PDA

View Full Version : Pearce angered by AFL's 'gimmicky tournament' treatment of AFLW



Daughter of the West
03-08-2018, 11:54 AM
Pearce angered by AFL's 'gimmicky tournament' treatment of AFLW

Melbourne AFLW champion Daisy Pearce has slammed the AFL’s proposed plans for the 2019 women’s season, labelling it as a “gimmicky tournament”.

Despite the AFLW expanding to 10 teams, with the introduction of Geelong and North Melbourne, the league has reportedly decided to keep it as an eight-week season with two weeks of finals, by splitting the comp into two five-team conferences, meaning most teams will play one less home-and-away game than they did in the first two years.

Pearce told SEN on Friday that it was contradictory for the AFL to bring in two new women’s teams but still view the competition as not growing fast enough to warrant an expanded nine-game regular season with finals.

The Demons captain also said the AFL should “get the women’s game right” first before devoting so much money, time and energy to AFLX.

“It doesn’t sit well with me or a lot of the players is the temperature that I’m taking,” Pearce said.

“I get that there’s a commercial reality that they want to keep this competition within the little free eight-week timeslot where there is no sport, that was the reason for it in the first two years while it was in its infancy and getting going.

“But I thought when those two new teams came in I was rubbing my hands together thinking we’re going to get a legitimate competition here, play everyone once and head into a finals series - you beauty.

“But it seems not to be the case and the reason it annoys me is that this is presented as the female elite professional offering by the AFL and it has been lauded as that – finally there’s an elite women’s competition.

“But with the AFL presenting it as that, it comes with a level of expectation that everyone within the sport, us players and coaches, we wear that expectation that this is going to be a professional elite competition when in reality this is a gimmicky tournament.

“They would argue that it’s not that but that’s the perception that it gives that it enables them to tick the box that, yes we offer an elite competition to our women.”

Speaking on 3AW on Friday morning, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan defended the league, saying there was ''no bigger priority'' than the AFLW.

He said the window for the AFLW after the Australian Open remained their preference as it was ''clean air'' in the sporting landscape, and that no decision had been made on the format of the season and the number of games.

"The World Cup goes for four weeks, you wouldn’t call that a Mickey Mouse tournament," McLachlan said.

"It's balancing all of those issues up. In an ideal world, everyone would play each other once. I understand that, but I've outlined as clearly as I can all the things that everyone is working through to try and get to the right outcome."

“We’re making decisions with a 30-year view, not in year three. There is no bigger priority for us in AFL head office than AFLW and women’s football.”

Among those to express their anger on social media was former Adelaide premiership coach Bec Goddard, Melbourne's Lily Mithen and Aliesha Newman, and Collingwood's Georgie Parker.

"Wait, 6 games only? No, it has to be a typo. Someone dropped off the 1. 16 games including finals. Surely we can find an extra couple of games from somewhere? There is still enough pizza for everyone. Including extra cheese on some," Goddard said.

Magpie Parker, also an Olympic gold medallist in hockey, said: "I love moving across the country for months, leaving my family behind to play a 6 week season When the pre season is twice as long as the actual season, something is wrong! Don’t bring new teams in if you can’t accommodate for them!! @AFL #pissed."

She added: "Start earlier. Trust the brand will stand up to the aus open, or play time slots that complement the tennis matches rather than compete with it. The year after there are another 4 teams coming in... what are we gonna do then..? Play 6 games again?"

Pearce said splitting the competition into two conferences could turn out to be a disaster.

“How do you evenly split those two conferences given that if you take the first two seasons for example when you’ve got no real form lines, different development trajectories, huge amounts of player movements off the back of each season?” Pearce said.

“The Bulldogs finished last in the first season and won the flag in the second season ... you could split those five-team conferences off the back of last season and end up with all the best teams in one conference and [one of] the best teams in that conference might finish fourth and you don’t get a crack at finals.”

Pearce insisted the time has come for the AFL to “bite the bullet” and allow the AFLW season to start overlapping with the AFL season.

“I think it’s strong enough in its own right, it’s still got a lot of development to go, but I think the AFL brand and the rest of the ecosystem that it sits within is strong and established enough to support it in its formative years,” Pearce said.

“And I think at some point you just have to bite the bullet and push it in because for as long as it’s an eight-week competition, it will remain at a level that isn’t elite and professional.

“Players are training off their own back, we’re not contracted at the moment, a lot of people are training so that they can get to the line and be as elite and professional as they can. To say that is an elite comp sets an expectation that we wear and we try and offset by training our guts out for nothing at this time of year.

“We’re signed up as contacted players but they don’t kick in until November to April and outside of that you’re an unpaid, uncontracted player. But you don’t just get to November and flick the switch and say, ‘I’m a professional athlete’.”


https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/pearce-angered-by-afl-s-gimmicky-tournament-treatment-of-aflw-20180803-p4zva9.html

Well done AFEL at pissing off half your supporter base. Not happy Jan!

