The tweak AFLW premiership captains want league to make
Oliver Caffrey |
North Melbourne premiership captain Emma Kearney believes the AFLW should move from its current spring window and has called for second-tier competitions to align with the elite.
Ahead of the fourth AFLW finals series since moving from a summer start, momentum is building for another change in timeslot.
From 2017 until 2022, the AFLW finished in April after starting in January or early February.
But players and coaches raised concerns about staging games in hot weather, prompting a move to run the season from August to November.
However, Kearney has found the change has come with its own challenges.
“In terms of conditions, we’re probably playing in the windiest months of the year,” the 2018 league best-and-fairest said on Thursday.
“We play on a lot of suburban grounds where the games get impacted by wind.
“If we’re trying to grow the game, we want the product to be improving, so probably this time frame is a little bit tricky.
“There’s also a bit of fatigue from fans, admin staff, everyone in the industry from the men’s season.
“It’s a hard one to really nail the perfect time slot; autumn is probably a time frame that I think would be a perfect time to play it.”
Kearney, who handed over the Kangaroos captaincy to Jasmine Garner ahead of this season, was adamant second-tier leagues such as the VFLW needed to run at the same time as the AFLW.
Senior-listed players who miss out on AFLW selection are currently forced into scrimmages instead of competitive games to stay match-fit.
“The way forward if you want to try to keep growing the game is having seasons aligned across the nation,” Kearney said.
“Teams from WA, Queensland, are coming down to Victoria, playing with four or five different teams and trying to play.
“It makes it really hard for players trying to play to a system.”
Keaney’s view is shared by the most famous name in AFLW, Daisy Pearce.
After a game in Sydney last month, Pearce was holding her post-match press conference while her players not selected in West Coast’s senior game were having a session on the field amongst fans.
“When you don’t get selected, there’s nowhere else to play, especially when you’re an interstate team,” Pearce, the Eagles coach, said.
“If it could align with the state league competitions, that’s the priority for the development of the players.”
North, who are on a record 24-game winning streak, will kick off the AFLW post-season on Friday night when they host Hawthorn in a qualifying final at Ikon Park.
West Coast are preparing for their first AFLW final when they face Carlton on Saturday.
AAP
