Luuuc
Years ago
"Olympic basketballer Erin Phillips has agreed to become Port Adelaide's first female AFL player should the Power be granted entry into the new national women's league."
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/opal-and-wnba-player-erin-phillips-agrees-to-become-port-adelaides-first-female-player-20151216-glpafp.html
ChairmanOfTheBored
Years ago
Erin was a gun footy player as a junior. They'd have been stupid not to ask! Might never have gone to basketball if there was a professional pathway in women's football when she was growing up.
That's what I heard, she only took up basketball because after primary school girls couldn't play footy.
I still remember her in primary school running around with all the boys and out playing most of them too.
.
Years ago
Fact - elite footballers daughters regularly make excellent basketballers
"My first and foremost priority is the Opals, and to make it to the Olympics in 2016," she said.
paul
Years ago
After next year she'll turn 32, so a perfect time for her to give footy a shot. A pretty big lure to be a part of the first women's national league.
Wonder if the money is any good? Opals have been helped by no other viable professional women's sports to take talent away from them.
Men's compete with soccer,rugby,AFL among others which dilutes the talent pool
cat
Years ago
what the???
"Opals have been helped by no other viable professional women's sports to take talent away from them."
ever heard of a little sport called netball???
Netball til very recently wasn't full time professional and really only the core few still are professional.
Very Old
Years ago
membership of the Opals does not automatically deliver a player a full time professionals contract either.
I think there are a lot more junior netball players than junior women basketball players in OZ.
At least one opal was a convert from tennis, and wasn't Tracey Beatty (née Braithwaite) a convert from dancing - her family wanted her to be a ballerina until she grew a bit too tall for that role ?
i wonder what salary the girls would be on when playing in the wafl.
Netballers have tiny rosters in comparison and sell out crowds, tv deals with descent viewing numbers and get paid Very little.
What are the salaries like in the w-league and wnbl?
LV
Years ago
Elite female athletes are thin on the ground.
Look at Elyse Perry for example
She can probably play both footy and basketball- it wouldn't be a full time thing like the AFL.
paul
Years ago
"Netballers have tiny rosters in comparison and sell out crowds, tv deals with descent viewing numbers and get paid Very little."
The ANZ Championship doesn't generate much revenue (TV coverage is thanks to a sponsor) so hence the players don't get big $$.
You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.
Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.
An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 4:49 pm, Tue 7 Jan 2025 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754
