The Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) will continue to pursue its existing venue policy. In their case, they intend to remain in smaller venues until their supporters are regularly filling them to capacity. The AFL Commission has guaranteed the current timing of the AFLW season will remain for the competition’s future. Save the date—the all-star grand final will take place on the final weekend of November! The league has been preparing to launch its inaugural season. This decision naturally flanks the next rounds 23 and 24 of the men’s football calendar.
Based on recent trends, this year fans have flocked to the AFLW in droves. The subsequent three grand finals sold out in less than a day — a testament to the enthusiasm. The league has made the odd decision to continue playing at large venues like Princes Park, which usually holds 12,000 fans. They’ll take advantage of Springfield Sports Complex, which has a capacity of 8,000. Take Laura Kane, AFL’s executive general manager of football operations, who recently said on the record. She said they will only look at larger stadiums when home and away games are regularly sold out.
In her press release, Kane commented on the importance of establishing long-term certainty for fans and players.
“A lot of the movement has been with the intention of making sure that we found the best spot, the best time, the best place (for AFLW). We think we’re there. We think the timing works,” – Laura Kane.
As a league, we’ve experimented with bigger venues before. For reference, the recently successful 2022 Showdown at Adelaide Oval had an impressive 20,000 crowd in attendance. The following games have all gone back to suburban fields. Kane emphasized the need to first pack these smaller venues before even thinking about a move up to bigger stadiums.
That call for greater consistency is echoed by Sydney co-captain Chloe Molloy. She emphasized the league’s high points and low points. She addressed issues including the conference system and the lack of consistency created from the COVID-19 pandemic. Perception versus reality Perhaps surprisingly, given these challenges, Molloy is bullish about AFLW’s prospects right now.
“We want to play good football, we want to be putting high scores on the board, so I think that stability creates an opportunity to play better football,” – Chloe Molloy.
Kane elaborated on the league’s strategy with venue selection and the schedule. She suggested that having a known and stable location for grand finals is key to building a regular, dedicated fan base.
“We’ve set the location of the grand final venue in each state and communicated that with the clubs as part of the fixture release, and so that’s where the grand final will be played in each location, with no plan to move it,” – Laura Kane.
The AFLW aims to cultivate a ritualistic experience for its fans, ensuring they know when and where to find their favorite teams playing. Kane highlighted that the league will not engage in last-minute venue changes, emphasizing stability as crucial for both players and fans.
“Our philosophy with venues is the same as the men’s. We’re not making last-minute decisions. We’re not changing things on the run or on the fly,” – Laura Kane.
Logically, captains Jasmine Garner of North Melbourne and Bre Koenen of Brisbane have suggested a radical solution. They’re fighting to make Docklands the long-term home of the grand final every year. Moving forward to 2023, Garner had shared her wish for predictability in the scheduling process with then Chair, Rep.
“I’d love it to be at the same place, same time, just predictable to people,” – Jasmine Garner.
Koenen added that creating a similar atmosphere for women’s grand final weekend as what exists for men would enhance fan engagement.
“People come to Melbourne for (men’s) grand final weekend, even if their team’s not in it. If you’re a footy lover, it’s where you want to be, so I feel like we need to create that for ‘W fans,” – Bre Koenen.
As the league gears up for another season, it appears committed to building on its recent successes while ensuring that fan engagement remains a priority. The focus on smaller venues until home games sell out consistently reflects a strategic effort to solidify the AFLW’s presence in the competitive sports landscape.
