tigerlove said:I don't quite get this argument. Aussie Rules is very healthy. It is driven by the AFLs mens competition, with no disrespect, the women's games are not a spectacle anywhere near the class of the mens. Womens cricket is well entrenched but cricket is arguably at its lowest point ever. I am not sure on this basis how you can argue artificially building up the womens game secures the future health of the AFL. Womens footy is not new. VFLW competition commenced in 1981 and has kept growing. This is great news. There is now a masters competition for women. The progression to an AFL competition is also great but it seems to me the AFL is pushing too hard with too many teams for an elite competition. Realistically the skill level is quite poor despite there being a competition since 1981 and this doesn't bode well for sustaining public interest. 14 teams next year is way too many and will further reduce the skill level of the games next year.
Aussie Rules is healthy at the moment but projecting that out to 30/40 years the question of not doing anything now (in either new men's teams in the growth areas, or women's teams) would see the "product" reduce.
Professional sport for women is exploding right now. More females will now look at a sporting career and in greater numbers. This is compounded by high population growth predictions along the eastern seaboard. Effectively the population in the non traditional states of NSW and Queensland will double and will hold half the entire Australian population. League and Union are already setting up womens comps at the elite level and yes there have been womens comps for many years. Doing nothing will hand the "market" in these states to those other sports.
Yes the VFL womens comp is in existence but is only in Victoria.
But this is a different world. If the AFL does nothing it will lose ground to other sports and options and the game as a whole will shrink. Advertisers will be harder to find as the AFL is concentrated in Victoria and only caters to males at elite levels in other states.
just trying to point out there is a bigger picture here than just the current standard of play and the AFL is playing a long term strategy similar to that of GWS and the Suns