AFL clubs state their case for inclusion in AFLW from 2019
THE nervous wait begins for AFL clubs fighting to gain a place in the AFL Women’s as the deadline looms. TAKE A LOOK AT EACH TEAM’S BID.
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IT’S the ultimate job application.
AFL clubs without a women’s team licence will go head-to-head from Friday for the right to field a team in 2019.
Bids to join the AFLW in its third season must be lodged by 4.30pm (EST).
EXPANSION: LEAGUE STICKS WITH EIGHT IN 2018
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Then, the league’s six-person assessment committee will consider the individual merits of the bids before putting a recommendation to the commission.
It will be a minimum of two, but could be more, with a decision expected before the end of July.
Priority weighting will be afforded to provisional licence holders St Kilda, Geelong, North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast, all of which were unsuccessful bidders for the inaugural season.
Well done to everyone at EFC for bringing this together. Really proud moment for our people, our fans & our Club. Purpose in Everything. https://t.co/ySNyu8IRPi
— Xavier Campbell (@XCampbell79) June 16, 2017
The AFL told each club the areas of their bids that required work to ensure each was at its strongest this time around. They are expected to be incensed if they lose out to teams that did not bid previously.
League football operations manager Simon Lethlean — who has worked closely with clubs and women's football boss Josh Vanderloo to ensure bidding clubs cover every base — is predicting an intensive month ahead.
Both will be part of the committee — which includes AFL executive members — that will assess each bid, invite all clubs to present its case.
Criteria assessed will include access to talent, ability to develop it, growing the game and commercial sustainability.
“They’ve all got their own views on how they can or are developing talent,” he told the Herald Sun.
“Any club that can show us how to build a talent base without disrupting the clubs already in the competition, that’s a good point of difference.”
As for how many teams will have the door opened, Lethlean said the league must strike a balance on talent and sustainability.
“If we decide on two teams, we’ve got to find 60 new players. If we decide four teams, we have to find 120,” he said.
“If there’s four outstanding submissions, where are the players coming from? We need to be able to answer that at the time.
“And then there’s the cost to the industry of more teams, more matches.
“It needs to be in a sustainable manner for the long term, not to appease interest.”
And every pitch is different.
As a key element of its bid, St Kilda has committed to playing games at its spiritual home Moorabbin, where it will be based again from mid-2018.
A $30 million Moorabbin upgrade has started and will include female changeroom and academy facilities in anticipation of the Saints be granted ean AFLW licence in 2019.
“Our fans have a great affinity with Moorabbin and returning elite level football to the ground where so much of our history lies is an enormous opportunity for our club,” Saints chief executive Matt Finnis said.
“Our vision would be to also take AFLW games to other key bayside venues, such as Trevor Barker Oval in Sandringham, and Frankston.
“The redeveloped training and administration base at RSEA Park will provide St Kilda AFLW players with state-of-the-art facilities to help accelerate their development and also be the base for the Sandringham Dragons and community football in the region.
“Creating a St Kilda AFLW team will complete a pathway that is vitally important to open the floodgates for unprecedented participation growth in bayside Melbourne.”
It's in! Lacie Harvey, @jackziebell & Brad Scott have handed over our submission for an @aflwomens side! #BeAShinboner #nmfc pic.twitter.com/jxQn1jcaKU
— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) June 16, 2017
Hawthorn — affiliated with VFL Women’s team Box Hill — elected not to bid in the last round of submissions and will not receive the priority weighting, but chief executive Tracey Gaudry said the Hawks were “aiming to win”.
“We’re investing from grassroots and we’ll be looking to play here in Victoria, in Tassie and to reach all the way out through Gippsland with our recruitment,” she said on SEN recently.
“Part of our pitch is to recognise not only what is this going to do for the club, but what’s our inclusion in the game going to be for women’s footy.”
Sydney won’t submit a bid in this round, but this week announced it would add a youth girls’ academy has confirmed to the league in writing its commitment to eventually fielding an AFLW team.
Port Adelaide — recently part of the AFL’s first game played for premiership points in China, against Gold Coast — opted not to bid for a 2019 AFLW licence but did not rule out a future push.
“Women’s football is an important part of our club’s future, but 2019 will be too soon for us to commit to an AFLW licence,” Power chief executive Keith Thomas said.
“Our club has a massive agenda in China in the coming years and is mindful of balancing our resources across our AFL men’s program, the Magpies in the SANFL, our next generation academies and China.”
The inaugural AFLW clubs are Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs.
WHO’S BIDDING?
ST KILDA
- Has provisional licence.
- Has made two pushes to be included in the competition.
- High participation numbers in bayside academy zone.
- New Moorabbin base can cater for a women’s team. Also wants to play games there as well as Sandringham and Frankston.
- Medium club size and membership base.
GEELONG
- Has provisional licence.
- Made strong push to be included in 2018 after it was denied a 2017 licence.
- Now has a VFL Women’s team which currently sits fourth on the ladder after four games.
- Committed to developing women’s football in the region.
- Has the resources, framework and facilities to support a women’s team.
RICHMOND
- Big focus on league’s biggest Next Generation academy zone through northern and central Victoria, and is determined to be a destination of choice for indigenous and multicultural talent. Home to Korin Gamadji Institute and has a Reconciliation Action Plan in place.
- Aligned with Bendigo Thunder and has had a strong focus on gender equity.
- Hopes to play games at Punt Road and in academy zone.
- Has women’s football operations manager already in place.
- Strong commercial support and membership base, but is close in proximity to Collingwood and Carlton, which already compete in AFLW.
NORTH MELBOURNE
- Has provisional licence.
- Have held a strong presence in women’s football, having formed the AFL’s first official partnership with a women’s club in Melbourne University Women’s Football Club — which uses the facilities at Arden Street — in 2010.
- Submission includes intention to further build the club’s Tasmanian presence via the women’s game and — pending further discussions — play matches on the Apple Isle and potentially have a Tasmanian presence in team name and jumper. Also proposing to play day matches at Arden Street where possible.
- Has proposed a facility upgrade to Victorian government that could include female team facilities, but final framework is not due until the end of this year. Club size and membership base (13th in competition in 2016) could be a factor considered by the league.
WEST COAST
- Has provisional licence.
- Has significant access to talent. Women’s football in Western Australia very strong with approximately 80,000 participants, and current growth in youth leagues indicate that the state can support two teams.
- Work closely with multicultural and indigenous youth.
- Intends to incorporate AFLW requirements into new training facility and reports to already have commercial interest in women’s football.
ESSENDON
- Does not have provisional licence.
- Has plans to grow and develop pathways in remote Northern Territory communities. Wants to play the first ever AFLW game in a remote indigenous community in its first season if successful.
- Wants to play games at club’s former Windy Hill base.
- Submission also includes a proposed $18 million facility upgrade at the club’s Tullamarine base to include women’s changerooms and an indigenous component.
- Bid fronted by football-playing daughter of club great Michael Long, Michaela.
HAWTHORN
- Does not have provisional licence.
- Enforcing its position as “the family club”.
- Wants to play games in Tasmania. Men’s team currently plays games in Launceston.
- Plans to recruit out of Next Generation Academy zone in Gippsland.
- Has a VFL Women’s team — Box Hill.
GOLD COAST
- Does not have provisional licence.
- Bid launched on Friday.
- Has access to strong Queensland talent pool.
- Facilities are ready to accommodate a women’s team from both training and base perspective.
NOT BIDDING
Sydney, Port Adelaide
THE FRONTRUNNERS
Geelong, Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast, North Melbourne
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