My Two Cents: AFL funding needed to support SANFL women’s growth, clubs say | Andrew Capel
They’re nation-leading producers of top talent but they’re being short-changed where it counts, writes Andrew Capel.
Opinion
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The players are coming but the money isn’t.
As the eighth season of the AFL Women’s competition prepares to kick off at the end of the month, SANFL clubs are asking the question, “what about us?’’
The SANFL Women’s League has become a huge breeding ground for AFLW talent but the financial investment isn’t floating back from the big league, putting the state league clubs under increasing pressure in their bids to continue to produce star talent.
Take South Adelaide for example.
Boasting the SANFL’s most successful women’s program, having last month won a record third SANFLW premiership when they beat Norwood by five points in the grand final, the Panthers have had 16 players drafted to the AFLW since 2018.
Eleven are still on AFLW lists and a couple more are likely to find AFLW homes at December’s draft.
But apart from the satisfaction of helping young players achieve their national league goals and being recognised as a great breeding ground, South doesn’t have any lasting financial legacy to show for its stellar AFLW hit rate.
Unlike their men’s teams, who were once financially rewarded for having their players drafted to the AFL (this money now goes into a general talent pool of funds spread evenly among the clubs), there is no direct talent funding going towards the female talent programs at the eight standalone state league clubs.
So they get zero financial reward for producing AFLW players.
South chief executive Neill Sharpe believes that needs to change to ensure the clubs can continue to invest in their women’s programs and add to the production line of young talent AFLW clubs feed off.
“There’s been significant growth in female football and the proliferation of the AFLW teams (which rose to 18 in 2022) and we at South Adelaide would be leading the pack in terms of producing AFLW talent in South Australia, which we are proud of,’’ Sharpe said.
“But we receive no extra funding from the AFL for having so many players drafted, which is disappointing.
“Our female football programs are very important to us but to give the girls the resources they need costs a lot of money and is becoming more and more financially challenging,
“Our facilities for female football are not where they need to be and we’d love to be able to invest more in them in the future, but from a cost point of view, without extra funding, it’s very hard for us to do that.
“We feel let down by the fact we are not getting more support from the AFL and I know we’re not the only club that feels that way.’’
Sharpe said that while the SANFL contributed $87,000 annually to each club to fund a female football manager, most clubs would be spending about $200,000 on their women’s programs.
This goes towards staffing, coaching, apparel and medical expenses while there are also extra lighting and oval maintenance costs.
The introduction of a women’s development league three years ago has increased costs while the main competition grew from 12 to 14 minor round series this year.
A salary cap of $30,000 will be introduced to the SANFLW for the first time next season but this expense will be offset by additional grants from the SANFL.
South has been a SANFLW trailblazer.
Apart from winning SANFLW premierships in 2018, 2019 and 2024 and two Development League flags in 2023 and 2024, it has a rich history of developing AFLW players.
Those to have made the jump include Nikki Nield (nee Gore) - who won this year’s SANFLW medal - Lisa Whiteley, Montana McKinnon, Nicole Campbell, Cheyenne Hammond, Courtney Gum, Hannah Munyard, Teah Charlton, Indy Tahau, Tahlia Meyer, Jess Waterhouse, Taylah Levy, Elise Barwick, Brooke Boileau, Alissa Brook and Holly Ifould, with most hailing from the southern suburbs.
Three of them were selected with the Adelaide Crows’ first pick at a draft - Nield in 2018, McKinnon in 2019 and Charlton in 2020.
2024 premiership pair Esther Schirmer and Lily Baxter are in line to be drafted in December when the AFLW draft will become fully national for the first time.
The national women’s league continues to evolve, with a pay increase as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
From this year, AFLW draftees can earn up to $83,837 a year in salary and relocation allowances.
But the SANFLW teams are doing it tough.
SANFL executive general manager football Matt Duldig said he recognised there was a “great need’’ for more funding for women’s football to meet the growth of the game.
He said SANFL clubs were playing a significant role in the development of female talent but that they needed to be supported with additional investment.
“Our SANFL clubs are doing an outstanding job in developing female talent and are really building a strong base. This is supporting the 18 AFLW clubs and strengthening the elite competition,” Duldig said.
“However, it’s important to consider additional investment as part of the bigger picture of women and girls football in South Australia.”
It’s time for the AFL to act.
NUMBERS GAME
112
Port Adelaide’s winning margin against Sydney - its equal-fourth biggest win in the AFL.
71
Port Adelaide points before the Swans scored at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I’ll remember it. That’s what I will do. I’ll remember the game. I’ll remember it easily because you just don’t normally do that sort of stuff in the 400 times that I’ve turned up to the footy. It’s close to about as good as I’ve seen.’’ - Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley after his side’s 112-point demolition of Sydney, which marked his 400th VFL-AFL game as a player and coach.
“I thought that was the best game that he’s played. He put his head over it and competed for us.’’ - Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks on Josh Rachele’s 14-disposal, three-goal, five-tackle game against Geelong.
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