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Fans came out in force for round 1 of the AFLW.

By KAVISHA DI PIETRO

From the first bounce, the inaugural AFL Women’s season was a massive success.

For the first time women were playing for premiership points on a national stage. Over a seven-round season, eight teams were fielded from all current AFL states. The season, which kicked off on February 3 to a sold-out crowd at Melbourne’s Ikon Park, proved a hit with audiences nation-wide.

While the season overall was a success, there are a number of factors the AFL will need to look at in-depth ahead of next season to further develop the game.

WHAT WORKED?

Drafting cross-code stars 

A significant portion of elite women’s sport in Australia is considered seasonal and semi-professional. A number of these women are only contracted for small portions of the year such as Cricket’s Big Bash League season, which runs for two months. As a result many of these top athletes shifted their focus to the AFLW competition.

The AFL cleverly used this to their advantage with a substantial number of these women becoming marquee signings and draftees for the eight clubs.

Olympic basketballer and WNBA player Erin Phillips was the most prominent example of this. The shooting guard/AFL midfielder was nominated Adelaide captain and best afield in the AFLW Grand Final. Her likeability and ability to engage with the fans proved a victory for the competition. 

Ticketing

All games during the season had free entry, many acting as a curtain-raiser to the men’s JLT Community Series games. Free entry was an ingenious marketing ploy from the AFL for the inaugural season, to garner interest from some hesitant traditionalists.

Moderate ticket prices will likely need to be introduced next season to increase development, both on and off-field for the league. Increasing revenue streams for the AFLW will be crucial to the financial development of the game.

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There was plenty of action in the women's AFL.

Televised coverage

A number of AFLW games, including the grand final, were televised live on Channel 7 and Fox Footy as part of the current AFL broadcasting rights. The game day coverage, led predominantly by well-known female sports journalists including Kelli Underwood and Sam Lane, gave viewers an opportunity to experience the AFLW and all it had to offer.

The post-match interviews provided an honest and in-depth look into previously unknown players and their personalities. With a broadcast deal expected for the AFLW over the coming months, the coverage will only improve come next season.

WHAT DIDN'T?

Lack of scoring

Throughout the season there was a significant lack of scoring among the whole competition. Although this was in part due to the limited time-on and 15-minute quarters, it reflected more so on the lack of kicking penetration women have relative to their male counterparts.

The low scores emphasised the staggering talent differential of the top two to three players of each team and their lesser skilled teammates.

While this was a mark against the inaugural AFLW season, the scoring will improve as the talent pool increases. Traditionalists who enjoy high-scoring, free-flowing football will have to be patient to see this in the women’s league.

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Erin Phillips was a hit with fans.

AFLW grand final location mix-up

The debate for the AFLW grand final location became a distraction in the lead-up to the competition's big game. For the Brisbane Lions, who had finished the season undefeated, hosting the grand final was serious business and they were adamant it would be held at their home ground, the 'Gabba.

Queensland cricket, however, was unhappy with the results of the turf following an Adele concert and asked Stadiums Queensland to move the grand final elsewhere.

Unlike the MCG Trust, which is contracted with the AFL to hold the grand final every year until 2037, the AFLW has no such agreement in place. The AFL must use this disastrous push-and-pull debate, which  overshadowed the lead-up to the grand final, to establish a similar grand final contract for future seasons.

MORE THAN NOVELTY 

Overall the AFLW inaugural season was a success by any measure. The games, despite the low scores, were always competitive and for the most part received positive feedback. The success of the first season shows there is a demand for women’s AFL.

The strong TV ratings and crowd attendance proved the naysayers wrong that the AFLW was only successful only because of its novelty factor. In what was a landmark for the AFL, the game can only keep growing from here on out.