AFLX revealed: Who your club plays and when

[Twodogs]

Why do they have an arc for a field that is a rectangle?

You've gotta have an arc. You can't play footy without an arc!

[Twodogs]

Missed this yesterday. The AFLW budget? Tell me where that has come from again? What is good for the AFL is good for the AFLW and the more people who watch aflx and get out of summer sport mode the better the ratings for AFLW in coming weeks.

We should have got the band back together for the practice series. It won't be a problem flying over from Perh to play would it mate?


Actually, now that I think about it and knowing how much you just love playing footy...

[jazzadogs]

Missed this yesterday. The AFLW budget? Tell me where that has come from again? What is good for the AFL is good for the AFLW and the more people who watch aflx and get out of summer sport mode the better the ratings for AFLW in coming weeks.

It came from Peter Gordon, which I acknowledge is often a highly emotive and unreliable source.

If the league put more into promoting AFLW and charged a token $5-10 fee it would significantly change the feasibility without greatly affecting crowd numbers IMO.

As for AFLX as a way to spread the brand internationally...most of the competitions in Europe are run as 7 or 9 a side on rugby pitches. They have good participation amongst locals and utilise smaller spaces. The German league that I was part of had 10 teams spread throughout the country, and within the UK there are 5 or 6 leagues.

It's never going to be a game played professionally internationally, and I think there are better uses of AFL money - namely getting young women motivated and involved.

[GVGjr]

Why do they have an arc for a field that is a rectangle?

It's so the media can keep talking about Buddy's natural arc with set shots

Does anyone think the super goals are good for the game?

[mjp]

It came from Peter Gordon, which I acknowledge is often a highly emotive and unreliable source.

Um. No - I meant from WHERE did the AFLW budget come from? AFLX isn't using the AFLW 'budget' because they have both taken all of their $ from the AFL money pit.

AFLX isn't going to spread the game internationally - it is just a fun bit of fluff to do away from footy season...OR, a way for competitions in the later teenage years/lower amateur divisions to 'stay alive' when drop out rates hit. Guess what other teams struggle for numbers at u15's level? The girls competitions.

Let me tell you about my dream. It involves a competition based around a modified rules competition (with reduced numbers on field) and it allows all of those 15year old kids who drop out of footy because the 2x nights per week training plus half a day on the weekend is getting to be just 'too much' commitment. All of the games happen at the same venue every week so they KNOW where they will be playing (rather than driving for up to 40 minutes like happens in Perth these days with all of the junior zones 'merged' in the chase for talent).

Guess what else - there are 'real' divisions (just like basketball) and the games are short...you might lose by 10 goals but not 35 goals to 1. Guess what else? You don't really need 'coaches'...sure, a mum or dad is there to collect the match fees and hand out the jumpers (lol - t-shirts!) but that's it. Sure - the 'best' sides have coaches and they treat this competition as a glorified training session for the 'real' game on the weekend...but that's that.

There is stuff broken with our game at junior level and there needs to be innovative thinking to overcome it.

If the athletic factories (sorry - colleges!) in the US can spend as much time recruiting football players from 7 vs 7 leagues as they do from high school, and if futsal really is the key to success in soccer (as those guys from Brazil claim it is) then where is our 'small-sided game' solution. If you can rustle up 5 kids for a basketball game then you can surely find 7 for a game of AFLX.

I know this is being seen as a joke and a novelty but it could mean so much more than that. And the skills WILL translate. And yes, the emphasis on contested ball wont be there but the ability to run hard, read the play and execute by foot will be at a premium...sounds like JJ to me...and how good would a few more of those blokes be running out wearing the tricolour this year.

[Twodogs]

You've sold me mate.

[soupman]

Excellent post mjp. I've been pretty open minded about it as a concept, and like the thinking. Not sure I like the AFL's marketing of it, but I kind of get what they are trying to do.

Had a think about what a fully fit and available side for us could be and came up with the following:
Defence: JJ, Wood
Mids: Suckling, Bontempelli, Hunter
Forwards: Dale, Picken
Bench: Adams, Mclean, Crozier

Everybody is attacking and uses the ball well. Not very tall but everyone aside from Suckling and Hunter is good in the air. It's pacy, is flexible. Talls is the only place we would lose out, which is funny considering half our list are talls.

[jazzadogs]

You've sold me mate.

You've got me too mjp...but a lot of that comes from the way the AFL has been marketing it. They're not saying it's going to be an alternative for juniors or a competitor to social weeknight netball - they're promoting it as a circus which will expand the brand internationally.

It's basically jazzed up AFL9s with a touch too much theatrics and rule changes (10 point Zooper goals, spare me) for anyone to take it seriously at this stage.

Also regarding under 15 girls struggling for numbers, I expect that to change significantly with the introduction of an elite level. 5 years ago if you were a 15yo female athlete, why would you stick with the sport that has no pathway or future? That has all changed and participation numbers will reflect it - even more so as the league becomes more financially independent and players are getting paid equitably.

[GVGjr]

Excellent post mjp. I've been pretty open minded about it as a concept, and like the thinking. Not sure I like the AFL's marketing of it, but I kind of get what they are trying to do.

Had a think about what a fully fit and available side for us could be and came up with the following:
Defence: JJ, Wood
Mids: Suckling, Bontempelli, Hunter
Forwards: Dale, Picken
Bench: Adams, Mclean, Crozier

Everybody is attacking and uses the ball well. Not very tall but everyone aside from Suckling and Hunter is good in the air. It's pacy, is flexible. Talls is the only place we would lose out, which is funny considering half our list are talls.

It's a good side but it might be lacking a tall as you've already mentioned. I'm not sure that Picken is a good selection and if you are playing Bontempelli you might as well play Dahlhaus.

[soupman]

It's a good side but it might be lacking a tall as you've already mentioned. I'm not sure that Picken is a good selection and if you are playing Bontempelli you might as well play Dahlhaus.

l
Picken is my tall forward as such. I was aiming for good attacking decision makers who are good in the air, Hunter beats Dahhaus for use and Picken does for aerial ability. Dahlhaus shocking 2017 with ball in hand has worked against him here unfortunately.

[Twodogs]

You've got me too mjp...but a lot of that comes from the way the AFL has been marketing it. They're not saying it's going to be an alternative for juniors or a competitor to social weeknight netball - they're promoting it as a circus which will expand the brand internationally.

It's basically jazzed up AFL9s with a touch too much theatrics and rule changes (10 point Zooper goals, spare me) for anyone to take it seriously at this stage.

Also regarding under 15 girls struggling for numbers, I expect that to change significantly with the introduction of an elite level. 5 years ago if you were a 15yo female athlete, why would you stick with the sport that has no pathway or future? That has all changed and participation numbers will reflect it - even more so as the league becomes more financially independent and players are getting paid equitably.

So it'd be a bit like that night at Skinner reserve when David Rodan turned up and his girlfriend made him play (he was in between AFL contracts so he couldn't use the "club won't let me play, babe") line and get out of it. We didn't play in his game but he dominated.

[westdog54]

You've sold me mate.

Ditto.

So it'd be a bit like that night at Skinner reserve when David Rodan turned up and his girlfriend made him play (he was in between AFL contracts so he couldn't use the "club won't let me play, babe") line and get out of it. We didn't play in his game but he dominated.

Whilst doing hardly any running I might add.

[Twodogs]

Whilst doing hardly any running I might add.

He certainly knew the right spots to wander.

[Testekill]

To measure the 40m line... How else would you do it?

A line?

[westdog54]

A line?

Thats only 40 metres from goal right on the middle?

The only way to have a legit 40 metre line is with an arc.