Why the Matildas’ success should have the AFL ‘very worried’

While the Matildas have captured the hearts and minds of Australians the world over on their barnstorming run to the World Cup semi-finals, the AFL season edges ever closer to the business end of their own campaign.

This week on The Age’s Real Footy AFL podcast, Caroline Wilson, Jake Niall and Michael Gleeson assess the state of play across the competition, while Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler and their teammates – many of whom are now household names – capture the spotlight with the round ball. Most importantly, our podcasters ask: what does the enormous support for the Matildas mean for the AFL and the rapidly expanding AFLW?

The use of technology in Australian Rules compared to the world game is a hot topic as FIFA frequently and successfully uses VAR to resolve key decisions, while the AFL often grapples with technology when it comes to contentious decisions.

How female athletes earn an income is a hot topic, too, especially right now as the AFL negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement with its players, and how the women’s contingent fits into that.

“The AFL should be very worried about what the Matildas have done,” says Wilson. “The AFL need to take a long hard look at themselves. How serious are they about the AFLW?”

Niall believes the AFLW moved to an 18-club competition too quickly.

“Let’s be clear here, though. The AFL cannot compete with a national team in a World Cup at home with a wave of national following in all states,” says chief AFL writer and sports scribe Niall.

“The AFL have already blown this [with the AFLW]. You know why? They expanded the competition too quickly and they should have created a scarcity of demand. The less often you play the most interest there is in the games.”