It actually was, the reason why because most of them don't actually play the AFL as a sport.

Of course the skills were bad. What sport actively tries to recruit people from other codes to slip straight into the elite level? It's astonishing. 

Having said that the whoo haa and acting like they invented women's sport has detracted from it, because it's a good thing it has happened - or that the AFL has finally recognised them. 

There seems to be a useful time-buying delusion around here that most of the players are ring ins.

Well over 90% of the players were recruited out of the top leagues in each state and territory. 

Even the rookies from other sports overwhelmingly player Australian football as kids

Briana Davey, the ex Matilda's keeper, played the last two seasons in the state league. According to melissa barbieri She played AF til she was 13 before getting poached and in less than 3 years (at 16!) was keeping for the Matildas. 

Soccer was certainly ahead of AF in terms of female participation, but if you think there is some long term divide between "serious" and "faddish/gimmicky" women's sport with soccer on the former side and the AFLW on the latter, you are setting yourself up for ever more dissapointment

AFLW is AWFL but will survive because of the wealth of the ALF and the 10's thousands of free tickets it can afford to give away to the bored ALF fans.

It's not giving any free tickets away. It's free entry

LOL

So what if they played some afl as kids? Point is in the main developmental stage of most of those players they didn't actually play the sport and top it off with they do what is it 9 hours training a week, of course the quality will be crap.

That is the difference, right now they are part timers as there still isn't enough money being invested in the game in both football and AFLW, it could change in the future but right now it is just a little publicity stunt with no longevity. 

On basis are people concluding that there is no longevity?  Open your eyes people, in case you missed it, the women just kicked the A-League's butts in the TV ratings, comprehensively.

The Macedonian news rated higher in nsw.

lol

Because it was the first game, there is only so long a league can last with a bunch of part timers, thus no longevity. 

The first priority for football is to live within its means.  If it can afford to forever subsidize women's football-because it will never be self-sustaining in this country- then it should.  

But funding women's football should never take priority over funding the boys and men's squad and league whilst the women generate nothing in income. And public interest for 3 games every 4 years that doesn't result in income but actually is a cost doesn't make up for it.

On and its BS that if the FFA does not pour money in to the women's game mothers will stop their sons from taking up football.  

So what? These are people who want to watch AFL.  We already know that in the Southern States AFL is king.

Its not as if they were football fans who switched over to AFL because of the women.

FFT seems to operate under the assumption that people are AFL fans or Soccer fans, where a great many are both. The association football forum on bigfooty is huge.   So yes, a lot of them were football fans who were watching.  Also, based on feeds and forums, a lot of first time supporters got involved, some of them from football, and no, they did not `switch`, I am sure they will keep supporting football.  Make no mistake, a lot of those grassroots football players missing from A league crowds and ratings were paying attention to these games.

The people the A league needs at its grounds and watching its games mostly support other codes and sports, because its far easier to get someone who is into sport to follow your sport than it is to convince someone who isn't into sport at all.  They are not going to `switch`, they are going to start watching the A league, and or the W league, as well as their other sports.

Your right. I also find non traditional football fans have less predujice when talking about the HAL, Euro lovers can often be the games worst enemy.

I think it is more the fact that Australian football is not in a good position, look at how many play the sport, look at how many play games like Fifa and then compare to how many attend and watch on TV. This is completely off topic but the issue is the league are focusing on people who aren't really fans of the sport rather than those who are, they are too busy following the formula of the AFL and rugby which the HAL will never ever be able to succeed in that formula. Hopefully Infantino and his people fix the problem in the coming months.

before women's afl there was no women's sport in australia

women's afl promotes women to get out and play sport

and all other myths perpetuated by the afl PR machine

They are people for whom AFL is the first love and football a time filler.  They can take the A-league it or leave it.  If the A-League ended tomorrow a shrug of the shoulders is all you'd get from them.  Of course every bum on a seat is welcome, but these are not the ones who will make or break football in this country.  

