AFLW Standard

[Gershwin]

I really don't want this to get ugly, but I am wondering what level people think AFLW is at compared to the men/boys. I'm sure any Victorian under 18 NAB league team (eg, Sandringham Dragons) would give them a hiding.
Would they beat Dingley Football Club ? or Dingley reserves ? Or VAFA Division 4 ?

[saynta]

I really don't want this to get ugly, but I am wondering what level people think AFLW is at compared to the men/boys. I'm sure any Victorian under 18 NAB league team (eg, Sandringham Dragons) would give them a hiding.
Would they beat Dingley Football Club ? or Dingley reserves ? Or VAFA Division 4 ?

I have two sons and 5 male grandkids so have watched heaps of under age football. I would put the girls at under 14 or 15 level.

[CURLY]

Terrible standard no other word for it.

The best Under 18 girl in Victoria trained with a local a local Under 17’s team and was in the bottom few.

[roskilde]

I played state soccer as a kid and we'd play the Matildas in warm ups for the Nationals and we flogged them every game. This was U/15 level.

I'm guessing if you threw any state U/16 side into the AFLW they'd probably beat every team 100 to 0.

[skeptic]

This isn't new ground so to speak. Standards between men and women in most sport simply aren't comparable. Am not knocking the athletes but it's simply not.

If you took the 5 worst players in the NBA and put them up against the 5 greatest ever female basketball players worldwide, it'd be a massacre.

Physical attributes not withstanding, in most sports it's a selection pool thing for starters. I daresay there's thousands more male players playing across goodness knows how many more leagues with however many more specialist programs, pathways etc

[mr six o'clock]

When they started up in WVFL under Searle years ago I watched many of their matches . ( free games , yep ....I'm a tight arse ! )
They seemed to be progressing nicely but I knew they'd need improvement on joining the AFLW .
First year they did what I expected they were good against the other newer teams but where outclassed against the established teams.
Then covid hit
And we now look and appear to play worse than we did when we first started .

[Munga]

A bit silly trying to compare pubescent, testosterone fueled males vs women (forgetting all the other genders etc.). Rugby would be worse, the best female team in the world would be crushed by some of those beefcake teens going around. Physical comparisons are stupid, it's not like table tennis. It's a womens league, don't compare it to men.

If you compare the saints womens team to an under 18 womens team or similar, that would make sense!

[Gershwin]

I played state soccer as a kid and we'd play the Matildas in warm ups for the Nationals and we flogged them every game. This was U/15 level.

I'm guessing if you threw any state U/16 side into the AFLW they'd probably beat every team 100 to 0.

I quite like watching the Matildas play but I cannot for the life of me watch more than 10 minutes of AFLW.

[Laurie]

I would rather watch paint dry than AFLW.
BOOM BOOM

[Scollop]

A lot of the best VFL players in the game were paid as if it was a full time job probably from the 60’s and especially in the 70’s

I think it’s too harsh to compare the mens game when you have a semi-professional and fulltime professional competition that has been going for over 50 years (and all the history of over 100 years before that).

We had a lot of men playing back in the day and most of the players were part-timers and the quality was poor. I see the women's game in a similar position with the administrators and the people involved transitioning from being part time and basically just a hobby to treating it as a profession.

Before corporate sponsorship of the VFL and before the huge money from tv broadcast rights I don’t think all VFL matches and VFL reserves footy was high quality either

It’s like the investments made in expanding the game to the Northern States. We need to give the AFLW time. And another thing that people forget is that it is NOT the same product as the men AND they don’t need to capture exactly the same audience as the men

[Impatient Sainter]

The endeavour is there they just cant score or hold the ball in the F50. Interest and supporters will drop off very quickly when they cant score a goal until the last quarter. Its another half arsed attempt by the club. If they arent going to properly resource the team they would be better off using the money elsewhere.

[ausfatcat]

Watching the teams not just St Kilda to me it appears they are not quite comfortable with handling (kicking, handballing ect) a footy it's like watching watch a team of Irish recruits running around good skills and they can be effective just don't quite have a handle on the ball. I think it might come from most of people not playing football as a primary sport growing up from 5 (see the drive to recruit all the basketballers and netballers with natural talent) until late into their teen years and it shows.

