Please, stop banging on about the AFLW tickets

FOR the love of God, enough with the potshots at the AFL women’s comp free tickets. Guess how much tickets for the first 18 years of the men’s comp cost, writes Claire Sutherland.

Katherine Smith of the Demons meets a fan. (Pic: Michael Dodge/Getty)

HEY you, you know that thing you like, that thing that’s giving you some pleasure and good cheer?

Well, it’s not good, and I’d like to interrupt your pleasure and good cheer to tell you why, and hopefully soon you won’t like it anymore and my work here will be done.

There’s a certain type of bloke (and the odd blokette) who is making it their mission to shit on the AFL women’s league from a, well, fairly low height, frankly.

Just look at the replies to any tweet or comments on any news story which dare to suggest the AFLW crowd sizes indicate it’s an enormous success.

“But the tickets were only $2!” they foamed at the mouth after this weekend’s game at Perth Stadium saw 54,000 tickets sold.

“But the tickets were free” they cried while shaking their fists at the sky and stamping their feet after last year’s lockout season opener at Princes Park between Carlton and Collingwood.

“The standard isn’t good”, they wailed at the sight of thousands of happy women, children, and yes, men, enjoying a night out watching live sport for free.

“Stop saying it’s a success, stop it, because it’s making me really mad!”

Give it a spell. For the life of me I can’t conceive of why this is an issue in which so many want to plant their flag.

Can we PLEASE stop trying to con people large crowds are buying tickets for women’s footy the Perth game is s $2 dollar charity donation not a paid reserved ticketed event! Just be honest please !!

— Steve Price (@StevePriceMedia) February 10, 2018

I’m absolutely prepared to believe the standard of the fledgling women’s league is nowhere near the standard of the men’s. Nobody is arguing it is. And why the hell would it be?

I would venture the standard of the first game on record, played in 1858 (between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar in what is now the MCG carpark), would have looked pretty scrappy compared to the current game too.

If the AFL had shortened the men’s season to accommodate the women’s league, the potshots would make some sense, but the women’s league has precisely zero impact on the men’s game.

One impact it has had though, is a record 83,000 female players joining the game in the past year.

Young fans line up to high five Richelle Cranston of the Demons after their victory over the Adelaide Crows this weekend. (Pic: Michael Dodge/Getty)

My suggestions for those who think the standard is woeful? Don’t cry about it, just don’t watch it. Don’t switch on the TV. Flick past the story in the paper about the games. And don’t go to the games.

Judging by my experience at Whitten Oval a couple of weekends ago, by not going to the games you’ll miss out on some stuff that’s really going to infuriate you anyway.

Little girls wearing jumpers with their favourite player’s number on them, kids lining up for autographs from the players, cheerleaders doing flips and dances, those long skinny inflatable men more often seen waving their arms outside car yards — in short, a bit of a mid arvo party full of happy people.

And if you’re still foaming at the mouth about the fact the media keeps talking about the crowds when the tickets are free, here’s how much they cost at that very first official game of Aussie Rules, and every game for the next 18 years.

Zero shillings and no sixpence.

Claire Sutherland is the acting editor of RendezView.

@brolga2