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Clubs warned by AFL of 70 per cent slump in AFLW TV audiences; Port Adelaide Power forward Orazio Fantasia keen to return to Essendon Bombers – MyCyberBase


Dillon also pointed to the WNBA, which began with eight teams in 1997 and only has 12 now, having seen six franchises fold in that time.

But the AFLW and its players are steadfast in their view that they want to be playing a 17-game season, so every team plays each other once, and be fully professional athletes by 2026.

The audience numbers for the AFLW are – on paper – alarming, but they do require context.

Only eight teams played in the AFLW’s inaugural season, when the Adelaide Crows were crowned premiers and superstar Erin Phillips won the league best and fairest. Six years and seven seasons on, all 18 clubs now have an AFLW team.

It’s not surprising that the increase in games would lead to a decrease in average audience and crowds. Another factor in the crowd numbers is that AFLW matches were free for the first four seasons; the league started charging for tickets in 2021. Most matches are played in smaller, suburban stadiums although 12,092 turned up to see expansion teams Essendon and Hawthorn play at Marvel Stadium in August last year.

It’s also no secret that the AFL and its players are at loggerheads over a new collective bargaining agreement.

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Dillon, admitted as much when he was interviewed on the AFL’s website last week.

“We’ve been having discussions with [the] PA for a number of months. There’s a bit of a gap between where we are and where they are, but that’s not unusual.

“We’ve got meetings over the next couple of weeks where I think the gap will be closed. The key for the AFL is to make sure that players are paid well and reasonably but allow us also to invest in other parts of the game.”

The AFL Players Association and its female constituents argue that remaining at a 10-game home-and-away season is simply not good enough and does not afford the women’s game the respect it deserves.

“The success of the AFLW is much broader than the metrics of growth,” AFLPA boss Paul Marsh told The Scoop.

“We’ve seen new revenue streams come into the industry off the back of AFLW. We are seeing, on any measure, the women’s game as a spectacle improving year-on-year.”

It’s worth remembering that the AFL is a not-for-profit organisation and the AFLW does not exist purely to make money.

It represents a beacon of hope for girls that, like their brothers, they can one day play for the team they grew up supporting.

But the pathway argument can only get you so far, particularly after a 94 per cent pay increase was just negotiated.

“And so the decision right now is – what should the next few years look like?” Marsh said.

“Growth is really important to the players, that the fastest path to continued improvement of the competition is for the players to play more games, more time and investment put into them, which will continue to ensure that the on-field product continues to develop and improve.″⁣

The AFL declined to comment and Channel Seven were contacted.

Orazio back in black (and red)?)

It wouldn’t be too many times, if ever, that Orazio Fantasia has been mentioned in the same sentence as Gary Ablett and Eddie Betts.

But if the Port Adelaide forward gets his way, he will become the latest player to be traded back to the club where he started his career.

That’s right, Fantasia wants to be a Don again.

Sources close to the situation told The Scoop that the former Bomber, who currently can’t get a game for Port and who is dealing with another hamstring injury, has spoken to former teammate and close friend Zach Merrett about his desire to return to Tullamarine.

Orazio Fantasia has struggled for game time at Port Adelaide this season. Could a return to Essendon beckon?

Orazio Fantasia has struggled for game time at Port Adelaide this season. Could a return to Essendon beckon?Credit: AFL Photos

This column contacted Merrett, who confirmed the pair had spoken, but the Bombers captain didn’t want to be quoted and said he would leave list management to the higher powers at Essendon.

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Fantasia has only managed three games this season under Ken Hinkley in what is his third and final year of his current contract.

Merrett and Fantasia were drafted together in 2013 and have remained close since Fantasia sought a move home to South Australia, citing homesickness among other things.

Now, Fantasia’s desire to return to Essendon is one thing; whether Essendon have the same desire is an entirely different question.

Fantasia at his best can be a devastating small forward. He’s kicked five goals in a game on three separate occasions and was a handful for the majority of the 2017 season, when he kicked 39 goals from 20 games in the red and black.

He’s not yet 28, so his age is of no concern. But, due to a mixture of injury and form, Fantasia has managed only 24 games since the start of 2020.

Essendon have made no secret of their priorities in the off-season, stating that they will look for a key defender and potentially another key forward, while also looking to lock away their own players like Mason Redman, who, as Fantasia once did, is considering a return home to South Australia.

North Melbourne free agent Ben McKay is on Brad Scott’s radar, with the former Kangaroos coach and ex-head of football at the AFL clear on the list management direction at his new club.

That’s not to say that the Bombers won’t look to secure Fantasia if, in fact, he does request a trade, but he isn’t a priority.

If a trade to Essendon doesn’t eventuate, Fantasia could still seek a move to another Victorian club. He owns property in Melbourne and quality small forwards are hard to find.

Carlton are still looking for the right mix, having dropped several of their smalls to the VFL this season. Hawthorn are looking for the next Luke Breust, while Chad Wingard has found himself in the reserves recently. Even Melbourne, ranked 18th for “points for” in the last six weeks, are still looking for goal kickers.

A senior source at Port Adelaide, who wished to remain anonymous, said the club was focusing on helping Fantasia find consistency with his body and fitness before considering any potential moves.

Fantasia’s manager was contacted for comment.


, 2023-07-09 19:53:21 ,
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