Disappointing way to end your WNBL career.

The WNBL and AFLW schedules were known.

She signed a four-year deal in late 2017, so I believe she had another year left on her contract. It looks like she isn't coming back next season although the statement doesn't address that.

I doubt she returns to WNBL.

Likely to focus on AFLW and NBL1

Really poor form.
Even if she has finally made her choice re. which sport she is serious about, this is a shitty way to finish up.

Very disappointing to not see the season out. I think this season though she's come to realise that football is a better bet for her. I don't think its necessarily all about the money either, I think her ceiling is perhaps higher in footy than hoops.

She just committed to the Tigers in NBL1 last week so the timing is odd. I would have thought if she was leaving WNBL then she would play AFLW / VFLW only.

Agree it is odd timing and not a great look. Her game hadn't progressed this season

She signed a contract and you released her at a time that does really suit? Boomers should have held firm as this AFLW issue is only going to get bigger and if players think they can simply walk away when it suits them it will become a bigger problem.

She knew about AFLW a fair way out but played to this point to keep getting cheque's, bloody poor form

Very bad form, just as finals are here, she's known all along the schedule, greedy to want both when you take up a spot another player could have had and then to leave a team who has supported her for the last three years

The second she moved to Richmond you could see this was on the cards, pity Boomers management didn’t see it and replace her at the start of the season

You cannot be a dual athlete when both sports clash in schedules , you don’t have to be Einstein to see that

"She wasn't hitting her potential, she was Australia's best pg prospect a few years ago. Now, far down the list.

No that was the boomers PR team promoting her, she’s never been a great PG for senior level , makes a much better football player , I have said that all along , good choice on her part, but not good way to do it , she won’t ever be put back into a WNBA contract now , but with the money and perks she gets from AWFL you can’t blame her

Well there will be smaller crowds watching her at the footy, than WNBL.

Wonder what her boomers team mates think of her leaving the team at a critical stage of the season with an injury cloud still hanging over Lindsay Alllen?

Well they make the men choose one sport , so why not the women, from what I was told the pressure to choose came from both sides , and Conti chose Football because she prefers it and it will take her further financially


Wasn't missed in tonight’s game that’s for sure , they thumped the Lynx

And listening to the part owner plus Ezi and Garrick, the focus was on "team strength" in every interview, so I’d say they were not impressed with her choosing pre season Footy over WNBL finals

Conti was awesome in the u17 worlds, which i foĺlowed closely. I would rather see her picked up by a US college or WNBL or pro leagues in Asia/Europe than go to the AFLW. Such a high likelihood of sustaining a major injury playing footy.

Boomers have underachieved under Molloy. With all the stars that he has had over the years and come up short.
He has NO personal skills. You only have to watch the broadcast to see that.
After the Flames game in Sydney, Davidson came out crying cause he paid out on her in front of all the team mates.

What a dick!!!!!!

I think too many of us overlook the fact that Conti is young and that her impressions of the game - whether she enjoys playing, whether she feels valued - can be adjusted.

The AFL are past masters when it comes to attracting talent from other codes.

BA/WNBL needs to "get into the game" and put together a crisis team consisting of quality advisers, with negotiators having the flexibility to put together a package (which may involve moving clubs) that can appeal to Conti.

You do this NOT because Conti is the next big thing in women's basketball; rather in recognition of the fact that AFLW represents a new, major threat to our talent pool, and that the BA/WNBL needs to develop a playbook.

AFLW are coming for all the good talent/athletes so Conti won't be the last.

Until the AFLW is at a level that it requires more than just being a good athlete to play this will continue to happen.

Reality - Agree as to the enduring threat AFLW represents

But there is a fatalistic tone in comments I have read in recent years involving other players (and in this thread), implying there is little BA/WNBL can do to counteract AFL/AFLW.

But there is plenty to work with here. The higher injury profile of AFLW, the lack of opportunities for state/national representation, the lack of opportunities overseas - these are all pluses we should be emphasising.

As regards to Conti - surely there are other WNBL clubs who need quality guards (Sydney flames comes to mind). The problem with the Vic based talent is that they can be excessively reluctant to move out of the Melb bubble.

