Womens Footy.

[felix]

I think its just as exciting as international net ball and the afl are on a winner with this . Super skilled footballers great to watch lots of flair fashion and grunt . If we had our own womens team i would follow them, Sandy and the seniors with the same passion. I think womens footy is great.

[Sainternist]

Yes, fingers crossed we can get a team for 2018.

[Enrico_Misso]

Yes, fingers crossed we can get a team for 2018.

According to Finnis we have been promised a team in 2018 when Moorabbin is ready.
I do like the proposals for them to play 16 a side (VFA style) and use a smaller ball to make the game flow quicker and improve marking/ball handling.

[supersaints]

Ok... I'll be the first to put my head on the chopping block.
I turned it off after about half a game, I'd never seen a women's AFL match before and this is apparently the best players going around .
I thought the game standard was questionable. I don't believe I'd pay much money at all to go and see it live.

Our brand of football is based on an excitement factor, the men just run so much harder , kick longer , jump higher crash bodies more heavily, ( though a couple of those women were bordering Kamikaze, and the majority of it was entertaining, it just didn't cut the mustard for me)

I Watched a women's big bash cricket once and left half way through the game. Not sure many would watch something like men's netball , I certainly wouldn't

I'm not against it in any way , but for me it's in the interest level only, I'm sure some will think I'm sexist,I don't believe I am , just being truthful

That said I do wish them all the best with it... And if the Saints get a team I might be tempted to watch these days I struggle to watch poor AFL men's games

[BigMart]

Nope, just your opinion.

I didn't mind it... I love footy at all levels.

I'll watch local, junior, VFL, Women's .... I just love the game

[derby Street]

Reasonably entertaining - however I am concerned that by the time they bring in the other 6 teams and the talent pool is spread across those teams the skill level will drop significantly. The good players are OK - then it drops off pretty quickly. Naturally I hope the Saints get a team but worry there will be slim pickings by then.

[Con Gorozidis]

I didnt mind it. I was impressed with the kicking and the general footy smarts. The way they raised the hands and handballed while being tackled.
Obviously not full AFL standard but very competent players. I would watch again. They certainly knew what they were doing out there. Some of them were bloody good.

[freely]

And remember none of them have ever gone through a single pre-season yet. I loved it. I wish we had a team - I'll definitely be supporting but who?! I'd like to barrack for Darcy Vescio - cos she's a stalwart saint - but she's having to play for Carlton! Argh.

[borderbarry]

When we do get a team, will we get the players back that would have been St.Kilda's, but have been taken by other clubs. or do we lose them forever?

[Scollop]

Up til now most girls and young women playing the game were only doing it for the love of the sport and there was no National Comp or 'elite' competition to aspire to. This is a game changer. The fact that there will be some exposure on tv and the fact that there is some type of professionalism involved means that the very best female AFL players will be able to earn a living solely based on their sport.

If anyone followed the Aussie womens rugby in the olympics they'd be aware that the success and the ultimate gold medal win was made possible as a direct result of the AOC deciding to pay women to join the sport and pay professionals to teach the girls how to play. The standard of rusgby was great but that's what happens when you take things up full time. A lot of them had never played rugby before in their lives. They were just talented athletes that were paid to be full time professional rugby players and the Australian Olympic Committee constructed a program aimed at winning gold.

40 or 50 years ago when a lot top level footy players had full time jobs the quality of footy and the professionalism was no where near what it is today. Many people harp on about footy being better in the old days but they forget that the only footy that we got to see was highlights and one magical quarter a week. Most games were not the standard that we imagine with some players being no where near the skill level that we see today.

[Moods]

I'll be honest, I was a big critic of the concept, but I turned on to have a look. Was actually better than I expected and far better than the games I had watched years ago - having said that my expectations weren't high, but still. It wasn't the joke that I expected and some of the girls actually looked like athletes.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love footy and I love the fact that women love the sport that I love and want to play it. I am still NOT a supporter of the saints getting their own team though as I don't believe that ppl will watch this long term. Remember last night was a stand alone game when there was slim pickings in terms of sport on offer. Was interesting to watch - but not sure it could hold my attention week in week out. Who knows?

[Saint_J]

enjoyed it thought it was good. was 50/50 on it before started watching but once on couldn't turn it off. skills where good level of play very good. looking forward to a national league.

[Griggsy]

Can only improve with fitness. I could get on board if they get in athletic shape, as in given the opportunity to do so without having to work elsewhere.

Should have a go at bringing over a couple of the ladies from the Australian rugby sevens team that played in the olympics. That Charlotte Caslick would dominate if she picked up the skills.

[saynta]

Sorry, but my grandson's under 12 public school's AFL side would more than give them a run for their money.

[Scollop]

The WA team will have a distinct advantage with their indigenous girls youth academy.

If we are serious about fielding a side and therefore being competitive we should get people on the ground in Perth and start signing up some of those indigenous girls. Once again, just like I've commented on before in threads about getting pace into our seniors and the opportunities with talented young indigenous kids, we need to devote some welfare staff in this department and try and get an edge on the other teams

[saint64]

I like the concept but won't be watching it til the Saints side starts. We can't afford not to have a team given the flow on funding benefits.

