The Giant AFL-W machine continues to obliterate

[billy the kid]

Local pair Marijana Rajcic (No.32) and Ruth Wallace (No.38) were taken with the Club’s next two picks.

A former captain of Adelaide United in the W-League, Rajcic swapped the soccer ball for a Sherrin ahead of the inaugural SANFL Women’s League where she won a premiership with Norwood this year.

The 28-year-old onballer was part of Adelaide’s development squad for the 2017 AFLW season.

Wallace, 24, juggled football and soccer growing up, turning to the round ball game because of the lack of Australian Football pathways for girls. She played for Adelaide United and also represented the Australian Junior Matildas in 2009.

The goalkicker returned to football this season, teaming up with Rajcic in Norwood’s SANFL Women’s League Grand Final win.

There are now three current or past Adelaide United W-League players in the Crows squad. AFLW Premiership player Jenna McCormick, who is currently playing soccer in Norway, recently signed with Adelaide United for the upcoming season.

[billy the kid]

And this isn't the end. If only we knew how many WNPL and W-League (current, former or future) players have made enquiries to AFC you'd be very very surprised. Wake up FFA and FFSA and AUFC.

[nathanburns15]

Rajcic wouldn't make the current team and McCormick is doing both..what is the issue?

[Lucas Leiva]

And this isn't the end. If only we knew how many WNPL and W-League (current, former or future) players have made enquiries to AFC you'd be very very surprised. Wake up FFA and FFSA and AUFC.

Wake up?

The FFA have a higher minimum salary base for the W-League than the AFL have for AFL-W.

If women want to play a particular sport, they will play it.

[Dandylion]

That is not true!

[billy the kid]

What's not true? That FFA have a higher base pay for W League? Or are you probably saying that AUFC is not going to abide bye the FFA and PFA ruling and pay a minimum of $10 k per player?

[BAGGIO 15]

I has been in the press that the minimum wage for W League is $10k and $8.5K for AFLW

Is this information incorrect?

[Leppskiii]

I think from what I have heard for players contracted it's 10k and for rookie listed contracted players (who can only play if promoted from the rookie list due to injury) is 8.5k. Do w-league team's now have rookie listed athletes or just contracted athletes who are all able to gain match time? Things have changed since my w-league days.

[billy the kid]

The devil is always in the detail. I somehow don't think Griffo and co at AUFC (W league) will be forking out $10k per player when the majority last season were pocketing the princely sum of $60 per game. There will no doubt be some finer details in the agreement that AUFC will try and work around to keep the costs DOWN!

[Brian the Postman]

The devil is always in the detail. I somehow don't think Griffo and co at AUFC (W league) will be forking out $10k per player when the majority last season were pocketing the princely sum of $60 per game. There will no doubt be some finer details in the agreement that AUFC will try and work around to keep the costs DOWN!

Given Adelaide Uniteds prime focus is their A League side, why would you think the owners should run the w league side at a loss?

[billy the kid]

Brian…interesting comment and as always it comes down to “why should AUFC run the W-League squad at a loss when the A League is their primary focus. Therein Brian lays the root of the problem right across the league.

With the AFL leaving A-League in its wake (both in the on and off the field categories) I think the W-League sides are the least of their problems. If the standard at both A-League and Socceroos is any indication, the game in this country reached its apex a few years back and is now in decline.

If money and profit were to be the driving factor then there would be many sports that should not exist. Without generous support I don’t think AUFC (A-League) is a sustainable commodity or could continue to operate/exist.

[alwaysoffside]

I has been in the press that the minimum wage for W League is $10k and $8.5K for AFLW

Is this information incorrect?

The W-League will take a giant stride towards professionalism in its 10th season with $10,000 minimum playing contracts.
The new CBA and base wage means the average pay for a W-League player will be $15,500, rising to $17,400 next season.

The salary cap has been doubled to $300,000 to allow for added wages and to encourage sides to bring in international talent.

Matildas stars like Sam Kerr or Katrina Gorry are likely to earn six-figure amounts through local and overseas club deals and Matildas payments.

Scholarship players are exempt from the $10,000 minimum contracts, but in all, the nine clubs will increase payments from less than half a million dollars in 2016/17 to $1.62 million this season.

[juniorsupporter]

I feel the need to point something out that may be overlooked in all of the excitement over the new PFA deal. It's great that all contracted players are getting paid. However, the number of roster spots this year seems to have gone from 20, to 18 which obviously represents a 10% reduction in contracted W-League players.

A-League clubs get 25 roster spots.

Who knows whether the reduction in the number of W-League roster spots is a part of the PFA/FFA negotiations, or a cost-saving decision of the individual clubs, given that now they need to pay all contracted players, and money is always an issue.
It will be interesting to see how the W-League clubs get on with 18-player rosters.

[alwaysoffside]

I feel the need to point something out that may be overlooked in all of the excitement over the new PFA deal. It's great that all contracted players are getting paid. However, the number of roster spots this year seems to have gone from 20, to 18 which obviously represents a 10% reduction in contracted W-League players.

A-League clubs get 25 roster spots.

Who knows whether the reduction in the number of W-League roster spots is a part of the PFA/FFA negotiations, or a cost-saving decision of the individual clubs, given that now they need to pay all contracted players, and money is always an issue.
It will be interesting to see how the W-League clubs get on with 18-player rosters.

Smart management by the club.
14 game season for W league
27+ for A league
Great news for W league players and well deserved pay increase IMO

[billy the kid]

Is the AFL-W machine experiencing the expected hump and has the lack of any real talent that can play the game beyond paddock footy on Sunday's come to fruition? I think so.

Star players for Adelaide re Ruth and Jenna....Products of the real football

[alwaysoffside]

Is the AFL-W machine experiencing the expected hump and has the lack of any real talent that can play the game beyond paddock footy on Sunday's come to fruition? I think so.

Star players for Adelaide re Ruth and Jenna....Products of the real football

So are Quigly and co products of real football.
But still playing AFL-W
Both AFL-W and W league offering reasonable coin and players chasing.....,
the opportunity.

[billy the kid]

AFL-W is bludging off the statuses of those players cross code hopping and terming the comp thereafter as elite. This is wrong and that the elite categories of those player were derived from other sports.

WHEN AFL-W produces players that have developed their eliteness through that sport then I would support calling it an elite sport. A chicken born in a dog kennel doesn't make the chicken a dog.

Coin aside...I'd say go for it however, drop elite when describing the comp. It isn't.