That’s a good question - I don’t think it’s something they’re intending to do (tank) and probably something that you need to have a different way of determining from the men’s game.
It’s an approach that is somewhat fraught with danger and really needs everyone involved within the club (both on and off the field) to buy into how they’re going about it (continually losing and by such large margins can be demoralising) but I have confidence that the Swans have the people to do it. If it helps build a real, strong team culture, then it may prove in coming years to be have been a worthwhile endeavour.
Success was never going to come easily or quickly and everyone needs to view it with a longer-term focus, but that will also rely on things off-field happening to make sure that it can happen. I’m not sold that the pathways to the top level are particularly great and could be a significant limiter in that regard
Bit of angst over the timing and venue for the Richmond vs North semi final, due to be played on Saturday Afternoon at the same time as the Matildas vs Sweden and at Punt Road where only 2000 can squeeze in.
Timing clashes are something that people are going to have to get used to if we want women’s sport to grow - it’s simply not practical to continue to carve out large chunks of time so single events can be held without competition. It would be nice to avoid larger clashes but sometimes it’s just not feasible
Not sure what to make of the venue issue - a lot of people complaining are saying that the AFL wouldn’t do this in the men’s comp, but there are a lot of things that the AFL does differently between the two comps. That said this year has been particularly difficult for venues with a number of larger venues being unavailable due to other commitments
I’m still not convinced that the AFL have found the right time to play the AFLW either
Starting a few weeks before the Men’s season and then running through to a Grand Final in the Men’s pre-finals bye would be the best in my opinion. A full home and away season, same as the Men’s, maybe minus Magic Round.
Not a bad idea, but it means some players won’t be able to play for their AFLW teams and state-based competitions (as their seasons overlap), unless their state-based team get affiliated with an AFLW team.
Start Round 16 of Men’s AFL and Finish Home and Away Season during bye round between Round 24 and Finals of Men’s AFL. Finals run at the same time as the Men’s AFL competition with the AFLW Grand Final played as a curtain raiser to the Men’s AFL Grand Final on the MCG.
The problem with that is what we see in the NRLW - an empty ground.
You could play them on the same day though, with a ‘stay after and watch the Men’ thing.
That would absolutely suck. The teams playing would rarely match up, and can’t imagine many AFLW fans would get access to their games.
The AFLW have a strength in their accessibility, cheaper ticket prices and local grounds make it much more family friendly than the men’s league. Having finals at neutral venues to be side by side with the men’s as curtain raisers will kill the league’s strengths.
There was some bad scheduling this season, but it was done on the run and the World Cup limited venues, having a year to plan should improve things a lot.
They should start earlier, so they can get to 17 rounds, but finals in clear space is good.
7NEWS reporter Mitch Cleary revealed the AFL issued the star Tiger with a ‘please explain’ notice after Channel 7 cameras picked up the crude message during the live broadcast of the game.
Hosking, who played the game with both shoulders strapped, had a stack of different words written on the strapping, but it was the “Kill Bitches” comment on her right shoulder that drew the ire of the AFL.
The AFL confirmed in a statement to 7NEWS that Hosking had escaped punishment for the “offensive language.”
The AFL this afternoon revealed the potential venues for the season 7 grand final on Sunday afternoon, November 27.
Brisbane finished atop the ladder after the home and away season, and the club’s new base at Brighton Homes Arena in Springfield will host the match if the Lions beat Adelaide on Friday night.
If the Lions lose and second-placed Melbourne beats North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon, the Grand Final will be played at Marvel Stadium.
Should both the Lions and Demons lose their respective preliminary finals, third-placed Adelaide will host at Hisense Stadium (Richmond Oval) in South Australia.
Geelong’s Chloe Scheer won mark of the year while Gold Coast’s Ashanti Bush claimed goal of the year award.
Port Adelaide midfielder Hannah Ewings was named the NAB Rising Star of season seven.
Brisbane Lions’ Ally Anderson won the best and fairest medal, after collecting three votes from umpires in her team’s win over Collingwood in the final round of the home and away season.
Anderson finished on 19 votes, with Monique Conti (Richmond) second on 19 votes and Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide) third on 18 votes. The result means the Lions have both winners of AFLW best and fairest in the same calendar year, after Anderson’s teammate Emily Bates claimed the award in season six.
Melbourne finally claimed their first AFLW premiership, defeating Brisbane Lions 2.7 (19) to 2.3 (15) in tense grand final in front of a sellout crowd of 7412 at Brighton Homes Arena at Springfield. The Lions kicked the first two goals, but were held goalless for the next three quarters, as the match turned into a defensive battle. The Demons kicked the other two goals of the match, the first of which went to Blaithin Mackin in the 10th minute of the second quarter, and the second to Tayla Harris in the third quarter.
Brisbane’s Shannon Campbell was judged the best player of the match.