Topdog
03-08-2018, 12:30 PM
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/pearce-angered-by-afl-s-gimmicky-tournament-treatment-of-aflw-20180803-p4zva9.html

Well done AFEL at pissing off half your supporter base. Not happy Jan!

Half your supporter base? I doubt it. Having said that it is a stupid move. Should have gone to a 10 or 12 week season

Ghost Dog
03-08-2018, 12:46 PM
Eight weeks seems not to justify the amount of training I am sure these ladies are going to do. Was the high injury count last time around a factor I wonder?

Twodogs
03-08-2018, 01:07 PM
Half your supporter base? I doubt it. Having said that it is a stupid move. Should have gone to a 10 or 12 week season


Half of the supporter base of the AFL I think.

Daughter of the West
03-08-2018, 01:12 PM
Half of the supporter base of the AFL I think.

That was what I was getting up, but on reflection, half of the supporter base of the AFL are likely not invested in AFLW.

I'm pretty peeved however. These women are asked to bust their arses, in many cases take time out of work and possible even move states, act like professional athletes for a minuscule amount of time and are then panned for not playing to a high enough standard. You can't have it both ways.

Happy Days
03-08-2018, 01:40 PM
How about that head pat of a response from Gil?

Unfortunately this has devolved into yet another example of the AFL squeezing every drip of profit from a social cause before giving up at the point of having to show actual support.

craigsahibee
03-08-2018, 03:04 PM
How much input have Foxtel and Channel 7 had in this so that the AFLW season doesn't collide with their cricket coverage. I'm not sure they're too worried about the Tennis now that it's on Channel 9.

It reeks of more policy on the run from head office.

And Gil, the World Cup doesn't run for 4 weeks. The Finals do, but the tournament itself is at least 2.5 years in the making. Stick to talking about what you know best Gil....... and when you work out what that is, keep it to yourself.

Hotdog60
03-08-2018, 06:13 PM
I also think this is half arsed. Give the girls a full comp. This could very well be behind the scenes trialling. I still think they can run the comp as curtain raisers to the men's game.
Media just need to setup a little earlier to cover it. The ground is booked for football so there are no clashes.
Head office is just ruining the game at all levels.
It will soon be time to get the mob and hand out the pitch forks because some people need to be moved on.

Ghost Dog
03-08-2018, 07:30 PM
I used to love the curtain raiser back in the day. Hate AFL management.

josie
04-08-2018, 09:15 AM
I am guessing about half or more people who love footy do support women’s footy and all of them would support a fair comp. Wake up AFL HQ and consult first before floating half baked stupid ideas publicly. I would definitely attend curtain raisers-have dine so in past and loved it. Would need more marketing effort from clubs and AFL though and an understanding - i’d guess - that some who watch women’s game may not want to stay for men’s game (support different club etc).

westdog54
04-08-2018, 09:54 AM
How much input have Foxtel and Channel 7 had in this so that the AFLW season doesn't collide with their cricket coverage. I'm not sure they're too worried about the Tennis now that it's on Channel 9.

It reeks of more policy on the run from head office.

And Gil, the World Cup doesn't run for 4 weeks. The Finals do, but the tournament itself is at least 2.5 years in the making. Stick to talking about what you know best Gil....... and when you work out what that is, keep it to yourself.

I honestly stopped reading when I read the World Cup bit. The most absurd comparison he could have possibly used.

Yet more proof that the AFL is paying lip service to the women's game. I'm honestly starting to wonder why they even bothered.

westdog54
04-08-2018, 10:17 AM
911
Titus nails it

Doc26
04-08-2018, 10:29 AM
So the AFL are doing their utmost to avoid the elite girls competition clashing with the start of the men’s season and yet Gil is happy to back a 17/5 season where there will be largely 5 weeks of sub standard, meaningless games against the bottom 6 cellar dwellers leading into the finals series. He’s also comfortable with creating trial games within the men’s premiership season to test out a bunch of possible rule changes. Ohh but remember the “there is no bigger priority than the AFLW”. Really Gil.

AFL hypocrisy at work again.

westdog54
04-08-2018, 10:39 AM
So the AFL are doing their utmost to avoid the elite girls competition clashing with the start of the men’s season and yet Gil is happy to back a 17/5 season where there will be largely 5 weeks of sub standard, meaningless games against the bottom 6 cellar dwellers leading into the finals series. He’s also comfortable with creating trial games within the men’s premiership season to test out a bunch of possible rule changes. Ohh but remember the “there is no bigger priority than the AFLW”. Really Gil.

AFL hypocrisy at work again.

I think that's the thing that gets me most rules, the "no bigger priority" line.

By all means try and talk it up, but please Gil, don't feed us lines that are demonstrably not true.

Twodogs
04-08-2018, 02:00 PM
Gil is so preparing himself for a life in politics after this. It comes out in every cause he espouses and every word he utters (and doesn't utter). I couldn't tell you which side though. The Gil party I expect.

The Underdog
04-08-2018, 05:17 PM
Surely 9 rounds and a top 4 isn’t that hard. The AFL are clearly more interested in a marketing exercise than a sports competition.

