St Kilda applies for a Womens Football team( now 2020)

[LTN16]

No big loss missing out. Womens football will be the biggest flop and won't last.

Who really enjoys watching it? It's just not the same..

[Life Long Saint]

No big loss missing out. Womens football will be the biggest flop and won't last.

Who really enjoys watching it? It's just not the same..

Don't know about a flop but it will clearly be at a suburban standard at best.
The difference between AFL and VFL is huge. The difference between VFL and suburban is huge.

It is the same thing as women's cricket. Games can be close but the fast bowling and power hitting isn't there.

Golf is the one sport where it is enjoyable to watch the women play. As you don't have to hit it a long way to be good (although it can help)...yes they play on a shorter course but the quality of golf is excellent.

Back to Women's AFL...Good on the league for getting behind it and providing a pathway for young ladies to continue the sport after junior level...but I, too, have my reservations about its appeal to a wider audience.

[degruch]

In light of Ed's recent comments, maybe they can revoke Collingwood's team license and give it to a more worthy team? Unfortunately, thanks to Spud, we've been dragged into the whole stupid situation too...even when we're not directly involved we still end up getting shot!

[Moods]

No big loss missing out. Womens football will be the biggest flop and won't last.

Who really enjoys watching it? It's just not the same..

Don't know about a flop but it will clearly be at a suburban standard at best.
The difference between AFL and VFL is huge. The difference between VFL and suburban is huge.

When you say Suburban, I hope you don't mean mens suburban. I would expect E grade amateur teams to account for them easily.

[saintbrat]

as we move through the first AFLW season I Know the saints were disappointed to not get a licence read that they were lead to believe they would have a provisional licence.
I heard early this week that it is understood the AFL are strongly considering pushing any increase in the number of teams out to 2019- and not 2018

Matt Finnis spoke of the Saints Current Plans in regards to this in an interview with the "Outer Sanctum' podcast group
Saints to play a Womens exhibition game later in 2017
- 43- 59 minute mark on the link below

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=94357

[saintspremiers]

Getting Moorabbin up and running ASAP and playing some Sandy games at MoorAbin should be a bigger focus

[sunsaint]

Getting Moorabbin up and running ASAP and playing some Sandy games at MoorAbin should be a bigger focus

surely the two would go hand in hand - surely

[Life Long Saint]

Getting Moorabbin up and running ASAP and playing some Sandy games at MoorAbin should be a bigger focus

And renaming them from the Zebras to the Saints...Getting colours aligned too.

[saintbrat]

AFL not expanding till 2019

But Saints and other melbourne/ Victorian teams will be / Maybe

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-09/a ... on-in-2019

Geelong and St Kilda had lobbied hard to be included in the 2018 competition, but the AFL wants a year of consolidation after a successful first season.

The AFL has identified talent identification and development, and building the fan base as priorities before adding to the eight-club competition made up this year of Adelaide, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs.

The 10 remaining clubs will be invited to bid for inclusion, with priority given to Geelong, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast, which were given provisional licenses last year.

A decision on expansion for 2019 is expected by the middle of this year to give the new teams, broadcasters and the wider industry time to prepare for the third AFLW season. "

[saintbrat]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2017-05-0 ... aflw-entry

“We see an AFLW team as an enormous part our future and the future of female sport in our community - from Port Melbourne all the way to Portsea.

“Having a St Kilda team competing in AFLW is vitally important to continuing the current huge growth we are seeing in women’s football in Bayside Melbourne, where the number of sporting options for boys and girls are many.

“One of the biggest obstacles facing all female sports is maintaining participation numbers as girls transition from junior competitions to senior levels.

“Creating a clear, aspirational pathway from Auskick, to junior football, to an elite senior women’s team in Bayside Melbourne will be essential for the long-term future of female football in Victoria.

“When complete next year, our RSEA Park training and administration base at Moorabbin will provide a new home for the South Metro Junior Football League, which has 75 girls-only teams in 2017 (up from 33 last year).

“The new facility will also have the capacity to house a St Kilda women’s team and host AFLW matches.”

Finnis said the AFL’s decision to put off expanding the competition to the 2019 season was disappointing given the momentum currently surrounding the women’s game.

“As a club we are disappointed that our provisional licence has not been upgraded to a full license today with the AFL opting to hold off expansion until 2019,” he said.