The Euro snobs are.  And no I'm not  talking Costa, Mario or Goran serving the Souvas and kevaps..  I'm talking the Playstation generation Euro snob.  To get them coming  the A-League needs to improve the on field product.  Thats where the money should go.  Not some politically-correct money pit.

The AFL can throw money down the drain all it likes, we don't need to follow,

Well said Sam.

Higher in NSW than A league nationwide?

You really are not in a position to be slagging of the ratings of the AFLW

https://www.bigfooty.com/

Here you go Jatz. Now go have a biscuit and relax.

looks like De Vanna's eyeing up a move as well

http://www.foxsports.com.au/video/football/w-league/de-vanna-avoids-card!607288

Yep and 15 min quarters.

Eddie McGuire made a huge misjudgement missing AFLW opener


President of Collingwood, Eddie McGuire, missed the AFLW opener against Carlton. Picture: Getty

It’s seems Mr Collingwood Eddie McGuire has sniffed the wind on the subject of women’s sport ... and picked up the wrong scent.

Collingwood’s women’s team was part of history on Friday night, taking on Carlton in the first game in the new AFL Women’s competition.

Almost 25,000 fans were there to see it, with a couple of thousand more turned away when Princes Park reached capacity. And more than one million people watched it on TV.

The one person you would expect to be there, showing his support for Collingwood players at such a significant time, was not. Eddie Everywhere was somewhere else — in another city in fact. McGuire was in Adelaide anchoring the television coverage of the Danny Green-Anthony Mundine fight.

Gabriella Pound of the Blues (top) hugs Madeline Keryk of the Blues on the final siren during the 2017 AFLW Round 1 match between the Carlton Blues and the Collingwood Magpies. Picture: Getty

Carlton president Mark Logiudice found time in his schedule to be there, but not Eddie.

Interest in the AFLW is massive and has taken even the AFL by surprise. Crowds at all four games this weekend were bigger than expected — bigger than many A-League or NRL games. More than 50,000 people attended the four games and the TV ratings were through the roof.

The AFL has been forced to consider moving future games to bigger venues and will almost certainly play the grand final at the MCG.

Some of this interest, clearly, is the result of the novelty factor and some of it due to timing — footy fans keen for the new season to begin are happy to watch anyone playing the indigenous game.

Fans pack out Ikon Park. Picture: Getty

But the arrival of the AFLW comes at a time of surging interest in women’s sport. Women’s cricket, soccer, netball, rugby sevens are all going gangbusters. And the women’s games are genuinely entertaining — skilful elite athletes competing with guts and passion.

McGuire has made a huge misjudgement by failing to recognise the significance of the birth of the AFLW.

​Collingwood’s female players have every right to feel hugely let down that McGuire was not there for their first game.

Women’s elite sport — particularly the AFLW — is here to stay and McGuire needs to recognise it.

Note to Eddie: Collingwood play Melbourne at Olympic Park Oval at 7.35pm next Saturday. Be there.

On and by the way, Collingwood also has a team playing in the new national netball league. The Magpies will play the Vixens at Hisense Arena at 7pm on Saturday, February 18. Try to get there Eddie.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/wally-mason/eddie-mcguire-made-a-huge-misjudgement-missing-aflw-opener/news-story/2bb6a3b0bb4d9090613b57e03d2aa9cf

Interesting to see crowd pattern over the weekend - good numbers but was probably to be expected with the massive PR push and free entry for everyone. 

24,500 collingwood game
10,100 Bulldogs V Fremantle 
9,289 Adelaide V GWS
6,500 Demons lions 

With the eve bigger exposure this week though, one would imagine some some pretty good numbers across every game. SEN has labelled it 'the game that has gripped the nation'. 

I'll be interested to see what the GWS team gets for a figure.

Haha, well you've got the middle two around the wrong way....the Demons game was right in the soccer heartland of Apex United out in Cranbourne

Melbourne women's playing out of Casey aren't they?

I thought Cranbourne was in Casey?

and?