AFLW

[Industrial Fan]

With the women's league kicking off its occurred that I'll struggle to follow it without the swans represented.

Gws even have their own netball team now...

Can anyone shed any light as far as why we don't have a women's team?

[Meg]

AFLW

The Swans put out a detailed statement in April last year setting out their reasons for not applying for a women's licence at this stage. The main reason was an absence of adequate training facilities.

"The Sydney Swans are at maximum utilisation of their facility at the SCG and there is no capacity or space for an additional team to be housed at the Club?s headquarters."

"Planning is underway for a new training and administration facility in the Moore Park Precinct, which will include provisions for both a Female Academy and a future NWL team, as well as the existing QBE Sydney Swans Academy and Indigenous Academy. However, the new facility is still some years away."

Sydney Swans NWL statement - sydneyswans.com.au

There is a separate AFL Women's discussion forum that you might want to look at.

[Industrial Fan]

Thanks Meg

See that forum has the same questions asked a few times too.

[aguy]

I've thought about the women's afl and the Swans for a while now. I remember reading the above statement and I believe that is what the club had to say. However. I think that a bigger consideration is that in reality there was only ever going to be one Sydney team given the smaller size of the competition. That being the case the AFL was always going to choose GWS over the Swans as the sole women's team in Sydney. It stands to reason that the afl want to attract more supporters in Sydney and in particular their own team gws. By having them as the only Sydney team with a women's team that can only benefit the number of supporters that gws has which I guess will somewhat flow over to their men's team as well.

Just my thoughts

[Meg]

AFLW

With only eight teams in the start-up AFLW I agree that there was only ever going to be one team from Sydney. The reasons the Swans put forward for not competing for the licence to be that team make sense. While disappointed about that, I was pleased by the reference to a future Swans female academy.

With GWS being the Sydney AFLW team, and with only three home matches, unfortunately two are to be played at BISP and one in Canberra. I had hoped one match might be closer to the CBD, for example at Drummoyne. I will be watching the Ch 7 TV matches though.

[aardvark]

Afl have shifted the Collingwood Carlton game to Ikon Park. The crowd prediction was too big for Olympic Park. Estimated 15-20 K. I have watched a few of the practice games and the standard has been surprisingly good. Friday night should be fun, just don't expect it to be the same as the Mens and you won't be disappointed.

[aardvark]

A great article....

AFLW: Balancing the hope and expectations of women's football in its first season - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[Meg]

Thanks, I agree that is a great article.

[ugg]

Some of those AFLW games are part of a double header with preseason AFl games

[bloodspirit]

With only eight teams in the start-up AFLW I agree that there was only ever going to be one team from Sydney. The reasons the Swans put forward for not competing for the licence to be that team make sense. While disappointed about that, I was pleased by the reference to a future Swans female academy.

With GWS being the Sydney AFLW team, and with only three home matches, unfortunately two are to be played at BISP and one in Canberra. I had hoped one match might be closer to the CBD, for example at Drummoyne. I will be watching the Ch 7 TV matches though.

+ 1

I also agree with the ABC article. Unfortunately the standard to start off with can't be as high as the women's exhibition matches to date because they have been virtual all star matches.

However I hadn't considered the fact that it could be like a return to the good old days of suburban, less commercial footy.

I'm really excited about the comp and sad we won't have our own team for years to come. I think it is going to be great for the game going forward and good to see footy jump into the space of professional women's team sport in Australia behind only soccer and cricket (not counting netball - perhaps because it is perceived as more of a women's game). I figure AFLW is straight away going to be ahead of WNBL and any other professional women's team sport in Oz. With the higher profile that footy has compared to soccer in Australia, I think there are good prospects to overtake the W-league too except they have the advantage of an international game, World Cup and more lucrative overseas comps. However that hasn't stopped men's footy coming out in front of men's soccer in Australia.

I completely accept the reasons the Swans have given publicly.

[bloodspirit]

I only saw the end, but how good was that?! Better than I hoped. Sensational atmosphere!

[aardvark]

I only saw the end, but how good was that?! Better than I hoped. Sensational atmosphere!

Fantastic night, the Carlton girls looked very strong although the Pies have some excellent players too. And Gil having to apologize to the crowd that were locked out was a highlight too.

Isaac Heeney spotted in the crowd too.

[bloodspirit]

I loved the excitement and passion shown not only by the players but also the fans, especially the women and girls. It really did feel like history in the making. How exciting to be able to watch on TV and barrack for teams of your own gender and to feel more included!

In the little I saw I was struck not just by the intensity and the way the players were cracking in (as Isaac Heeney put it) but also by the conspicuously team oriented play. The players rarely failed to lower their eyes and seek out another team mate closer to goal when the opportunity was there.

- - - Updated - - -

Can't wait for more!

[Mel_C]

I wish that the swans had a team! At first it didn't really bother me that we weren't part of the competition but now that it has started I want to be in it.

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[0918330512]

I love how they are so far getting crowd numbers that match or better GW$'s H&A figures