[felix]

Sorry, but my grandson's under 12 public school's AFL side would more than give them a run for their money.

I doubt that very much ..not sure if it's about boys vs girls . Women's footy will be huge.

[Saint_Ash]

Ok... I'll be the first to put my head on the chopping block.
I turned it off after about half a game, I'd never seen a women's AFL match before and this is apparently the best players going around .
I thought the game standard was questionable. I don't believe I'd pay much money at all to go and see it live.

Our brand of football is based on an excitement factor, the men just run so much harder , kick longer , jump higher crash bodies more heavily, ( though a couple of those women were bordering Kamikaze, and the majority of it was entertaining, it just didn't cut the mustard for me)

I Watched a women's big bash cricket once and left half way through the game. Not sure many would watch something like men's netball , I certainly wouldn't

I'm not against it in any way , but for me it's in the interest level only, I'm sure some will think I'm sexist,I don't believe I am , just being truthful

That said I do wish them all the best with it... And if the Saints get a team I might be tempted to watch these days I struggle to watch poor AFL men's games

I'm with you.

Interesting also that I was sitting down with the Mrs and she was watching with me for a little while before the comment came from her "I didn't think there was anything more boring than real footy, clearly I was wrong"

[Mark]

I agree with supersaints and saynta. I won't be watching.

[barneyboyz]

I didn't watch it and have only seen the highlights, but there's something in this that will get bigger and better with time.

I have noticed at the local footy during breaks that more and more girls are having kicks on the ground and some of them are pretty good with the skills. I am looking with interest over the next few years. but as someone already said, it will be pretty thin with talent until it's more popular

Just one other thing though, and I see it already being an issue; as more girls start playing, there will be a real competition for training venues, not so much at the elite level, but (some) local footy struggles with seniors and juniors training now, this adds another element

[Hemi Baxter]

I went to the game. The best aspects in my view were.

- Finals style umpiring with only obvious frees being paid and a free flowing game as a result.
- Players lining up for goal straight after they'd taken a mark.
- Loads of space and a premium on kicking skills as a result.
- Above all the joy of watching footy in front of an appreciative crowd at a great, traditional suburban venue.

[saynta]

Sorry, but my grandson's under 12 public school's AFL side would more than give them a run for their money.

I doubt that very much ..not sure if it's about boys vs girls . Women's footy will be huge.

I doubt both your statements.

Not about boys v girls though. It's about watching entertaining skilful games.

I wont watch womens tennis or golf because it's second rate.

[desertsaint]

Sorry, but my grandson's under 12 public school's AFL side would more than give them a run for their money.

I doubt that very much ..not sure if it's about boys vs girls . Women's footy will be huge.

let's hope not - if so it will steal elite athletes from world sports and we'll disappear from the olympic radar.
all for what? we already have netball as a massive drain.
imagine the best netballers playing basketball - we'd be world champions!
netball and footy fans will rightly tell me to shove this argument, but there you go.
ps - i don't think it will be big at all - right now it's hens party time, soon we'll have the honeymoon, then the deterioration in interest, and soon enough no one will give a fig. but some arranged weddings work?

[saynta]

Sorry, but my grandson's under 12 public school's AFL side would more than give them a run for their money.

I doubt that very much ..not sure if it's about boys vs girls . Women's footy will be huge.

let's hope not - if so it will steal elite athletes from world sports and we'll disappear from the olympic radar.
all for what? we already have netball as a massive drain.
imagine the best netballers playing basketball - we'd be world champions!
netball and footy fans will rightly tell me to shove this argument, but there you go.
ps - i don't think it will be big at all - right now it's hens party time, soon we'll have the honeymoon, then the deterioration in interest, and soon enough no one will give a fig. but some arranged weddings work?

Yeah, and some brides end up dead. Grooms too it seems.

[minneapolis]

I loved it. I just watched the replay online and had a real emotional response. Young people playing as hard as they could. Giving their all. Both coaches would have been very proud.

It was a very good game of footy. Can't wait to be able to follow a Saints womens team. I think we are a natural club to have a women's team.

It opens up a load of possibilities.

Girls playing before the men.
Men watching the girls game as a team.
Re-using classic suburban grounds.
Combined B&F nights. Could be huge.
Australia vs Ireland Womens comp.
Australia Womens vs NZ Womens.
Co-ed practice games as a social event.
St Kilda womens team in NZ as a double header with the men.
A few combined training sessions at Moorabbin.
A women's comp starting in UK or US as a direct result.

After watching that game and seeing that the women can really play the game, I think all of these are possibilities. Some may take 2 years, some may take 5. But there is no reason to think it cannot happen.

BTW dudes, if you don't like it, that's fine. Many other people do. I hate golf and think it is the most boring game on the planet (with by far the best of any game's playing field) and they get along without me just fine.