Women’s footy trailblazer Susan Alberti urges AFL to ease the squeeze on the competition and give the fledgling format a chance

WOMEN’S FOOTY trailblazer Susan Alberti has lashed out at plans to shorten 2019 AFLW season, saying the proposal is “disturbing” and an insult to female footballers everywhere.

The AFL’s campaign to elevate female footy risks being reduced to a blatant act of tokenism, AFLW trailblazer Susan Alberti has warned. Picture: Mark Stewart.

THE league’s campaign to elevate female footy risks being reduced to a blatant act of tokenism if it pushes ahead with plans to shrink the competition, AFLW trailblazer Susan Alberti has warned.

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Susan Alberti and Kate Brennan celebrate the AFLW 2018 Grand Final win. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Victorian of the Year says the proposal to shorten the 2019 season to six home and away games and two weeks of finals was an insult to every female footballer who had so far pulled on the boots and any aspiring sports woman who wanted to.

“The AFL has pulled the rug out from under our talented women,” Ms Alberti said.

“This upsets me to my core. It really disturbs me.”

The former Western Bulldogs vice president said the female players made considerable sacrifices to run out each summer and deserved more respect.

“They all have jobs and families — they don’t want to commit to all that training for six games. That’s mickey mouse stuff.”

Alberti called on AFLW women’s football chief Nicole Livingstone to stand firm against the possible restructure, saying the competition should mean more to the AFL than just money.

Ms Alberti joined the chorus from critics furiously opposed to stripping back the competition just two years after it started.

“I thought we were going to get a legitimate competition here”: Daisy Pearce, Demons, Picture: Michael Willson /AFL Media.

Star Demon Daisy Pearce was among those who urged the AFL to reconsider.

“I thought we were going to get a legitimate competition here,” Pearce said. “But it seems not to be the case.”

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan also faced backlash after likening the women’s competition to soccer’s four week World Cup.

“The World Cup goes for four weeks,” he said. “I don’t think anyone’s calling that mickey mouse.”

He said there was “no bigger priority” for the AFL head office than AFLW and the future of women’s footy.

So so disappointed the AFLW season is being cut short to six games. In one word insulting!

— Susan Alberti AC (@SusanAlberti1) August 3, 2018

But Ms Alberti said that outlook was questionable, saying she hoped to convince McLachlan give the game more time to develop.

“We have to be serious about this,” she said.

“Are we going to have a competition or not?

“We need to give the women’s game a fair go.

“It is shortsighted. We have been talking about a revolution in this country, of women playing sport.

“You can only read between the lines — it’s about the bottom line but we can’t turn around a profit this quickly. it takes time to grow.”