Last week, in an attempt to garner a larger audience, we heard the historic news of the AFLW Grand Final being moved to a stunning new Saturday night schedule, putting the girls in the limelight for their feature season closer. But to see our girls reach the commercial success their male counterparts have from season openers, where fans are fighting their footy fatigue after the AFL Grand Final, to midweek fixtures, we’re going to need a whole lot more from the AFL.
One of the biggest challenges women’s sports face as a whole is marketing. We often hear that we need to “support” women’s sports. I couldn’t tell you the last time someone told me that I needed to support men’s sports. But it’s a challenge to market a product that is a logistical nightmare within itself.
Logistics have always been the AFLW’s biggest burden. You’re kicking off your season off the back of a ripper GF, fighting with the general public’s interest in the Melbourne Cup and cricket as the summer heat starts to kick in, plus trying to manage players who are essentially playing two seasons, backing up off a winter state league competition.
The constant pressure on the athletes and their bodies, competing two-in-one seasons immediately placing the players in a state of fatigue also. When the girls hit the field exhausted and unable to give 110%, the naysayers who believe women cannot perform to the level of male athletes are practically handed their microphones.
Thankfully, Footy Boss Laura Kane has confirmed that the condensed fixture we saw this year will be scrapped with the 2025 season to be expanded once again to a 12-game, with the season likely to be brought forward. The condensed season saw teams cram into a hectic schedule, playing 4 games within a 16-day span, as the league tried to cram in an extra game without extending the season.
The football boss hasn’t been without scrutiny this week though, after announcing that squad sizing will remain capped at 30 players. Despite a year of record top-ups, many believe that the league is doing everything it can to self-sabotage. Currently, clubs can access top-up players when they have fewer than 24 (a team of 21 and three emergencies) available, giving very little wriggle room if a couple were injured in a short space of time.
One issue with increasing list sizes is the need to also increase the soft cap to resource the additional players, whether that be in coaching, medical, or welfare. If a club is fully fit, larger lists mean there’s a higher number of players who are playing in club-organised scrimmages rather than falling back into concurrently run state leagues like the men. Many were lobbying for a supplemental list of 5-6 per side, with players signed to that list with the knowledge they are there on a pure developmental basis, with only an outside chance to be called upon to play, to help manage expectations.
But one of the most important factors the AFLW faces is that this sport isn’t yet a ‘career’ for these athletes. For most, they are fitting football around their careers, studies, and families—essentially working two full-time jobs, a feat that their male counterparts don’t have to face.
So my question to you is, do you think our girls are getting a fair go?