Flamethrower
05-08-2018, 12:22 AM
We can't have the girls clashing with AFLX!!!

As for Gil's ridiculous comment - the World Cup Finals last 4 weeks - the entire World Cup takes over 3 years to complete the qualifying stages (equivalent of home & away games).

Sedat
05-08-2018, 09:09 AM
Haven't the likes of Whitten Ovel, Victoria Park, Casey Fields, Princes Park and Arden St just been given substantial gov funding to upgrade for the purpose of hosting AFLW games on a regular basis (some already do)? What difference does it make if the AFLW spills over into the regular season for a few extra weeks? Fox Sports and Ch7 have ample TV channels to cover the games and there are ample grounds to host the games.

Gilligan has that perfect mix of arrogance, incompetence and inbred insularity that screams AFL senior management. As for Steve Hocking, all I keep hearing is how wonderful a job he's done. Let's have a look at his achievements:

1) He's completely broken the MRO - you can sometimes bump now and get away with it, and you can sometimes tackle legitimately and get weeks. You can also punch and elbow players in the head deliberately and still be eligible to win the Brownlow.

2) Score review - working beautifully. You can even see where the ball is in some of their camera angles.

3) Rules committees and competition committees - he's on around $1m a year and doesn't even do his job. He just farms his responsibilities out to about 55 external consultants.

4) AFLW - sends a memo to all clubs after 1 round this season to tell their coaches how to do their job.

Hocking is so out of his depth he makes Adrian Anderson's tenure look competent. Ditto Gilligan with Andrew Demetriou.

jeemak
05-08-2018, 09:23 AM
Sedat’s gotten up angry today, whack!

Twodogs
05-08-2018, 10:18 AM
Haven't the likes of Whitten Ovel, Victoria Park, Casey Fields, Princes Park and Arden St just been given substantial gov funding to upgrade for the purpose of hosting AFLW games on a regular basis (some already do)? What difference does it make if the AFLW spills over into the regular season for a few extra weeks? Fox Sports and Ch7 have ample TV channels to cover the games and there are ample grounds to host the games.

Gilligan has that perfect mix of arrogance, incompetence and inbred insularity that screams AFL senior management. As for Steve Hocking, all I keep hearing is how wonderful a job he's done. Let's have a look at his achievements:

1) He's completely broken the MRO - you can sometimes bump now and get away with it, and you can sometimes tackle legitimately and get weeks. You can also punch and elbow players in the head deliberately and still be eligible to win the Brownlow.

2) Score review - working beautifully. You can even see where the ball is in some of their camera angles.

3) Rules committees and competition committees - he's on around $1m a year and doesn't even do his job. He just farms his responsibilities out to about 55 external consultants.

4) AFLW - sends a memo to all clubs after 1 round this season to tell their coaches how to do their job.

Hocking is so out of his depth he makes Adrian Anderson's tenure look competent. Ditto Gilligan with Andrew Demetriou.

Demetriou gets bad press but he saved the AFL (and our club) from the lunatic right wing economic rationalists like Oakley and Jackson. Gilligan and Hocking have proven he did a good job growing revenues while retaining the integrity of the competition. Anderson is an educated idiot, the type who 'earns' his degrees because his parents have influence and money.

bornadog
05-08-2018, 03:40 PM
Haven't the likes of Whitten Ovel, Victoria Park, Casey Fields, Princes Park and Arden St just been given substantial gov funding to upgrade for the purpose of hosting AFLW games on a regular basis (some already do)? What difference does it make if the AFLW spills over into the regular season for a few extra weeks? Fox Sports and Ch7 have ample TV channels to cover the games and there are ample grounds to host the games.

Gilligan has that perfect mix of arrogance, incompetence and inbred insularity that screams AFL senior management. As for Steve Hocking, all I keep hearing is how wonderful a job he's done. Let's have a look at his achievements:

1) He's completely broken the MRO - you can sometimes bump now and get away with it, and you can sometimes tackle legitimately and get weeks. You can also punch and elbow players in the head deliberately and still be eligible to win the Brownlow.

2) Score review - working beautifully. You can even see where the ball is in some of their camera angles.

3) Rules committees and competition committees - he's on around $1m a year and doesn't even do his job. He just farms his responsibilities out to about 55 external consultants.

4) AFLW - sends a memo to all clubs after 1 round this season to tell their coaches how to do their job.

Hocking is so out of his depth he makes Adrian Anderson's tenure look competent. Ditto Gilligan with Andrew Demetriou.

you can add

* . Hocking wanting to get rid of runners or limit them.
*. Wanted to get rid of onfield pre warm up

The guy is a goose

Twodogs
05-08-2018, 04:25 PM
you can add

* . Hocking wanting to get rid of runners or limit them.
*. Wanted to get rid of onfield pre warm up

The guy is a goose

He always has been. He was a goose when he played and in retirement he has had the time to develop into a cretin.


And he's done a *!*!*!*!ing good job. Of getting stupider and turning from a goose into a cretin. He's elite.