Dandenong Stingrays defender Kieran Collins (Credit: Ashleigh Wong)
Footy fans all around Melbourne have had a real cause to celebrate this year. Curtain raisers are back by popular demand.
On Sunday, the women’s AFL game was broadcast live, for the first time ever. It rated well for the Seven Network, reaching a total audience of 250,000 across Australia, with more than 80 per cent of viewership coming from Victoria.
There have been several VFL games used as curtain raisers this year, with Collingwood and Carlton’s affiliate sides facing off last week before the traditional rivals clashed.
But are we forgetting about the next generation? The interest in the AFL draft has grown significantly in the last few years, with the demand for more coverage growing.
SEN’s AFL draft expert Brett Anderson compared the exposure of the junior level to that of the college sports culture in the United States.
“We’re getting very ‘Americanised’. The one criticism of the AFL draft system is that our prospects aren’t as well known as the Americans are in terms of going through the college system,” he said.
“Raising the profile of the kids in the system would be one of the benefits of the curtain raisers. In doing so, that would allow the AFL to build the draft as a product. People are going to be more interested, which leads to more viewers.”
Many of those in the football industry who are pushing for more curtain raisers have raised the nostalgic value.
“As a kid I remember going to watch the under 19’s at the MCG at 10.30 in the morning, then watching the reserves and the seniors. You get to watch people coming through the system and you’d highlight a player who caught your eye in the Footy Record,” Anderson said.
Bound for Glory News’ draft writer Luke McAlister delved into the positives of the big stage.
“Giving the draft prospects a chance to play at bigger grounds in front of bigger crowds and in high pressure situations is a real positive. The effect this can have on their development cannot be understated,” he said.
Every 18 year old is different, and with opportunity comes expectations.
“Sometimes these kids are immature and the extra pressure might make them crack and lower their draft stocks. That extra pressure can also put greater stress on the kids’ shoulders, which is never ideal when most are conducting their Year 12 studies,” McAlister said.
“The one drawback is raising expectations. TAC Cup talent managers are put in place to control the kids’ expectations and make sure they’re fully aware of the system they’re in,” Anderson said. “When you look at the percentage of kids playing in the TAC Cup that get drafted, it’s really low.”
Despite the potential negatives, both McAlister and Anderson agreed that they’d like to see more curtain raisers.
“Personally, I’d like to see the under 18’s play beforehand. But I understand the VFL has their claim as well. I think most clubs will go back to the ‘reserves’ set up like it was before, with their own feeder club,” Anderson said. “The idea would be to rotate it from week to week so every club has the opportunity to play.”
Of the three, McAlister would most like to see women’s football played as a curtain raiser.
“Ideally I’d love to see a mix of all the competitions, but both state leagues and junior competitions survive and serve their purpose without the national exposure,” McAlister said.
“For women’s footy to really get off the ground and gain the attention it needs and deserves, it must be played in as many high exposure situations as possible.”
