Post Match. Pies down to Blues - All comments please

[K]

...
Token rubbish, after last night and hoping it would be better it wasn't so won't be watching. I'll stick to WNBL or SEABL. At least the only difference between mens and womens baksteball is that they men dunk it.

I think it's a gross exaggeration to claim that's the only difference.

Gross exaggeration?? Really?

NBL and WNBL.
They can both layup, shoot and shoot 3s from the same distances albeit womens has a smaller size ball.
Both box out and rebound, both can dribble left and right hand, both can pass.
Both commit fouls, both can screen, jump, intercept.
Both are very technical with numerous plays, offensive and defensive structures. I think womens basketball is a better teaching game for younger players as it is more structured. Mens is a bit more showmanship which is fine.
Both are high scoring and high intensity, high energy games.

So a gross exaggeration?

My point is that we are getting AFLW rammed down our throats as some elite level sport when it just isn't. I'll stick to watching the real elite womens sports in Australia like WNBL, SEABL or Big V and even the Netball. If I want to watch a bunch of players fumbling the ball, dropping marks and playing stacks on every 30 seconds I can watch that at the local under12s near where i live.

Yes, I get your point. But for me "only difference" implies that if one were somehow able to digitally camouflage the bodies (so one couldn't tell that they were women or men) and erase all instances of dunks, people watching the video footage of the games would not be able to tell whether they were men's games or women's.

I know this is subsidiary to your main point, though.

[ronrat]

This is going to take a generation before it is remotely interesting. It is not instinctive. I agree the grounds are too big for them. To be honest they would have been better off trilalling it in ths AFL - Robbed the asian concept version on a soccer sized ground.

[RudeBoy]

I don't give a rats about gender.

But let's be honest folks, in absolute perfect conditions, neither side last night could manage to kick a single goal last night in a whole half of football, and together they managed just 5 goals for the game.

To quote, Bucks, "it is what it is", and although many people (especially the media and AFL making money from this circus) won't want to hear it, the truth is, it is shit football.

[K]

Are they really making money from it right now??
Or is this like pouring money into the barbarian states in the hope it'll eventually lead to something?

[stui magpie]

I watched the game last night, in between flicking back to the Big Bash and finally reading a book.

My take was that the skill level was about under 14's suburban boys. Appalling for so called top level sport. Dropped marks, missed kicks, it was atrocious and horrible to watch.

if I take the long view, I can see how it should improve over time.

Firstly the intensity was first rate. Those girls go hard. No princesses out there.

Secondly, it should work like a self fulfilling prophesy. By playing the games (even with a crap skill level) the participation of young women playing AFL increases. They get increased opportunities, more teams, which all means increased skills coaching at junior level as young girls can see a clear pathway.

So as time goes by, the talent pool available increases both in size and in skill meaning the spectacle will only improve. At the moment, I reckon my daughter could do better. She's unfit and hasn't played any sport for a few years, but she could bang a left foot torpedo 45-50 metres while on the run when she played a bit.

[Culprit]

U14's Stui? They can kick 20 goals at that level. All I can say is the women have gone backwards in skill and playing the actual game. I said last year it would take 5 years, I have now revised that figure to 10 years for the women to play at a watchable decent standard. After a few snippets from the coach, surely they could find someone better? Listening to the women commentray and discussing charging people $10 to watch a WFVL game. Forget 20000 (no need to shut the gates this year). They start charging for that shit they will be lucky to get 200 which is what womens football was gettng at local level for free entry. I won't watch another game, I will watch the grass grow instead for that little bit of extra entertainment.

[Pies4shaw]

It has all the appearance of being a competition established with a view to finding something that Collingwood can be consistently beaten at by Carlton

[Arch@M32]

Had a kick with daughter after the game and am now a bit more sympathetic about the fumbling and dropped marks. The lights are so low ( not in power, not on proper towers) you lose the ball all the time except when it is kicked really high. The lights are so low its really hard even when the ball is on the ground. The lights are actually worse than grass roots footy club training lights because they are very bright.

Do you mean it'd be easier to see if the lights were dimmer?