Saying that if the AFLW rises in popularity so will the girls start playing AFL as their primary sport at the younger ages rather than soccer, netball ect and the quality will improve greatly over the next 5 to 10 years.

[The_Dud]

Investing in the future. There will be a big difference in 10 years time.

Also, the greats of the past would struggle to get a game in 2022, these kind of comparisons are dumb.

[saynta]

I think I was a bit too generous to our girls. Under 13 boys level first half but both the filth and them under 14s second half.

[remboy]

Investing in the future. There will be a big difference in 10 years time.

Also, the greats of the past would struggle to get a game in 2022, these kind of comparisons are dumb.

Agree. In ten years all of the AFLW players will have been playing footy since they could walk (as is the case in the AFL). It will make a massive difference to the standard.

[Wayne42]

The women's comp will improve over time, they may even kick bigger scores, one day.

The Saints women's team are, arguably, as close to winnng a flag as the men's team are.

[Saintmatt]

I really don't want this to get ugly, but I am wondering what level people think AFLW is at compared to the men/boys. I'm sure any Victorian under 18 NAB league team (eg, Sandringham Dragons) would give them a hiding.
Would they beat Dingley Football Club ? or Dingley reserves ? Or VAFA Division 4 ?

I have two sons and 5 male grandkids so have watched heaps of under age football. I would put the girls at under 14 or 15 level.

Yep - that's about on the money (bar to odd exception like the naturally skilled/talented ones like Pearce, Patrikios etc). But, I'd say that AFLW Is about U/14 or U/15 level Sunday morning suburban comp level ... it's still a mile off being U/14 or U/15 elite rep team level.

In 5 years time - when the comp is full of girls who grew up playing footy instead of the proliferation of cross/coders - it'll be heaps better.

[The Fireman]

Couldn’t be more disinterested

[Trev from the Bush]

I am unsure which is worse, the standard of the football or the hype, propaganda and media commentary that all demonstrate it is taboo to say anything negative (or honest) about the competition. Remember, the participants are well paid yet play only a handfull of games that comprise a season. Many push for higher-valued contracts based on what is paid to AFL players yet fail to mention the black hole of skill levels, general public interest and the extent that "crowds" will drop-off should they need to pay for admission.

It is a sideshow to the real game. AFL money and effort would be much better spent restoring country and suburban competitions and clubs that have been devestated by COVID. Football in many smaller communities is the only social outlet for many and should not be left to die at the expense of a sideshow that believes its bigger than Barnum and Bailey.

[Impatient Sainter]

I am unsure which is worse, the standard of the football or the hype, propaganda and media commentary that all demonstrate it is taboo to say anything negative (or honest) about the competition. Remember, the participants are well paid yet play only a handfull of games that comprise a season. Many push for higher-valued contracts based on what is paid to AFL players yet fail to mention the black hole of skill levels, general public interest and the extent that "crowds" will drop-off should they need to pay for admission.

It is a sideshow to the real game. AFL money and effort would be much better spent restoring country and suburban competitions and clubs that have been devestated by COVID. Football in many smaller communities is the only social outlet for many and should not be left to die at the expense of a sideshow that believes its bigger than Barnum and Bailey.

Well said Trev - they have even erected a statue for a girl who has kicked about 20 goals for her career. Im all for equal opportunities, but not at the expense of grass roots footy & country leagues being supported.

[outside66]

I am unsure which is worse, the standard of the football or the hype, propaganda and media commentary that all demonstrate it is taboo to say anything negative (or honest) about the competition. Remember, the participants are well paid yet play only a handfull of games that comprise a season. Many push for higher-valued contracts based on what is paid to AFL players yet fail to mention the black hole of skill levels, general public interest and the extent that "crowds" will drop-off should they need to pay for admission.

It is a sideshow to the real game. AFL money and effort would be much better spent restoring country and suburban competitions and clubs that have been devestated by COVID. Football in many smaller communities is the only social outlet for many and should not be left to die at the expense of a sideshow that believes its bigger than Barnum and Bailey.