“We are of the firm belief that the time was right to expand the competition immediately, and capitalise on the current interest and momentum in women’s football.

[saintbrat]

word is Tigers may miss

then word from Caro suggests only 2 new teams not the 4 earlier mooted.

with Tassie the option chosen? North Mel

Tasmania looms as a big winner as the AFL prepares to expand the AFL Women's competition in readiness for 2019, with the long-neglected football state set to win a national licence in a joint bid with North Melbourne.

Geelong are the other hot favourite for a new licence after the commission reached a decision early on Monday. While the Cats remained unclear regarding their fate, the strength of the Geelong bid is understood to have enhanced the club's chances.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/t ... ypcse.html

[St Chris]

Caro reporting the Roos and Geelong will be the only 2 teams added in 2019, with West Coast getting the next licence after that....

Seriously, without a women’s team, a VFL team, a blockbuster game, or a reasonable deal with our home ground, I fear for our clubs future in the next decade. We will just drift off into oblivion, without some agressive work from head office. I’m beginning to think Mr Nice Guy Finnis isn’t the man to turn this around.

[Enrico_Misso]

So much for us being ahead of the curve with Peta Searle.
In the end the AFL snubbed us.

[Sainternist]

So much for us being ahead of the curve with Peta Searle.
In the end the AFL snubbed us.

Apparently North Melbourne and Tasmania are more relevant than us.

The AFL are screwing us good and proper!

[prwilkinson]

So much for us being ahead of the curve with Peta Searle.
In the end the AFL snubbed us.

Not sure if they snubbed us.. The club just needs the new Moorabbin precinct to be finished. If it were ready, I'd say we'd have gotten a team given the female participation levels around the Bayside area.

[saynta]

No big loss missing out. Womens football will be the biggest flop and won't last.

Who really enjoys watching it? It's just not the same..

I agree, It's just a PC fad.

Bit like a yo-yo, rub-ix cube. and that finger spinning crap.

[parkeysainter]

Just curious.

Do any females actually participate in this forum and website?!

[saintbrat]

plenty

[saintbrat]

Geelong and North Melbourne confirmed for 2019

the Rest ( other 4 teams who applied ) including the Saints 2020

1116 SEN Footy‏Verified account @SENfooty

JUST IN | Geelong and North Melbourne will join the AFLW in 2019. Gold Coast, West Coast, St Kilda and Richmond will join in 2020.

[saintbrat]

[parkeysainter]

Awesome. I think it will be good for the club. It will increase profits, membership and the female supporter base. Would be cool if they played at Moorabbin.

[The_Merchant]

Disappointing that we have to wait, but awesome that we will have a team. Hopefully there will be some equalisation measures in place so we can compete with the established teams.

[Proph3t of egan]

Seriously, after all the campaigning and effort the club put into trying to get a team, and we still get overlooked for the most irrelevant club in the league (north)

[saint64]

Seriously, after all the campaigning and effort the club put into trying to get a team, and we still get overlooked for the most irrelevant club in the league (north)

Apparently "North Melbourne aligned its bid with Tasmania and the new AFLW team is set to host matches in that state", so I guess from that perspective the decision makes sense. Still disappointing though. I worry that we are dropping behind the clubs that do have women's teams, because I assume they are getting extra funding that can then be used for both men's and women's teams. I am surprised by the comments by some on this forum that see women's footy as a passing fad and not watchable because its not the same standard as men's footy. Who would people rather watch at the moment - the Socceroos or the Matildas?

[saintbrat]

Bonus in the detail

“One in four female players in Victoria currently live and play in Bayside Melbourne, making it arguably the single strongest region for women’s football in Australia.

“The current redevelopment of St Kilda’s new training and administrative base at RSEA Park (Moorabbin Reserve) will be completed in 2018, becoming the home of the Saints, local community football leagues and the Sandringham Dragons.

“The return of elite level football through AFLW matches to our spiritual home will be a momentous occasion for our club.

“The facility will also play an important role in the continued growth of women’s football and complete an aspirational pathway in the region.

“In the coming weeks, we will confirm our involvement in the VFL Women’s 2018 season, which will provide the region’s best female footballers with an opportunity to fast-track their development.

“We will also work with the AFL to ensure a St Kilda AFLW team has access to the players developed through the club’s pathway programs to ensure we are a formidable force in 2020.”