The AFLW is popular, but not yet an elite competition, says Natalie von Bertouch

THE AFLW has been a success — partly because of a level of coverage other female sports can only dream of — but it has plenty of work to do.

Erin Phillips ... a superstar in a competition which needs more of them, says Natalie von Bertouch. Picture: Michael Willson (AFL Media/Getty Images)

CAN the AFLW maintain the phenomenal success of the 2017 without offering free entry?

And for how long can free entry to games be continued?

To be afforded the opportunity to throw open the gates to games is something other sporting codes, both male and female, can only dream about.

We live in a world where they say nothing is free, but the powerful AFL turned this statement on its head.

The AFLW will not be able to ride the AFL’s coat-tails next year. The financial costs involved are too great for even the AFL to cop season after season.

The AFLW has also benefited from all of the AFL’s media relationships, with the coverage unparalleled and far surpassing other national and international sports including netball, basketball, tennis, soccer and so on.

Coming from a netball background, I found this coverage frustrating.

During the AFLW season, the new Suncorp Super Netball League started — the best netball competition in the world!

This league is home to 80 of the best netballers from all over the globe. The standard is elite. However the coverage of this competition could not compete with the AFLW, where footballers, most unknown, were getting more exposure and spotlight than the world’s best netballers.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great that women athletes are getting coverage, no matter what sport, and I am all for diversity, but I think it should be earnt and at times some of the skills on show in AFLW were certainly not ”world’s best”.

Elite sport ... Sam Wallace of the Swifts is challenged by Sharni Layton of the Magpies in Super Netball action. Picture: Jason McCawley (Getty Images)

The standard will improve as more girls play football from grassroots, but for now, while the pathway has only just commenced, the quality of the game is below where it will be in the future.

There are, of course, the superstars — Erin Phillips, who we are lucky enough to call our own, is one of them, but these stars are too few and far between. I want to see more of them, and when this happens, the scorelines might improve.

With all this being said, the AFLW is very lucky for all the support it has had in its inaugural season. They could not be any better set up for the future but that future must start now.

I look forward to the AFLW becoming more professional in its own right but before this can happen a few things need to change — firstly, the length of the season.

The season should be longer, as no player wants to play a sport for only eight weeks and train for the remaining 10 months.

Playing is the best part of sport, training is certainly not, so for the sport to be a genuine contender as a professional option for female athletes, the season must be longer and have a complete final series.

The AFLW has had so many successes and has done wonders for women in sport, it’s been thought provoking and has challenged traditional ideals.

With a young daughter, it is great to see another sporting pathway that girls can follow, the young girls playing footy in the backyard with their mums, dads, brothers or sisters can now dare to dream.

They now have the opportunity to play and follow the sport they love and no longer have to fear the words ”you can’t play footy any longer because they are a girl.”

AFLW will continue to be popular, but still has a few hurdles to jump before it can be considered a truly elite league of its own.

Originally published as The AFLW is popular, but not yet an elite competition, says Natalie von Bertouch