Those in charge of AFLW must act urgently to stop the competition from withering on the vine.

They have failed the participants for too long with poor decision-making, and AFLW players and coaches are frustrated.

Richmond’s Kate Brennan is a star of the competition.Credit: AFL Photos

The AFL doesn’t seem to know what to do except play into the hands of the competition’s critics with marketing gimmicks rather than supporting those involved with a clear vision, belief, investment and certainty.

Club people are concerned about the competition’s direction and the public, except from a cohort of passionate fans, seem disengaged – though it’s hard to know for certain, given the lack of transparency around television ratings.

Big decisions need to be made now and set in stone for a time to allow the game to grow as it should, given the talented female athletes now playing the sport, and those in the pipeline.

Those big decisions include the timing of the season, where and when games are played, and the amount the AFL is prepared to invest to foster coaching and development. Forget the sideshows. Focus on the basics and the rest will follow.

The condensed fixture, which finished on Sunday, is just the latest (and possibly the worst) in a line of knee-jerk decisions that reduce certainty for those playing, coaching and, importantly, watching the game as well as diminishing opportunities for player development – an essential need of a competition that expanded too quickly. The AFL agreed to extend the length of the season by one match for 2024, but was not prepared to start earlier, or push further into cricket season, hence the exhausting fixture crunch.

The impact of the condensed fixture can be reeled off like movie credits and points to administrators taking their eyes off the ball:

We all know the best clubs create........

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