Should there be a VFLW competition?

[Tigers of Old]

Possibly controversial opinion but I honestly wonder why there's a VFLW comp at all?
Aware the RFC don't fund a team currently which gets some upset but with 4 new AFLW sides coming in next year I really question the quality of skill across the AFLW competition as it is. I don't think the talent pool is there.
This is a big expense & added resource for AFL clubs to operate & I think our club has been smart to ditch it. Think it requires a total rethink from AFL house too. Cut costs & cut the comp.

 

[mrposhman]

Possibly controversial opinion but I honestly wonder why there's a VFLW comp at all?
Aware the RFC don't fund a team currently which gets some upset but with 4 new AFLW sides coming in next year I really question the quality of skill across the AFLW competition as it is. I don't think the talent pool is there.
This is a big expense & added resource for AFL clubs to operate & I think our club has been smart to ditch it. Think it requires a total rethink from AFL house too. Cut costs & cut the comp.

I think adding 4 teams in 1 year is incredibly shortsighted by the AFL. Needing to add around 120-130 players means those teams down the bottom, get no chance at getting any of the good picks in the draft and will be severely impacted. Its quite the opposite of what happens in the mens where equalisation should support a shared and balanced comp. We aren't getting that, pretty much 3 teams have dominated and the 4th (the Dogs) only failed this year due to the impacts of Covid.

Due to adding so many new teams in such a short period, all teams lose players, but the weaker teams are just chasing tail, whereas those better teams find it easier to replace what they lose (as they have better depth) and therefore maintain their position at the top of the ladder.

 

[DavidSSS]

Possibly controversial opinion but I honestly wonder why there's a VFLW comp at all?
Aware the RFC don't fund a team currently which gets some upset but with 4 new AFLW sides coming in next year I really question the quality of skill across the AFLW competition as it is. I don't think the talent pool is there.
This is a big expense & added resource for AFL clubs to operate & I think our club has been smart to ditch it. Think it requires a total rethink from AFL house too. Cut costs & cut the comp.

You have to balance this against the need to develop players. We certainly need to develop our players, and they need game time, even if it is not at AFLW level. Only 10 rounds a year in the AFLW and somehow the standard is supposed to get better?

I would actually say we need the VFLW more than ever because of the need to get games into players so they can learn. Training is all well and good but experience under real pressure in a real game matters.

The cost is a clear issue but you neglect the lower levels of the game at your peril.

DS

 

[mrposhman]

You have to balance this against the need to develop players. We certainly need to develop our players, and they need game time, even if it is not at AFLW level. Only 10 rounds a year in the AFLW and somehow the standard is supposed to get better?

I would actually say we need the VFLW more than ever because of the need to get games into players so they can learn. Training is all well and good but experience under real pressure in a real game matters.

The cost is a clear issue but you neglect the lower levels of the game at your peril.

DS

I tend to agree but there needs to be an overall review regarding the AFLW.

I agree there is a need for the VFLW and the AFLW but because they share so many players, it seems to me that its pretty obvious that they need to played at different times of the year. The AFLW needs to be played at a different time of the year. I don't like the AFL's suggestion of August, the girls need a time where they are not overshadowed by the men, running into the mens finals is a terrible time to do it.

Why not start the season in the bye week between the prelims and the final. They can then play their Round 2 over GF weekend, but with no games on GF day. Then the season continues on from there. Broadly a 10 round season would run from mid September to around end November, then the 3 week final series will be in the run up to Christmas.

The VFLW should play at the same time as the mens comp starts, so from mid March to around June. 2 off seasons, 1 from June to September and the other from December through to March.

 

[DavidSSS]

I tend to agree but there needs to be an overall review regarding the AFLW.

I agree there is a need for the VFLW and the AFLW but because they share so many players, it seems to me that its pretty obvious that they need to played at different times of the year. The AFLW needs to be played at a different time of the year. I don't like the AFL's suggestion of August, the girls need a time where they are not overshadowed by the men, running into the mens finals is a terrible time to do it.

Why not start the season in the bye week between the prelims and the final. They can then play their Round 2 over GF weekend, but with no games on GF day. Then the season continues on from there. Broadly a 10 round season would run from mid September to around end November, then the 3 week final series will be in the run up to Christmas.

The VFLW should play at the same time as the mens comp starts, so from mid March to around June. 2 off seasons, 1 from June to September and the other from December through to March.

That might work but maybe they are starting the AFLW earlier because, with 18 teams, we might actually get more than 10 rounds. The season is too short. It was certainly too hot for games a number of times this year.

We're still not beyond the players who couldn't play from around age 14 so this is going to take a while. The number of girls playing footy into their teen years needs time to filter through and likely needs time to get up to high enough numbers to support 18 teams. It will take a while and while the numbers of players in younger comps hopefully increases some of the women will be coming through with less game experience. Hence the justification for VFLW.

Not an easy road ahead but they need to get a lot of this right, and soon, as we need consistency in the timing of the season and a development path which gets those who make it to the AFLW up to a high standard. I agree that VFLW at a different time to AFLW would be good, more games. The other aspect is that women's footy won't necessarily be the same as men's once it has had some time, they will play slightly differently, but it will take time and real games for this to happen.

DS

 

[DavidSSS]

Timing is arguable but where I think the competition should be trying to get to is:

AFL, AFLW and AFL Reserves following identical fixture from March - September.

National under 16 and 18 competitions in Male and Female comps with teams aligned to AFL clubs and playing March - September.

Not sure the AFLW wouldn't get buried under the men's. If you want to align the seasons better maybe run the AFLW in such a way as to get the Grand Final in the Finals bye week after Round 23.

Under 16 and 18 teams aligned? Are we back to zoning? One aspect I liked about zoning was that the VFL team would have an incentive to develop the local leagues in their zone, but I'm not sure it would work now.

DS

 

[Tigers of Old]

You have to balance this against the need to develop players.

With four new AFLW teams there's ample opportunity for players at this point of the game's development. Better off putting the money saved from running the VFLW competition towards AFLW player wages.

 

[DavidSSS]

I think if you put junior player development in the hands of the clubs it would improve it greatly.

I suspect the AFL would have an issue here as they would fear that the better-off clubs will get an advantage. Even if the players then go to the draft the club which develops the player will know more.

With equalisation I can see why the AFL went down the road of a draft as opposed to zones, but we did lose something as clubs only get to develop players after they are drafted at 18.

DS