The part that annoys me, is that the AWFL purports to be the culmination of a groundswell in girls playing footy. And yes, it has really taken off.

But then why the need to go around poaching all the elite talent from other sports?

It's disappointing that sports which have been actively promoting female participation for more than half a century are being gutted to feed the AWFL beast.

It's a pity for basketball but the AFLW would be negligent if it didn't go around trying to poach elite talent from other sports so I can't hate them for that. Particularly players like Conti, who IMO are probably better suited to AFLW than basketball. In a relatively short time playing the sport she already looks like a natural out there.
And while the career path and dollars are a lot better in basketball for the best of the best, there are a lot more roster spots in AFLW than WNBL and the minimum salary is also higher, which makes it a safer bet for someone weighing up careers in both sports if they're not looking like being elite at basketball.

Boomers have underachieved under Molloy. With all the stars that he has had over the years and come up short.
He has NO personal skills. You only have to watch the broadcast to see that.
After the Flames game in Sydney, Davidson came out crying cause he paid out on her in front of all the team mates.

What a dick!!!!!!

He was shown to be very poor after making it to head coach level in the NBL with the Taipans.

Fast forward nearly two decades and he keeps getting employed/renewed over and over again despite multiple chokes. Add to that a national team gig with NZ now. SERIOUSLY WTF? Is the women's coaching pool that shallow?

You would think he would at least try and cover up the poor results with a good demeanor. You aren't Popovich.

"but the AFLW would be negligent if it didn't go around trying to poach elite talent from other sports so I can't hate them for that."

Except its hypocritical, bad for their own sport, and simply them being deliberately predatory.

There are now more and more young women playing footy. The WAFL now has a womans comp, and I imagine most states are similar. So there's plenty of people to call upon, including women who have been playing footy since Auskick.

Instead, they are targeting elite athletes from other sports, including those with barely a passing acquaintance with footy.
In doing so, they are denying opportunities to those who chose footy as their sport years ago.

Plus, if their male experiments are anything to go by, most of these transitions ultimately fail.

Put simply, they're not doing it because it's good for the AWFL, they're doing it to deliberately hurt and diminish the other sports.

Put simply, they're not doing it because it's good for the AWFL

Ridiculous statement. A good number of the better AFLW players are former basketballers, so signing them has already paid off purely in terms of football success. That approach immediately lifted the standard of the AFLW competition. By definition that is good for the AFLW.

Plus, if their male experiments are anything to go by, most of these transitions ultimately fail.

Terrible comparison! Elite women's basketball has been established in Australia for decades, whereas the AFLW is brand new. Therefore all other sports - basketball, netball, and whatever else - represent a huge pool of existing athletic talent that previously never had the option of AFL. Plenty are now taking up the option now that it is available, and fair enough too. Why should AFLW not approach athletes of other sports? It'd be stupid, and as I said before, negligent, not to. It would be like SEM Phoenix starting up in the NBL and saying "By the way we refuse to sign anyone who has already played for any other professional basketball team"

Since the dawn of time there have been gifted athletes out there capable of playing more than one sport at a high level. If someone is good enough to swap over then good luck to them.
I'm still pretty sceptical about the whole economics of the AFLW, but while the money is there I don't begrudge anyone who wants to get a piece, and why should anyone tell an athlete which sport they should choose.

In doing so, they are denying opportunities to those who chose footy as their sport years ago.

Bizarre perspective. Firstly, the ALFW is still expanding rapidly so there are opportunities galore. Secondly and more to the point, if you've been playing AFL all your life and some basketballer blow-in comes across and takes up a roster spot ahead of you then bad luck. That's competition and you aren't good enough. It's no different to Hugh Greenwood "denying an opportunity" to someone who played nothing but AFL all their life.

Yeah but honestly Hugh Greenwood sucks as a footballer.

Haha, well he's played 50+ games so far including being selected in a grand final team, so as much as he might suck he is still better than plenty who have been playing exclusively AFL all their lives, which is the extent of my point. If he was nothing but a gimmick recruit he wouldn't still be in the league.

