Do you think AFLW will last?

[Damien]

I don't. It's a novelty act and it's rubbish

[Piesnchess]

A novelty at best, cannot last stand alone, people wont pay money down the track to see rubbish like we serve up. Only hope is to play this comp in the main season, prior to big games by the REAL Pies team, on the G or elsewhere, as curtain raisers.

[Dave The Man]

Too Early to Tell

[think positive]

What will surely last is people who don't like something continuing to waste e their time talking about it! Such negativity over something that has zero effect on you whatsoever, life is too short! Will your headstone say 'I told you it wouldn't last'. But then at least that will be partly true!

[Culprit]

It will last and it will get a lot better it just takes time. Women's football has been developing for many years, it's just the AFL in their wisdom basically divided the small talent pool to make eight teams hence we have such a great disparity in skill level at times. The media is the one that may kill it off. They build it up and it's not that great. Junior girls are coming through and will take a few years for it to be a standard that many will accept. It's been talked about as no football was available and people love football.

Only the ignorant ignore the fact that the boys have been exposed to football for a long time and could play right through at any level at any age group. For the girls it's relatively new for them to be able for them to play from Juniors right through to Seniors. Limited teams but this will grow with participation and the more participation means the skills increase as does the pool of elite players.

It's not great football but it's developing.

[Damien]

I agree with the second post that the curtain raiser format is the way to go. There is no way it could stand alone for many years.

[Mugwump]

Maybe, but before something gets this much exposure it has to be better than this. Exposing it so loudly at this stage of its evolution does it no service.

Whether it lasts will depend on how much money the AFL are prepared to throw at it, and for how long. And then, it'll depend on whether it can evolve into a good game... whether the muscular development of women really allows them to play the kind of football that most of us want to watch - the high marking, long kicking, etc. I have my doubts, but good luck to the young women who want to play, and I hope it works for their sake. It is hard to enjoy what I've seen so far, but let's give these dedicated women some solidarity and try to stick with them.

[matrix10]

Rd 1- no goals after 1st q
Rd 2- no goals after half time

Looks like we'll be primed to chalk up a big win Round 4!

I think the most logical solution to the problems the women's game is showng, would be to make the ground smaller.

Shorter grounds will enable more scoring- and faster scoring- 90+% of these players can't kick beyond 35 metres- shorten the ground!!!

Contest can;t be faulted- yet skills and stamina lacking for majority. Perhaps even drop down to 16 a-side (take away potential congestion of smaller ground) and allow extended interchange

Works well in short format- game and season length- scope to expand as level of play improves.

Sadly Pies women seem to be playing similar style to men of past few years.

[Pies4shaw]

[Piesnchess]

[Damien]

Maybe the likes of Hawthorn were astute in taking a wait and watch approach as has been suggested elsewhere on this forum. I don't have a problem with our club getting on board because they want to be seen as progressive and reflective of modern society thinking. BUT there needs to be a return on investment. If they think that the likes of us, the rank n file Pies supporters are gunna make any contribution financially, via attendance, memberships, merch etc. then I think they are sadly mistaken.

[mattys123]

Staggering negativity from some.

It's great that young girls can now dream of playing for their club of support when they grow up.

Will the Women's league ever be as big as the mens? NO.

Does the womens league have to be as big as the mens to survive long term? HELL NO

The initial few years of this league will not have the quality that most want, but over time the depth in players will improve and so will the quality of play.

At the moment I'm only watching the Pies girls, but can see myself watching more games in the future when the quality improves.

It will survive long term, that is 100% certain.

[The Prototype]

It'll be here to stay, whether it will keep getting thousands of people through the gate I am not sure...but seems the AFL are committed to women's football. As are other leagues now.

Don't like it? Don't watch. It's not that hard.

[think positive]

[stui magpie]