In the midst of a challenging season, the women’s professional football league is facing scrutiny over its scheduling decisions. Despite criticism, league administrator Laura Kane remains optimistic about the format, which has seen teams playing multiple games per week. This condensed schedule has resulted in players who suffer injuries or concussions missing more games than usual in the already-brief season.
One notable consequence is the case of star player Brianna Davey, who will miss two games instead of one due to concussion protocols. The original intention behind the mid-week fixtures was to capitalize on school holidays, but so far, it hasn’t led to a significant increase in attendance. A recent match between North Melbourne and Port Adelaide drew a season-low crowd of 943 at Whitten Oval, prompting questions about the scheduling decision.
Kane, however, remains enthusiastic about the current format, citing the excitement of having football games on almost every night of the week. She believes that this compression of fixtures has been beneficial, allowing for more exposure and growth opportunities for the league. Kane is also open to exploring alternative formats, such as double headers, which have shown promise in increasing attendance and engagement.
The recent experiment of moving a standalone fixture to a curtain raiser for an AFL elimination final at the MCG proved successful, with 23,000 people in attendance. Kane sees this as a positive development, stating that the league will continue to look for opportunities to grow and improve, as long as they align with the needs of the competition, teams, and fans.
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