A fair point Sadly but unlike the junior thrashings the U 23's players don't consistently play and their minutes are mixed for various reasons. Split rounds at ABA means different things for different clubs, That is some teams over the last fornight played 2 ABL games (sat/sun)on the weekend while the others just one game.
Some teams have U23's that make up the numbers at ABA where they get small minutes ABA wise and full minutes U23's. Other clubs have U23's who are high minute players ABA players and play less minutes at U23's. Some teams have more girls than they need and roster or time off players.
The real issue with women's/girls basketball is that junior level Div 1 has become a joke with some div 1 teams win less throughout summer or close enough and win less in winter. margins are getting bigger and its made a joke of both 'district' and 'competition'.

I will throw out there that YL at Div 2 level for both sexes is a failure compared to the old U20/21's. The notion of having your next best group at that age playing an uneven number of games against all teams because of a stupid North South pooling idea is ridiculous. What is more ridiculous is that there are better teams in Div 3 in the south pool compared to the Div 2 teams in the North pool. So much for pro/rel and a strong competitive Div 2 competition across ALL clubs

I think you will find yl and abl will give the same results,

Norwood has been proactive in recruiting (sorry developing) their junior women, and paired them with outstanding seniors and the standard of their division 1 has increased.

West has a young abl team with players keen to play whenever they can, pair them with quality seniors and the success comes too.

Southern and Sturt have the same structure youth base with key seniors to help the young ones along

I think you will find these 4 teams in the fat of finals in both abl and youth league

On the other side of the coin, woodville has quality juniors but no senior talent to strengthen the abl side will make finals in youth but woeful in abl

Centrals and eastern are just out of their depth ( no offense) but until a building process is in place the clubs will struggle. Eastern's abl recruiting has been terrible (Beatty excepted) not only will eastern's seniors not develop the juniors, but if not managed properly will isolate them from the senior competition

North is an average abl & youth league team, may push opposition but not near deep enough in their youth or talented enough with their seniors

Forestville is in a similar although better situation to North not enough junior talent however talented seniors will make for a better transition, the the hillcrest gang. No real success this year in youth league or abl

Lastly south have pinned all their hope and dreams on players that really contribute nothing to youth league, possibly the worst situation ( beside centrals and eastern) their seniors are not talented enough to get the over the line in abl and the juniors have all left leaving a hole in the youth league.

Last year with 21s/reserves it was difficult to predict who would be successful as strong juniors didn't mean strong abl or vice versa, however with youth league these lines are clearly drawn! The question has youth league failed women's basketball I believe no, I think it has enhanced and highlighted the shortfalls of the poorly run programs

024: That's a pretty good synopsis of things but in Woodville's women I think you overlooked coaches. lyn holland had 11 or 12 years doing the seniors and then delegated the role to karen winter who is clearly out of her depth as a coach at any level.

If the ABA girls had a quality coach who was continuing the development of the girls they might stand some sort of chance of keeping the group together, adding to it and providing their club with some sort of future.

As it stands now they will lose those who have a future and retain those who would only get a game at Woodville. Lyn has to take responsibility for a lot of the mess Woodville finds itself in along with the committee who have allowed it to happen.

The administration blocked Jenette from the senior women's role, voted down the Magic merger and supported lyn by rolling her senior role over for an eternity, all on the promise of the junior program. That junior girl's program is in disarray with only six teams and the flagships for the future teams at 12's and 14's consists of no div 1 U12's and an U14 team that's been struggling for a win for a year.Lyn has done to the juniors what she did to the seniors.

It will take five to ten years to rebuild the junior girls program and it's a pity that who ever they get to resurrect the senior women's group will have their job made so much harder by the self serving inaction that's been the hallmark of Woodville for too long.

Anon 101 any suggestion as to who should be coaching the warriorettes?

anon 101 absolutely spot on.