The All In: The Advertiser’s footy writers give their answers to the big questions at the Crows and Power
Should the Crows have started their AFLW season at home? Has Port missed the boat by not having a women’s team? Our footy writers weigh into some burning questions in this week’s edition of The All In.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Erin Phillips auctions grand final boots for bushfire charity
- How to make the most of your Advertiser digital subscription
With the fourth season of the AFLW starting on Friday night, there is so much to discuss: expansion, ticket prices and whether or not the Crows – as the league’s reigning premiers – should have been allowed to open their season at home. Then, there's the AFL pre-season on top of all of that. Our team of writers discuss some of those issues in our latest instalment of The All In.
The AFLW kicks off on Friday night when new team Richmond takes on Carlton. Reigning premier Adelaide opens its season against Brisbane on Saturday afternoon away at Hickey Park. Is this fair? Do you think the Crows should have had the chance to open their season at home?
REECE HOMFRAY: Great question. Yes, unfurl the banner at home. Why aren’t they?
LIZ WALSH: Yes, but there’s much to complain about for the Crows I reckon: not only won’t they open their season at home, but their final seven games of the year are all played on Sundays – many from 4.40pm. This is not necessarily an ideal time for families, considering it’s a school night. And the fact that the grand final rematch against Carlton isn’t until round four seems strange too.
MATT TURNER: I think the AFLW is trying to mirror the rivalry that has opened the men’s season for years and it will be exciting for Richmond fans, given the Tigers are new to AFLW. In sports all across the world, teams do not always start at home and I don’t think that needs to be the case in the AFL or AFLW. The banner unfurling and chance to celebrate last season’s success will be just as special when the Crows host St Kilda in round two.
DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTO: I don’t think this is fair. I believe the reigning premier, no matter if it’s AFL or AFLW, should always open the new season with a home game. It should be used as a bit of a reward for winning the grand final the season prior and gives fans a chance to celebrate again. I don’t mind having Carlton and Richmond kick off the 2020 AFLW season as I don’t really think it matters what day the reigning premier plays. But I do believe the Crows should’ve been able to start their premiership defence with a home game.
The AFLW expands further this year with four new teams entering the competition – West Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and Gold Coast. Port Adelaide is one of four clubs without an AFLW team (along with Essendon, Hawthorn and Sydney). Port is yet to officially bid for an AFLW licence. Did the club miss a real opportunity to celebrate its 150th year, by potentially celebrating Yr 1 of its women’s team?
REECE HOMFRAY: I think Port missed the boat three years ago when the competition was formed and instead put its focus into China. That’s not to say China is a waste of time but someone needed the foresight to see that women’s football was a growth opportunity. It’s not too late of course and Port Adelaide will eventually have a team in the AFLW comp but I don’t think there is any significance to its 150th year celebrations in 2020.
LIZ WALSH: Imagine an AFLW Showdown! I actually get goosebumps thinking about it and I’m jealous that Western Australia gets a Derby this year, as does Queensland. It was reported earlier this week that the AFL is unlikely to expand the women’s comp before 2023 … this is a massive shame for SA’s football-loving community. And a real shame for Port Adelaide. So perhaps they did miss a big opportunity by not jumping on board sooner. And the synergy of 150th year being year one of their AFLW team would have been nice, but there’s no point having regrets.
MATT TURNER: I think Port should have entered the AFLW by now. They have focused on playing in Shanghai instead, which comes with its own benefits. But some of the positives of having a women’s team are things you cannot quantify. I think having an AFLW side, particularly one with two flags in the competition’s three years, has given Adelaide a significant headstart on Port in being able to inspire and tap into the hearts of minds of young girls who love footy, follow the women’s competition or hope to play in the AFLW one day. Port has plenty of things on its calendar this year it will celebrate, but having a women’s team would have been a new frontier in a historic season for the club.
DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTO: It would’ve been great to have Port in the AFLW and have two really strong SA teams in the women’s competition
However, I do understand the reasons behind Port Adelaide deciding to focus on its China Strategy rather than pursuing a women’s licence.
The Power does so much in terms of fan engagement, especially with youngsters, however it does concern me a bit that they could be losing young female fans because they do not have a women’s team.
I do know that there are many young girls, though, who have supported Port since they were born after having it ingrained in them by their families and won’t support a women’s team until Port enters the AFLW.
