Should Richmond reinstate its VFLW program? (SEN)

[one-eyed]

SHOULD RICHMOND REINSTATE ITS VFLW PROGRAM?

By Nic Negrepontis
SEN
26 November 2020

Richmond on Wednesday announced an operating profit of $217,727 for the last financial year, despite COVID-19 devastating the football industry.

This raised the eyebrow of Andy Maher, given the Tigers’ decision to scrap their standalone VFL Women’s program.

Richmond will be the only Victorian club without their own VFLW side in 2021. This includes both Hawthorn and Essendon, neither of whom have AFLW licenses.

Instead, the Tigers’ AFLW players will line-up for Port Melbourne, who took up the available license.

Teams like North Melbourne and Geelong made cuts to their women’s football programs in some capacity, but both are committed to the second-level competition.

“They had an operating profit of $217,000 plus this year Richmond. (Richmond should) reinstate their VFLW program,” Maher told SEN’s Bob and Andy.

“It would (cost) about $100,000 (to run) so they’d still have their nose in front. I don’t reckon they’re struggling for money at the moment the Tigers.

“It was a misstep, this. It was a misstep with their VFLW program.

“If you’re going to have an AFLW program and you’re going to commit to women’s footy, I think you go the whole nine yards, and they’ve got the money to do it. They should have a re-think on that one.”

Richmond had a poor entry to AFLW in 2020, going through the season winless before sacking inaugural coach Tom Hunter.

The Tigers have hired men’s assistant coach Ryan Ferguson to take over the role, overlooking AFLW premiership coach Bec Goddard and former North Melbourne coach Scott Gowans among others.

In a statement released in August, Richmond Head of Women’s Football Kate Sheahan said the decision to pull out of the VFLW competition was to ensure they can focus resources and energies on their AFLW program.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/11/25/should-richmond-reinstate-its-vflw-program/

[Andyy]

I trust the club knows what's to do and will probably reinstate the program when they think it feasible

[Knighter]

Maher is a halfwit!

If he actually did some research before opening his mouth he'd know $10 million of our revenue this year from was Job Keeper.  If and when that goes (already reduced) we have a massive exposure with our aligned leisure business.  We face having to shut it down until gyms and leisure centers can re-open for normal use.  No way we can afford a VFLW team at this point.   Once crowds are back and normal business resumes then we'll look at it.

[WilliamPowell]

While I do not agree with the Club's decision around the VFLW program

I think Andy Maher should dig a bit deeper and understand that there is indeed a cap around the AFLW program and any spend on the VFLW program I  believe is included in that cap

Worry about the Blues Andy and get your calf right so as their AFLW runner you don't pop it in the 2nd quarter of round 1 of the season

[pmac21]

I don't have an issue with them opting out and focusing on AFLW a bit more. 
When the time is right we can get back in. 

[Hard Roar Tiger]

I would do the opposite of what Andy Mahar says. Every day. Twice on Sundays

[one-eyed]

RICHMOND CEO BRENDON GALE BACKS CLUB CALL TO CUT VFLW PROGRAM

By Nic Negrepontis
SEN
7 December 2020

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale has defended the club’s decision not to field a team in the VFL Women’s competition in 2021.

Despite boasting the biggest membership numbers in Victoria and turning a profit of $217,727 in the COVID-affected 2020, the Tigers will be the only Victorian team not in the VFLW next year.

This includes Hawthorn and Essendon, who don’t yet have AFLW licenses, but will continue to field a team in the state-level competition.

Richmond players will instead suit up for Port Melbourne in the VFLW as part of an affiliate arrangement.

Gale said they made the call to prioritise the AFLW team in the wake of the COVID-19 soft cap cuts.

“I’m not entirely comfortable with it (not having a VFLW team), but when your footy club department has been cut 36 per cent, as we forewarned, it means clubs are going to move more towards elite parts of the department, rather than development,” Gale told SEN’s Bob and Andy.

“I guess we’ve made a decision that we’ll focus on AFLW.

“I think that’s the most important thing to focus on, to try and create the most elite environment that we can as we have with our men.

“We’ve got finite resources and you can’t do everything you want and that’s the decision we’ve made.”

Richmond’s AFLW team failed to win a game in the truncated 2020 season.

The club parted ways with inaugural coach Tom Hunter and handed the reins to development and backline coach Ryan Ferguson.

The 2021 AFLW season is scheduled to get underway on February 1st, with the VFLW running alongside it for the first time.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/12/07/richmond-ceo-brendon-gale-backs-club-call-to-cut-vflw-program/

[Francois Jackson]

Great move by the club. I feel they could have gone further and dumped aflw too so we can focus on what matters, another cup.

Leppa may still be around as well, along with the other employees

[WilliamPowell]

Great move by the club. I feel they could have gone further and dumped aflw too so we can focus on what matters, another cup.

Leppa may still be around as well, along with the other employees

Unless Leppa is a volunteer and working for free he is no longer at the Club

The new AFLW Coach is a former men's development coach, this allows him to remain at the club but (supposedly) nor working in any way shape or form with the AFL program.

that's supposed to be the rule about the soft cap cuts.

At least 2 and it may 3 other Clubs have done this, moved people out of their AFL programs into their AFLW programs to meet the soft cap cuts