Opinion: 2016 -Time is right for Women's International Cup

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Opinion: 2016 -Time is right for Women's International Cup

Authored by: Jarren
on Tuesday, December 22 2015 @ 03:27 am ACDT

Love womens footy, love international footy. Agree that if we are going to see a viable international component to Australian footy, it is going to probably happen in womens footy first. Having said all that, absolutely not to moving the timetable for the womens IC, and absolutely not to incorporating international players formerly into the first year or so of the league.

For the IC, firstly the womens portion of the cup is not big enough to have the `gravitas` by itself, I think it would make it feel much smaller for the participants. Second, amateurs with careers and limited holiday time cannot be expected to come twice in 3 years, and the absence of a lot of players will further lessen it. Third, it becomes more expensive with loss of scale. Fourth, I have read the organisation and preparation for one IC starts as soon as the proceeding IC is done, asking amateur volunteer sports admins to get this done and financed in the timeframe is just unreasonable. Fifth, I do not think they should or will be selecting overseas players based on the IC anyway. Sixth, 3 (or more?) of Canadas best players, and a whole bunch of Irelands best players, were either already playing here, or had played here.

As for a process of selecting international players for the inaugural clubs, not remotely feasible. If they are here, eg Aimee Legault or Kendra Heil, then they can be selected as per normal, and maybe there can be a provision, or extra spot for that. You cannot play even a short season in a two week holiday period, so they would have to quit work, or be not working, move overseas, get visas allowing them to work in Australia, get a job within that time period to support themselves. Lets not forget families, If 1 women in 10 playing footy overseas was in a position in life where they could do this I will eat my hat, so to find 2 players per team would take a pool of 120 (min) who were good enough and enthusiastic enough about the sport. I have watched a lot of international womens footy, there is nothing like 120 who are good enough, there may not be 20.

AFL mens teams had an established structure and list size that had international rookie spots added to it. This was clearly established as an addition, the international took no ones spot unless they were good enough to be promoted. Womens lists will be much shorter, there will be no additional spots for the internationals, every international is an Australian girl who misses a spot, and she will almost certainly be better than the international. How do you explain to a 17 year old she may have missed out on her dream because of an overseas player who she is likely to be much better than.

Finally, the establishment of a successful womens league as a foundation for the future (including international womens footy) should be first priority, second priority and only priority. Worry about everything else after that is secure, not while it is still in doubt.

Would love, love, love for a successful womens comp to incorporate international players as a way of spreading and promoting the game and improving play elsewhere, but just because I love it, doesn't make it the right thing to do. Idea is at least 5 years too early.

Opinion: 2016 -Time is right for Women's International Cup

Authored by: Harley Vague
on Wednesday, December 23 2015 @ 05:41 pm ACDT

Jarren, you have articulated the problems very well and it is probably fair to say that women's football is still "piggybacking" the men's involvement to a large degree and separation could cause more than just logistical problems. The main point, IMO is that this is a one-off opportunity. Nobody will dispute that women have the smallest differential in international football but that gap is already widening. We need to get world players on board quickly and we cannot expect them to foot the bill.

Opinion: 2016 -Time is right for Women's International Cup

Authored by: Cam Homes
on Wednesday, January 06 2016 @ 05:45 pm ACDT

Yeah! you're so right, Harley, the differential between the Aussie women and the international women is no where near as wide as the men. In fact I believe that the best dozen or so international women would fit comfortably if there are about 150 to 180 women drafted into this competition (obviously not too many would be classed in the top 100 or so).

Jarren suggests that the idea is five years too early because it might push a few 17 year old Aussie girls out of the competition (he assumes that there are no women outside Oz good enough) and so there is no merit in getting the world "on board" from the outset.

Just think if there were a dozen or so internationals playing each year for the the next five years what that would do for the women's game back in the home countries (the expansion internationally in the women's footy almost mirrors what is happening in Aussie at the present.

Fifty to sixty women over the next five years boosting the standard of the game outside Aussie almost as quickly as here when they return home.

Bite the bullet now, and five to ten years down the track and even the Aussie women could be playing "International" matches as are the other nations at the moment. What an ambition that is for the women (playing for your country) that are starting to take up the game now.

Have to agree with ol' round ball Les Murray, that is something that the men can't and wont be able to do in the next fifty years, if ever.

Blow the opportunity now and it will never be regained. Brutal that might be for those ten to twelve Aussie 17 year old girls each year that 'MAY' be left out.

If they are really good enough then they will get drafted next year and if the whole exercise does succeed there will also be more opportunities as new teams enter the competition.

Also we must keep in mind the reality that this competition will be SEMI- professional for a good many years yet even if it does succeed.

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