Source :- THE AGE NEWS
The AFLW season has started with momentum we haven’t seen since the first season in 2017.
Australia versus Ireland – tick.
Carlton versus St Kilda in a double header at Marvel Stadium – tick.
The next experiment is Thursday night’s AFLW stand-alone game between Hawthorn and Melbourne at Ikon Park.
That’s right. No men’s game for Thursday night footy. Instead, an opportunity for the women to see how many eyeballs they can attract on national television in a prime-time spot.
The Hawks’ AFLW team has been sprinting and sweating for the past three months at Dingley, ready for their moment. What a pity the club forgot about it.
Earlier this week, Hawthorn released a statement basking in the glow of a record membership – 90,000.
They went on to encourage all members to attend Saturday night’s men’s blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG. Hawthorn chief executive Ash Klein urged members to “paint the MCG stands brown and gold and make it an unforgettable evening. As a way of giving back … there will be several member giveaways during the week and at the match against Collingwood.”
Any chance of mentioning the women’s home season opener on Thursday night? Nope. Nada. Not one mention; just fleeting reference to the W team’s first season hosting games at Dingley. It raised eyebrows internally at the Hawks.
In the first decade of AFLW some clubs have embraced the “one club” mentality. Others haven’t.
Last weekend, Carlton, a club that has for so long struggled with creating a healthy and harmonious culture, showed us what “one club” looks like.
Firstly, the Blues posted a video on social media of the men and women coming together to learn a dance routine. Cult figure Darcy Vescio was leading them all through various moves, which had the players in fits of laughter.
On game day, at the double-header against St Kilda, key forward Harry McKay walked up the race and watched a significant portion of the women’s game.
When the AFLW team huddled in a circle to sing the song after a first-up win, the men’s team ran up the race onto the ground for their warm-up, hooting and hollering and pumping their fists in the air as they ran past the women.
When ruckman Marc Pittonet kicked a goal, he celebrated by holding up five fingers on each hand – a tribute to injured Blues player Sophie McKay, who wears the No.55 on her back.
Carlton made many mistakes when their AFLW team was introduced, but reviewed their women’s program three years ago. The process led to significant change and setting new standards for the club’s professional alignment.
There have been plenty of “missteps” in the first decade of AFLW. In the early days, Fremantle were training at night when someone turned the lights off and left them on the oval, in the dark. Port Adelaide’s female players were furious when the club held a family day a few years ago and didn’t invite them.
Other clubs have forced the women to pay for compulsory tackling training sessions in the pre-season. Or for remedial massages, when the men don’t. Some still only let the women in the weights room once the last of the men have finished using it. It can be a long wait!
It’s these one-percenters that add up and affect culture; all the little cues, overt and quiet, that send signals that you’re not quite as important, you’re still a second-class citizen.
A “one club” mentality takes work. Intention. Consistency. Then the culture shifts, and “how we do things around here” reflects the whole footy community: all of us who love the game.
It’s no accident the clubs that have embraced the “one club” philosophy have the most successful women’s teams: North Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide.
Kangaroos champion Emma Kearney has been an assistant coach for the men’s team, and last year was invited to speak to the men’s team about inclusion and homophobia in sport. The Lions’ men and women share the weights room and often, a men’s player will drop by a Craig Starcevich team meeting to offer tips on tactics.
Meanwhile, the Crows have hired Bree Brock as their new head of AFLW. The highly regarded administrator oversaw the successful Lions program, with the team reaching seven AFLW grand finals and two premierships on her watch. They’re taking the women’s program seriously.
These clubs are setting the benchmark. They’re not compromising or giving anything away. Others need to do better.
When interim Carlton coach Josh Fraser was asked in his post-match media conference about whether he had yet made up his mind about taking over the reins permanently, he responded: “My preference tonight is to not make it about me if possible, and the reason I say that is it’s a terrific night for our footy club. Our AFLW girls got a win tonight, and you see the work they put in consistently.
“And on field it was another step forward for our [male] playing group. And I think a lot of the credit around tonight’s performance should be shared.”
One club. Josh Fraser – tick!
Kelli Underwood will host Fox Footy’s coverage of the Hawthorn-Melbourne match on Thursday night.
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