What I reckon is worse than all of the above is that it seems there are a lot of fragile males out there who don't want to see women playing football and go out of their way to shitcan it at every opportunity (as evidenced in this thread from folks claiming to be as disinterested as you can be yet are still interested enough to declare their disinterest). Because if they did want to see women playing football, then they would understand that establishing a brand new competition/pathway will take time to mature. AFL is the fastest growing sport in Australia amongst females therefore it won't be too long before all players have grown up playing footy which will obviously increase the standard. With increased standards will come the greater public interest, sponsorship, broadcasting etc. In 5-10 years time the sport will be unrecognizable to what it is currently which will then leave 3 groups of footy supporters IMO 1) folks who have embraced AFLW from the get-go and can proudly state they have supported their mob since they were established 2) folks who disliked AFLW initially but got on board once the product reaped the inevitable from it's massive investment 3) folks who don't think women should be playing footy at all and are still completely disinterested. I know what side of history I'd like to be on... As a father-to-be with a baby girl on the way, I'm genuinely stoked that they will have the option of pursuing football from auskick right up to the big league (with my sporting genetics, fat chance I'm afraid) - an opportunity that would have been impossible without the AFLW competition being implemented by the AFL.

[The_Dud]

I am unsure which is worse, the standard of the football or the hype, propaganda and media commentary that all demonstrate it is taboo to say anything negative (or honest) about the competition. Remember, the participants are well paid yet play only a handfull of games that comprise a season. Many push for higher-valued contracts based on what is paid to AFL players yet fail to mention the black hole of skill levels, general public interest and the extent that "crowds" will drop-off should they need to pay for admission.

It is a sideshow to the real game. AFL money and effort would be much better spent restoring country and suburban competitions and clubs that have been devestated by COVID. Football in many smaller communities is the only social outlet for many and should not be left to die at the expense of a sideshow that believes its bigger than Barnum and Bailey.

Well said Trev - they have even erected a statue for a girl who has kicked about 20 goals for her career. Im all for equal opportunities, but not at the expense of grass roots footy & country leagues being supported.

The AFL didn’t erect any statue, a bank commissioned an art piece.

If you’re going to search for things as an excuse to sh*t on AFLW, at least make them legitimate.

[Winmar7]

What are we into, year 4? So is the standard any better of worse than the VFL of 1899?

[Life Long Saint]

What are we into, year 4? So is the standard any better of worse than the VFL of 1899?

First AFLW season was 2017. So this would be season 6.

Skills aside, the thing that was always puzzled me is the attempts from the AFL media to equate it to the men's game.
It's not even in the same solar system. It has a place and is a great initiative but it clearly needs time for a player base to develop so the competition can become better.
The women are not going to be full time professional footballers in the sixth season. It'll take at least 15 years for that to happen.

The AFLW competitors have a red hot go when they play, but so do junior footballers.
I want more than that when I watch footy. I want the high marking, long kicking, and exquisite skills. Otherwise, I'd just go and watch local footy.

[Impatient Sainter]

I am unsure which is worse, the standard of the football or the hype, propaganda and media commentary that all demonstrate it is taboo to say anything negative (or honest) about the competition. Remember, the participants are well paid yet play only a handfull of games that comprise a season. Many push for higher-valued contracts based on what is paid to AFL players yet fail to mention the black hole of skill levels, general public interest and the extent that "crowds" will drop-off should they need to pay for admission.

It is a sideshow to the real game. AFL money and effort would be much better spent restoring country and suburban competitions and clubs that have been devestated by COVID. Football in many smaller communities is the only social outlet for many and should not be left to die at the expense of a sideshow that believes its bigger than Barnum and Bailey.

Well said Trev - they have even erected a statue for a girl who has kicked about 20 goals for her career. Im all for equal opportunities, but not at the expense of grass roots footy & country leagues being supported.

The AFL didn’t erect any statue, a bank commissioned an art piece.

If you’re going to search for things as an excuse to sh*t on AFLW, at least make them legitimate.

Does it matter who erected it? In my era statues were meant to symbolise individuals who have made a significant contribution to their sport? I wasnt putting sh*t on the AFLW, just questioning where there resources go? But now you have raised it, I understand the AFL wants to have 18 AFLW teams. If we are honest there is not yet enough real talent to support 4 teams. Then they get full AFL TV coverage, the average supporter would much rather have the opportunity to watch their VFL team play each week. Thats nothing against the AFLW its just the reality and nothing to do with equality.