AFLW 2024: Players calling for double-headers with men’s games

A leading broadcaster says AFLW players are lobbying the league for a radical overhaul of the competition.

AFLW broadcaster Kelli Underwood says players “deserve better” from the AFL and has called for a realignment of the women’s competition with the men’s season.

Underwood said playing in subpar conditions at exposed local grounds had contributed to the injuries, low scoring and poor crowds which have dogged the league in its ninth season.

Total scores last week were down 13 per cent on round 6, 2023, after scoring had trended upwards through the early seasons of the competition.

Underwood said it was clear the weather and ground quality were having the biggest impact on scoring and general interest in the competition as she pointed to the ratings success of the NRLW and WBBL.

She said players were leading a push “behind the scenes” to lobby the AFL for double-headers with men’s games at better venues, during the traditional football months.

“I think as time goes on, it will become more and more obvious that October and November is not the right time,” Underwood said.

North Melbourne and Port Adelaide played in brutal conditions at a fully exposed Whitten Oval in September in a game only attended by 943 people. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“The players deserve better than some of these suburban grounds in the wind and the rain.

“Casey Fields down in Cranbourne (Melbourne’s home ground) is the windiest venue you will ever go to. The conditions are always challenging, and that’s what I believe is probably contributing to these scores.”

Underwood said the AFL needed to “show some urgency” to improve their product as other codes quickened the pace growing women’s sport.

“I think they need to, because I honestly think they’re falling well behind soccer in the wake of the World Cup last year, and the NRLW and what they’ve done with state of origin,” she said.

“I think that’s been excellent, it was a masterstroke to play it on Thursday night, in good stadiums.

“It was a rating bonanza – people will watch women’s sport if it’s high-quality … I feel that the AFL is even falling behind cricket as well.”

Hawthorn won in an enthralling 79-61 clash against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium in near perfect conditions, which Underwood said showed how the game could be more often if it was played at the AFL’s best grounds. Picture: Kelly Defina / Getty Images

Underwood said there was a reason the week five shootout between Geelong and Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium had delivered the highest combined score of a game this season with 140 points.

“There was no wind, it was a still night, under lights on a good deck. Those sides aren’t even in the top three, and yet you can see the type of skills that were on display,” she said.

“I think it’s time for a rethink. There’s nothing wrong with the AFL saying, ‘look, we experimented in January-February, it didn’t work, we experimented in October-November’.

“There’s a real push behind the scenes from the players to play in double-headers and get the opportunity to play on the very best grounds in Australia.

“I think it will be a better product if they do play games at Marvel and the MCG.”

Underwood has joined Herald Sun journalist Lauren Wood as host of a new Sunday show AFLW on Fox, which will unpack the weekend’s games and include interviews and lighthearted segments with star players.

Watch AFLW on Fox every Sunday following the last AFLW game of the round, live and exclusive on Fox Footy, available to stream on Kayo Sports and watch on Foxtel.

Originally published as AFLW 2024: Players calling for double-headers with men’s games