AFLW season | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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AFLW season

Streak

Tiger Legend
Aug 31, 2007
37,211
6,215
Western Australia
The true test will come when it has to fund itself.

Will it need to fund itself though?

Given the massive sums of money the AFL has put into GWS and Gold Coast, and continues to put in to propping up some of the Melbourne based clubs, it would seem almost hypocritical of the AFL to expect that the women's game needs to be self funding, at least in the medium term.

However, I think the game will eventually fund itself.
 
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DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,525
17,875
Melbourne
All the talk about AFLW having to fund itself is just bollocks. If all AFL clubs had to be viable would our club still exist, we've had to put our hands out at times. I'm sure there are a few clubs in Victoria who would go under without subsidies.

We cross subsidise because it keeps the teams in the competition.

We cross subsidise AFLW to build a competition. Maybe it will break even eventually, but it also has other benefits, wider interest in the game and the like, especially important for a game only played in one country.

The women's game will get better, it already has.

DS
 
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tigersnake

Tear 'em apart
Sep 10, 2003
23,481
11,628
It's booming at the grassroots level across Australia. From a zero base a few years ago. Kintore sports carnival last year had an 8 team comp! 3 the year before, none the year before that. Gone from girls can't play footy to girls can play footy. Revolutionary.
 
Jul 26, 2004
78,245
38,243
www.redbubble.com
Very few women's team sports fund themselves.


True it doesn't have to be a cash cow but it will need to generate income of some kind. The AFL isn't made of money despite the calamatous Gold Coast adventure.
An entire competition can't be cheap to run.

Still AFLW is currently free entry. Still currently memberships are cheap as chips.
Still currently the girls playing are getting a fraction of of the male's salaries.
Still currently viewer numbers are moderate.
Soon enough the women are going to want to get paid a lot more & have more control of their league.
It's got to generate income of some kind to take the next step towards becoming a truly professional sport.
That's got to part of the big picture surely.
 
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tigerlove

Tiger Legend
Aug 9, 2014
16,602
7,003
All the talk about AFLW having to fund itself is just bollocks. If all AFL clubs had to be viable would our club still exist, we've had to put our hands out at times. I'm sure there are a few clubs in Victoria who would go under without subsidies.

We cross subsidise because it keeps the teams in the competition.

We cross subsidise AFLW to build a competition. Maybe it will break even eventually, but it also has other benefits, wider interest in the game and the like, especially important for a game only played in one country.

The women's game will get better, it already has.

DS

AFL clubs, even those that struggle financially create large windfalls through TV and streaming rights so I think it's wrong to say they are propped up. Remains to be seen with new clubs like Gold Coast.

I can't see the AFLW ever being self sufficient, particularly if the players want to be paid closer to what men are paid. I don't think that's the AFLs aim. Women's game becomes just another competition subsidised by the AFL. Nothing wrong with that.
 

Ian4

BIN MAN!
May 6, 2004
22,180
4,679
Melbourne
honestly, I reckon the AFL has completely stuffed up the AFLW. they should have started with 8 teams. Melbourne and Footscray (being the pioneers), Richmond and Collingwood (being the 2 biggest VIC clubs) and 1 team each from Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and SE QLD. Played a full home and away season (14 games) from day 1 and stuck with the same format for at least 5 years (probably 10 years) to give it time to consolidate and for the game to grow.

14 teams and 8 games each is a joke. the AFL isn't giving it any respect with only 8 games and it doesn't have the depth of talent for 14 teams.
 
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Harry

Tiger Legend
Mar 2, 2003
24,446
11,838
Too many duds. Who is the chick that I don't know the name of? Useless. Delist her. And the other one? Not much better. Delist also. Who's the coach? Sack him or her. We haven't had a coach sacking at tigerland for a while.
 

TigerPort

Tiger Champion
Jun 29, 2006
2,516
2,734
NSW
I live in northern NSW in long term Rugby League and Union territory.

The local AFL club had a come and try day recently, with the view of setting up a women's team. They had enough turn up to field two teams and most signed up play.

I don't know how much you can put that down to the AFLW being in existence but the turn out blew everyone away.
 
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blx

Tiger Champion
Feb 11, 2004
4,511
989
Melbourne
I think its great to witness the game in its infancy today because in time there will be some bonafide stars who have succeeded the full pathway.

We can then all sit back and with pride because we witnessed the entire journey.

ATM I think the talent pool is too thin for all these teams.

Every team today has at least 2-3 star players who shine above the others but then there is a big cliff.

I wonder if the AFL ever considered having just one team per city?

An All-Stars game would be a really good barometer for the public to see the great skills these girls have.
 
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Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
18,925
By all reports Maurcie Rioli's daughter is better than her brothers. I wonder when she's eligible for the AFLW draft. And Pickett's daughter seemed to have great vision, evasive skills and not scared to tackle.
 
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taztiger4

Shovelheads- Keeping hipsters off Harley's
Jul 13, 2005
7,814
6,445
Richmond Victoria
I live in northern NSW in long term Rugby League and Union territory.

The local AFL club had a come and try day recently, with the view of setting up a women's team. They had enough turn up to field two teams and most signed up play.

I don't know how much you can put that down to the AFLW being in existence but the turn out blew everyone away.

you mean the local aussie rules club obviously
 

nswtiger

tiger army tiger army!! thank you very much
Feb 14, 2005
1,433
836
Nrth NSW
re : our day last week

I watch 3/4 of the game

I think our coach need to coach his team and set up defensive and forward line plans with the skill level his team has GOT .............. NOT the skill level he think they should have.

they will be better for the run ..the coaches I mean!!!
 

tigerlove

Tiger Legend
Aug 9, 2014
16,602
7,003
By all reports Maurcie Rioli's daughter is better than her brothers. I wonder when she's eligible for the AFLW draft. And Pickett's daughter seemed to have great vision, evasive skills and not scared to tackle.

Theoretically if good enough, can a girl be recruited into an AFL men's team? That would be interesting.
 

blx

Tiger Champion
Feb 11, 2004
4,511
989
Melbourne
re : our day last week

I watch 3/4 of the game

I think our coach need to coach his team and set up defensive and forward line plans with the skill level his team has GOT .............. NOT the skill level he think they should have.

they will be better for the run ..the coaches I mean!!!

it was mentioned on the night that the girls apparently were'nt executing the gameplan.

If our improvement in the VFL is any barometer I think the coaches are onto it and its just a wait and see thing as the season unfolds.

First game, first outing, things will get better.
 

hutstar

Tiger Superstar
Dec 17, 2002
2,433
981
Florida
I saw a bit of Fremantle and Geelong this afternoon, it was a much higher standard, particularly Freo who showed the benefits of extra time in the comp.

I think our girls will have some very tough games, is it too early to call for a coach sacking? :p
How patient do we have to be? Might be time for a board challenge BR.
 
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