The AFL refers to them as “boutique” stadiums. They aren’t. They are great local suburban parks, but they’re weather exposed, often with run-down facilities, and they’re difficult to access.
Victoria Park, Moorabbin and Punt Road work because they are generally protected from the elements and accessible to fans. They have a hill, and if you can “fill the hill” you create an atmosphere that people want to be part of. Brisbane’s Springfield and Sydney’s Henson Park have shown the way.
North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker, skipper Jasmine Garner, Brisbane Lions captain Bre Koenen and coach Craig Starcevich ahead of the 2025 AFLW decider.Credit: AFL Photos
TV broadcasting
The AFL has tried to drive attendance at the expense of television ratings. But it hasn’t worked. Crowds and TV ratings are stagnant. We need to unlock the magic and power of TV.
Sports broadcasting comes down to the four Cs: you need to see a crowd, show a champion, throw in a character, and provide a contest.
Last weekend’s preliminary final between North Melbourne and Melbourne had all four: anxious Roos fans biting their nails, champion player Jas Garner winning the game off her own boot, Dees goal kicker Eden Zanker winding up former teammate Libby Birch by rubbing her eyes in her direction, and a thrilling climax. It had the four Cs, and was must-watch TV.
Libby Birch with premiership teammate and great mate Emma Kearney.Credit: AFL Photos
Wind-swept suburban stadiums where the TV cameras are set up to shoot empty parts of a ground have footy fans reaching for the remote quicker than pollies talking about tax reform.
The NRLW has taken a different approach, playing double-headers and at bigger stadiums.
This year’s grand final, which was played on the same day as the men’s and at the same venue – Sydney Olympic Park – produced record television ratings. More than 1 million viewers tuned in, and there were nearly 50,000 there in person. The northern states are running rings around Victoria when it comes to their women’s competition. Rugby league boss Peter V’landys has proven investment works.
Marvel Stadium
That brings me to the AFL’s own stadium. The last women’s game played at Marvel Stadium was three years ago, when Hawthorn and Essendon played their first game in the AFLW and 12,000 fans filled the bottom tier. The broadcaster aimed their cameras down and tightened their shots to eliminate the empty top levels from the broadcast. It was loud, the quality under the roof was better, and the all-round production mirrored the quality of a men’s game.
Daria Bannister in action for the Bombers against the Hawks the last time AFLW took to the field at Marvel Stadium.Credit: AFL Photos
Tonight’s grand final should be played at Marvel Stadium. It’s not about filling the 50,000 seats (but more fan would attend). It’s also about the quality of the TV broadcast.
Would you rather sit on your couch and watch the game played in good conditions, allowing the players to show off their skill sets, while listening to a vocal, packed bottom level at Docklands? Or would you rather watch a possibly wet, dour contest where fans sit uncomfortably on splintered benches or wonky old seats, braving the elements?
The Bombers celebrated a win over the Hawks at Marvel Stadium to mark the start of season seven.Credit: AFL Photos
I know where the pre-match entertainment Peking Duk would prefer to play.
Marvel Stadium should be used to host more marquee games, and it should host the grand final every year. Then everyone associated with the season’s showpiece knows where and when it will be played, rather than waiting for the last few weeks to work out whether league heavyweights, sponsors, and pre-match entertainers will be required to fly anywhere between Ipswich and Fremantle.
The right time of year
Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles from Peking Duk ahead of this year’s AFLW decider at Ikon Park.Credit: AFL Photos
I think we all agree that, eventually, the women’s competition should be played alongside the men’s in winter. But the fear is it will get swallowed up by the AFL juggernaut. Right now, the clear air in October’s sporting calendar is crucial to promoting the sport and attracting new fans.
For the first time this year we got a look at the two competitions crossing over, and the TV ratings for AFLW fell off a cliff as everyone tuned into the final two rounds of the men’s home-and-away season.
So, keeping the competition alive in October makes sense. But at what point does footy fatigue set in? Playing the grand final tonight – smack bang in between the opening two Ashes Tests– seems ludicrous. It’s too late in the year.
I’d move the season forward a month. Rather than staggering the men’s byes over a five-week period, why not go back to all men’s teams having one weekend off in July?
That would place the women’s grand final over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. The sporting capital of the world is heaving ahead of Cup Day and the race always attracts plenty of interest from Ireland. Imagine an Australia v Ireland representative game on the Friday night at Marvel Stadium, followed by the grand final on the Sunday night.
Reward the best teams
Please don’t let Collingwood open season 11 next year. The decision to tap into the club’s massive membership and hand the Pies the season opener against Carlton the past few years has backfired spectacularly.
A dejected Collingwood after their loss to the Lions in round 12. The Magpies have since received an assistance package from the AFL made up additional list spots in 2026 and 2027.Credit: AFL Photos
Why would you reward a club that hasn’t taken the women’s game seriously for the last decade? They finished 15th this year with three wins after claiming the wooden spoon last year. It’s a team that struggles to kick big scores, so they don’t deserve to be on the big stage.
Surely the reigning premiers deserve the right to unfurl their flag in a grand final re-match, or a double-header at Marvel featuring four top-eight teams would be much more appealing on the TV than a Carlton v Collingwood clash at a half-full Ikon Park.
So what next?
Ideas? Innovation? Bring on 2026, I can’t wait to see what the AFL has in store for the women next year.
Hang on a minute.
They quietly announced a few months ago that season 11 would be exactly the same: the same number of rounds, at the same time of year, at the same suburban venues.
As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing things over and over again expecting things to change.
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