Re: AFLW 2024 Rd 8: Carlton vs Western Bulldogs @ Ikon.
Reply #15 –
I see it as a consequence of a number of things.
Firstly, this stupidity of the pay issues, it's basically bankrupted the competition, they are being overpaid for what they bring in, the AFL might see this as a loss leader, but it's clearly affected funding.
The AFL has limited the AFLW resources and exposure, it's a bit silly like shooting yourself in the foot, as above is also.
NRLW did it much better, playing the girls as curtain raisers in the season proper. There was none of this bullcrap about the grounds being overused or not having enough staff to cover all the games. FFS, AFL is already spread across so many days we barely have one game a day per venue per state, are the AFL genuinely claiming one extra game a day can't share the available resource? I'd assert it's completely bogus.
In effect, we've ended up with a Mickey Mouse competition, games being delivered at a fraction of the skill and professionalism they should be, promoted, reported, broadcast and analysed to a substandard level.
Keep in mind, this my my perspective off the back of being an AFLW booster!
Finally, another thing I'll repeat having stated once before, it was a huge mistake allowing the AFLW to construct itself as a imitation of the men's competition, it should never have been that way but it came about off the back of a noisy minority. A handful of activists who want to play "real footy" with a dream fantasy of one day playing alongside the men!