I can’t help but wonder whether Melbourne is being punished. No games past the round of 16 played in the second-largest city hosting the tournament.
Is this in response to the AFL refusing to share facilities? It is a bit embarrassing that the only stadium Melbourne can offer seats a mere 30,000. They should be playing in Docklands at the very least.
I can only hope this is the beginning of women’s sports getting to the same level of clout as AFL and the like (though I do also think part of the attraction to the WWC this year is because it hasn’t been over commercialised the way AFL has been - feels a bit more community oriented like the VFL of yore apparently was, even though this is an international event)
I can only hope this is the beginning of women’s sports getting to the same level of clout as AFL and the like
I’m as quick to leap to the defense of the women’s world cup as anyone, but I honestly don’t believe this is the case. The AFL were just as adamant that they would never share the MCG or adjust their games fixtures in any way at all to accomodate the world cup when Australia bid for last year’s (men’s) world cup. Also, the AFL is super keen to promote the AFLW. This is more about their belief that the AFL has precedent and priority over all other events than it is about women’s sport.
Apart from all the corruption that led to the world cup being given to Qatar, I think the AFL did as much as anyone to diminish the calibre of the Australian bid.
I can’t help but wonder whether Melbourne is being punished. No games past the round of 16 played in the second-largest city hosting the tournament.
Is this in response to the AFL refusing to share facilities? It is a bit embarrassing that the only stadium Melbourne can offer seats a mere 30,000. They should be playing in Docklands at the very least.
I can only hope this is the beginning of women’s sports getting to the same level of clout as AFL and the like (though I do also think part of the attraction to the WWC this year is because it hasn’t been over commercialised the way AFL has been - feels a bit more community oriented like the VFL of yore apparently was, even though this is an international event)
I’m as quick to leap to the defense of the women’s world cup as anyone, but I honestly don’t believe this is the case. The AFL were just as adamant that they would never share the MCG or adjust their games fixtures in any way at all to accomodate the world cup when Australia bid for last year’s (men’s) world cup. Also, the AFL is super keen to promote the AFLW. This is more about their belief that the AFL has precedent and priority over all other events than it is about women’s sport.
Apart from all the corruption that led to the world cup being given to Qatar, I think the AFL did as much as anyone to diminish the calibre of the Australian bid.