It actually was. At one stageduring the match a portion of the lighting went out and it was easier to see.

[Dave The Man]

I don't give a rats about gender.

But let's be honest folks, in absolute perfect conditions, neither side last night could manage to kick a single goal last night in a whole half of football, and together they managed just 5 goals for the game.

To quote, Bucks, "it is what it is", and although many people (especially the media and AFL making money from this circus) won't want to hear it, the truth is, it is shit football.

Yes We Know you keep telling us it's Shit and a Joke

[courtza]

Apart from the surprising physicality, that is unwatchable.

Foxtels promotion of this years comp asked if Mo Hope could carry on her stellar form from last year. Are you f@#king serious she would be the favourite for worst player to ever play the game.

[K]

Had a kick with daughter after the game and am now a bit more sympathetic about the fumbling and dropped marks. The lights are so low ( not in power, not on proper towers) you lose the ball all the time except when it is kicked really high. The lights are so low its really hard even when the ball is on the ground. The lights are actually worse than grass roots footy club training lights because they are very bright.

Do you mean it'd be easier to see if the lights were dimmer?

It actually was. At one stageduring the match a portion of the lighting went out and it was easier to see.

I wonder whether it might be worth them trying out tinted sports glasses. Maybe it's way too physical for them to stay on. What about tinted contact lenses then?

[stui magpie]

U14's Stui? They can kick 20 goals at that level. All I can say is the women have gone backwards in skill and playing the actual game. I said last year it would take 5 years, I have now revised that figure to 10 years for the women to play at a watchable decent standard. After a few snippets from the coach, surely they could find someone better? Listening to the women commentray and discussing charging people $10 to watch a WFVL game. Forget 20000 (no need to shut the gates this year). They start charging for that shit they will be lucky to get 200 which is what womens football was gettng at local level for free entry. I won't watch another game, I will watch the grass grow instead for that little bit of extra entertainment.

Part of the issue as I see it is the level of physicality and intensity is much higher than the skill level, which prevents free flowing football and high scoring. At U14's the reverse is true.

I reckon it will make big strides within the 5 years as more girls have the opportunity to play through junior level, develop skills and get drafted instead of clubs bringing in code hoppers because they're athletic but have NFI how to play.

[K]

...
Part of the issue as I see it is the level of physicality and intensity is much higher than the skill level, which prevents free flowing football and high scoring. At U14's the reverse is true.
...

If the AFL applies the same ideas that they apply to the men's game, they'll restrict the number of rotations so that by the third quarter there's no physicality or intensity left in the exhausted players.

[GoWoodsmen]

What amazing Debut my Molly.

Clearly our Best Player

DTM.... massive congrats as the first positive comment in this thread. Honestly people, if you can't stand it, just stick to the other forum. Absolutely pathetic.

No, not for one minute am I saying it was the best game ever... nor that we shouldn't criticise but come on. To rip it to pieces in it's own thread. To say you'll be sticking to the other elite sports.... good for you. If that's what gets you going, go for it. There's an old saying "if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all"... there's another one ... "shut the .. up".

Me, I love my footy and I honestly couldn't give a rats if it's the blokes or WOMEN playing.

Now to the game. Very very frustrating to watch but saw glimpses oh where AFLW will be in a few years time. Chiocci is an absolute jet. Molloy is clearly ready to go at just 19. Not sure if it was Bernadi (#6) or Kuys (#9) but their kicking is sublime. Our rucks were solid without being spectacular. Intensity was there the whole game.

The downsides. Overhead marking was one. So frustrating to watch mark after mark with seemingly no pressure, dropped. They seem much more adept at chest marking at this stage so perhaps that should be a focus for the first part of the season. For mine the biggest flaw in our game was lack of awareness (and in some cases arrogance). Not sure how much competitive work has been done at training but some of our players (and there were definite "levels" amongst our playing group) clearly thought they had forever once they had the ball - and got caught time and time and time again. Would love to know if the coaches emphasised it or not.

Anyway on to next week... trolls bugger off would ya?

[K]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/womens-afl ... 0uxds.html