My view is that yes, it would’ve been great to celebrate Port’s 150th year with a women’s team entering the competition and they probably did miss an opportunity to give girls who are PAFC fans a chance to have a team to support in the AFLW.
But on the flip side, I believe once Port does enter the AFLW, it will be 100 per cent ready and the talent will be there with the club doing so much work with its girls’ academies over the past few years.
Although this may potentially be an unpopular opinion as I am a woman, I’m sure winning a SANFL and AFL premiership to cap the 150th year would also suffice.
There are a total of seven ticketed games this AFLW season, including the first ever AFLW Derby over in the west. Other games are ticketed because they are fundraisers (Bushfire appeal) or curtain-raisers for the AFL. But all of the Crows games are free, despite there being more than 53,000 spectators at last year’s grand final at Adelaide Oval. Should the AFL start charging for Crows games?
REECE HOMFRAY: Of course the grand final should be a paid event, 53,000 people is an absurd number not to bother charging even a small ticket fee. However the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to charging for regular season games. Charge for tickets and make some revenue but risk losing a portion of the crowd and the atmosphere. But there will come a moment when it’s time to find out.
LIZ WALSH: Will be interesting to follow the Crows AFLW crowds this season … if fans show up like this did on grand final day, then a gate price will become a necessity.
MATT TURNER: I like the idea of each club playing one ticketed game – a marquee match – this season just to gauge the public’s interest in paying for the women’s product. In the not-too-distant-future, I’m sure fans will have to pay to go to all games, so I think testing the waters re price is a good idea. Adelaide’s grand final rematch against Carlton on March 1 could’ve been an ideal ticketed Crows game.
DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTO: I think this should be the last year of Crows AFLW games being free. I understand the argument that the season is much shorter etc but the girls do put in so much hard work and I think deserve to have people pay to watch their matches. I don’t think entry should be more than $5 for adults but if the AFL starts charging at a low price, it can slowly increase the cost each year as the talent and depth increases.
4. Is the future of women’s football, seeing women playing in mens’ teams at AFL level?
REECE HOMFRAY: No.
LIZ WALSH: Absolutely not. But it is vital for the game that all 18 teams get a women’s side and that they expand the number of games to one-day mirror the AFLM competition.
MATT TURNER: I think the future of women’s football is a competition that:
* features all 18 clubs having teams
* runs for 17 rounds (everyone plays one another once, no conferences)
* pays players enough so they don’t have to work outside of footy
* is played in winter, where it will compete for media and public attention, but will allow fans to follow AFLW teams concurrently and ensure more of a one-club feel between men’s and women’s teams
If a woman is good enough to play in the men’s competition, that’s great and would be a monumental achievement. But that to me doesn’t represent the future. The AFLW’s future is a women’s league that continues to advance in terms of professionalism, product and reach with the general public.
DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTO: No, I think the two competitions should remain separate with girls playing in women’s teams and men playing in men’s teams. It can get way too dangerous otherwise.
5. Who’s having the better AFL pre-season so far? Crows or Port?
REECE HOMFRAY: Impossible to know until we see them on the park. Port is buoyed by a massive push for its 150th anniversary, the Crows are riding the wave of hope with a new coach and new players. We will know a lot more in a month.
LIZ WALSH: Well, apart from Port Adelaide taking the bragging rights from the Bushfire T20 Showdown, I was at the Power’s press conference earlier this week with Cam Sutcliffe and knowing they’ve got 43 fit players enabling them to do thorough match simulation might just put them ahead. It’s such a shame for Ollie Wines to injure his shoulder though.
MATT TURNER: More cliches get thrown around during AFL pre-season than during the season proper, making it often difficult to gauge how sides are placed. If you take every word players and clubs say at this time of year as gospel, everyone is “flying”, the team is well ahead of where they were 12 months ago, almost the entire squad is pushing for a round-one spot and the squad is closer off field than it has ever been before. Reality is, clubs are not judged during pre-season. They can give a clue as to how they will fare – take Melbourne’s horror 2018/19 summer of players behind the eight-ball fitness-wise and the Crows’ 2017/18 camp saga – but Adelaide and the Power have both had no injuries to date and have reasons to be excited about what is ahead.
DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTO: Not too sure, it’s super hard to tell – especially because no trial games have been played yet. All players from both sides are looking pretty fit but proof will be in the pudding, I guess, come round one.
Originally published as The All In: The Advertiser’s footy writers give their answers to the big questions at the Crows and Power