The votes might be in, but the Crows won’t name their AFLW club champion until they can have a party to celebrate
The Crows have decided they won’t name their best and fairest women’s player until they can celebrate her in style: with a big social gathering once the coronavirus ban is lifted.
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The votes might be in and the winner decided, but the Crows AFLW best and fairest player for season 2020 will not be named until the whole team can get together to celebrate once the coronavirus-induced ban on social gatherings has been lifted … whenever that might be.
Adelaide’s head of football administration Phil Harper said it was important the club champion be celebrated in the proper style, which could this year mean there’s a combined AFL/AFLW event for the first time in the club’s history.
“We want to do it properly and so we’ll wait until we’re allowed to have a proper gathering,” he said.
“Who knows? We might be able to have a super gathering of the men’s and women’s players at the end of the AFL season to do the votes together, I think that would be a great thing if that was possible, but we’ll wait and see.
“We won’t be doing anything until we can have a proper gathering and celebrate the season in the right way.”
The Crows AFLW side struggled with injuries and inconsistent form throughout the 2020 season, and had two wins and four losses before COVID-19 brought the entire competition to an abrupt halt with no premier declared.
However, midfielders Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff had solid seasons, with Hatchard breaking Marinoff’s previous AFLW record of most disposals in round one (gaining 34 touches), while Marinoff became the fastest player – male or female – to reach 250 career tackles in round three (in 27 games).
The duo would be solid favourites to take out the club champion award.
Despite the AFLW contracting period now on hold until at least May and the 2021 list in limbo, Harper said he had not received any information about delays to the AFLW draft (usually held in October each year), nor the start of pre-season (November).
Harper said the abrupt halting of women’s football at both the AFLW and SANFLW levels meant club recruiters could watch only five games to survey upcoming talent to be potentially drafted into the tricolours.
“Our recruiters were out and did see five rounds, so we do have a reasonable handle on (upcoming draft talent), but it’s not ideal because we haven’t seen as much of those players as we would like,” he said.
“Hopefully there’s some under-18s championships at some stage, but if there isn’t we’ll just pick it on the five rounds we’ve seen … that’s the world we’re in at the moment.
“The VFLW wasn’t due to start until May, so if nothing happens in the VFLW it will be very difficult for those Victorian teams (to draft), so while I’m complaining about us only seeing five rounds, it’s better than anyone else.”
But Harper said he was confident the AFLW competition would survive – and thrive – beyond COVID-19.
“There will be a readjustment of the whole industry, however AFLW has been so important in the growth of the game, I don’t think the AFL will let that go,” he said.
“Now whether it has an adjustment as well, or changes a little bit, I don’t know but I’d be very surprised if they let the AFLW go because it’s been such a win for them.”
The financial fallout from the crisis, however, could see further expansion – and the granting of a women’s licence to Port Adelaide – delayed.
“I think the AFL’s plan was to try and have all teams represented by 2023,” Harper said.
“Could this latest virus stall that a little bit? Yes, it probably could, but I don’t know.”