.

[Lods]

We're all going to have different opinions about this.

For me I guess the test was, watching this game, do I feel like I'm watching a Carlton team.

The answer was 'Yes' and that grew stronger the further the game went.
The result became more important.

It's a feeling I don't necessarily get on the rare occasions i get to see the Northern Blues, where the result for me is more about the performance of Carlton listed players.

But as I said, others (especially those who are regular attenders of NB games) will have a different point of view.

The skill level at the  moment doesn't worry me...that's the base line it will only get better from here.

[No1inParticular]

...and on that note ("funny old world")... the Collingwood captain's father has just earned himself a ban. > ;D

(seriously, good luck to Steph, hope she plays well in a losing side. )

Don't do that Lods. 

My heart is and will always be NAVY BLUE.
There is a tinge of B&W ATM but that will last for about 8 weeks, and return next AFLW season if she gets a gig.

But what a night.
Absolutely awesome.

Think I mentioned before that the Blues have recruited really well.
Marquees are guns and some others like Jacobssen, Loynes, Downie, Exon, Hardimann are going to bring some real excitement and good footy to this club.
Brazzale & Keryk & the Hosking girls bring some real hardness & skill.
Enjoy the ride.

See you in the GF in 7 weeks time. 

[No1inParticular]

Being at the game tonight was one of the best footy experiences of my life. Having played women's footy (albeit really poorly) for a number of years before my body had enough, I've seen a lot of these women come through the ranks. I was so proud at what they were able to achieve in terms of attendance and pure atmosphere at the game. Princes Park was well and truly alive.

The skill level wasn't elite, but I've seen poorer efforts at time in the AFL. Keep in mind these women were playing in front of the biggest crowd most of them would have ever played in front of. Nerves would have been a factor. This is also the infancy of this comp. it's going to take time to grow. But the sheer excitement of the game is going to generate interest and increased participation, which will only increase the talent pool.

I know first hand how hard these women have worked to get to this point, but it's still only the beginning. Instead of being critical and trying to compare apples with oranges, let's celebrate what is growing here. Let's support it so that soon there won't even be anything to comment on, it'll just be another game of footy we can all watch...which is never a bad thing!

THIS...