by Magellan » Sat Feb 04, 2017 5:41 am
Some observations:
I thought last night's game, from what I saw, was akin to parklands footy. But I'm not sure that the argument about standard is particularly relevant in terms of getting arses on seats. I should know, I watched the majority of North Adelaide's 2015 season. Plenty of people who watch and attend AFL games have done so for 20 plus years, and the standard of exciting, high-scoring attacking footy (which is the underlying premise of the game) has dropped significantly in that time. Yet people still lap it up. People follow their club, and the standard at whatever point in time is irrelevant. Take it a step further and look at EPL where people are fanatically obsessed with supporting teams that cannot possibly reach the same standard as their opposition to be regularly competitive.
However, the irony will be apparent when people who bag the standard of the SANFL start to rave about the Women's comp. I'm expecting that group to be well represented at today's' Crows game.
I'm not sure a lot can be taken form the crowd - a barmy summer's evening in perfect weather, people dying to watch footy again, two traditional rivals with big supporter bases, and free entry. Time will tell as to whether games need to be shifted to bigger venues, as suggested in The Age.
It's a good thing for young girls, it gives them something to aspire to, a way to participate in the game other than simply being a fan or the club physio. The players will become role models for the next generation of footy loving females.
Speaking of female role models, interesting to compare the news earlier this week of the appointment to the High Court of it's first female chief judge in 113 years, a girl who left school at 14 and eventually made her way in a tough profession back when it was heavily male-dominated. This story got less coverage than the Women's comp, but will be a greater source of inspiration for young women.
It's a good thing for the AFL, they can now compete legitimately with women's sports, particularly soccer, on its own turf. The code wars are now back on. I remain cynical about the AFL's motivation for the comp, although as some have said it doesn't really matter how it got there, it's probably a good thing that it's there at all. Ultimately, the AFL's biggest concern is its public image and position in the sports marketplace, and it wants to capitalise on its considerable female fan base, hence last night and whatever flows from it. Pity the AFL can't give more of a shit about the growth and development of the 90% of the footy iceberg that supports the 10% that everyone sees.
It'll be a good thing for tattooists - expect a deluge of female sleeve tatts in the next few years. Savvy investors should buy shares in ink.
"Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn't there...and finding it." - Oscar Wilde
