Re: Carlton AFLW Review
Reply #5 –
There is an interesting juxtaposition coming for AFLW, at the moment it's dominated by recruits who want to play the men's game style. But it's only a temporary phenomenon.
The feature of AFLW that made it successful early is likely to massively and rapidly diminish within a generation or two of players.
At that time, the game style will evolve to suit the girls, it won't be a bunch of girls running around pretending to play like the men. They will have a completely separate set of match day team tactics, and if not subject to external interference the rules are also likely to evolve away from the men's game. It'll take a concerted effort from individuals to keep it looking similar to the men's game, but those individuals will rapidly become the minority.
Once the corporates wake up to this and take it seriously they will realise the massive earnings potential, and when the club Administrations get on board it's all over for girls playing footy in man suits.
You can't build an enduring robust national or state level competition based on minority interests, you need the majority on board as supporters and participants.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that when the Federal or State funding dries up some club's withdraw from the competition unless they are to receive ongoing subsidises from the AFL.
Sorry for the cynicism.