Monique Conti was the MVP of the 2018 grand final and an All-Australian in 2019 so she's even less of a gimmick. It's laughable to suggest she is unfairly denying a spot to someone else.

''Red84
A few hours ago

Reality - Agree as to the enduring threat AFLW represents

But there is a fatalistic tone in comments I have read in recent years involving other players (and in this thread), implying there is little BA/WNBL can do to counteract AFL/AFLW.

But there is plenty to work with here. The higher injury profile of AFLW, the lack of opportunities for state/national representation, the lack of opportunities overseas - these are all pluses we should be emphasising.

As regards to Conti - surely there are other WNBL clubs who need quality guards (Sydney flames comes to mind). The problem with the Vic based talent is that they can be excessively reluctant to move out of the Melb bubble.''


Until WNBL can match the wages and extras being thrown at some of these AFLW players, they will continue to choose football over basketball, these women dont get paid enough as it is to make a living that can sustain them for an entire year, unlike the men.

But this situation with Conti and the Boomers, Boomers did accommodate her , Richmond wanted her for preseason games which clashed with finals, those preseason games dont count, finals do.
As one of the owners said , they had been in discussions for weeks over this, in the end the clubs left it up to Conti to choose, she chose football.

bad timing for sure, but add up what she gets from WNBL and what she has gotten from AFLW, she barely gets on court in WNBL, AFLW shes a starter, she gets sponsorships, a car and more money from AFLW, she has also had several
awards AFL Women's Grand Final best-on-ground: 2018.
AFL Women's All-Australian team: 2019.
Western Bulldogs best and fairest: 2019.
AFL Women's Rising Star nominee: 2018.

she is a far better football player than she will ever be a basketball player at senior level. If she moved to any other WNBL club she would come up against the exact same conflict of schedule, what WNBL team is going to take on a player who they know will let them down when it counts because football has the biggest pull

As for the deterrent of injuries, injuries can be had playing both sports.

Anon564 Well considered remarks. Thanks for taking time to compile your post, which i found most informative.
You wrote-

"she is a far better football player than she will ever be a basketball player at senior level. If she moved to any other WNBL club she would come up against the exact same conflict of schedule, what WNBL team is going to take on a player who they know will let them down when it counts because football has the biggest pull"
I get it - Conti finds herself on the bench at the Boomers and has great potential in AFLW. Pretty clear choice - with choice shaped by the AFLW and by the Boomers (as you helpfully outlined).
My point is different. The Boomers have a contract and their negotiating position will be constrained by that contract. For Conti, the presence of the contract means AFLW is an viable get out. Whereas goung to another club is not allowed. Faced with losing a talented junior to the game i argue it is time for BA/WNBL to step up.
For 3 reasons:
First, BA has invested so much coaching resources into Conti, and she has been preferred to other kids in selections over the years. BA would be squandering its investment if it allows prized junior assets to leave the sport.
Second, IMO if any player has reached NPP level BA needs to monitor their progress up until they turn 21yo in recognition of the fact that talented juniors can find the transition to pro ball difficult. Youngsters can get put off by poor relationships with coaches, or key team mates, 20 year olds are not known to be mentally resilient. Give her a year or two, and get her out of Boomers, i bet we will have a much better situation. Having any talented junior sign a 5 year deal that ties them to a single pro club risks losing them to the sport.
Third, involvement of BA/WNBL can greatly improve the quality of opportunities that can be presented to Conti. She might still go - but at least BA/WNBL can eliminate much uncertainty and at least offer her a fresh start elsewhere.

Now i anticipate many readers will reject my points, and some may follow a sink or swim approach. In normal times i stand with them. But the emergence of AFLW and their poaching of basketball talent represents a significant threat to the junior development program, and BA needs to get off its arse to meet this threat.

Anon 651 All the best aflw players seem to have a basketball background.

I have an anecdote to support. There is a girl, now U18, (not my daughter...) a solidly built guard who usually made div 1 reps but no further. She was a solid player, not a particularly good shooter, decision making had a fair bit of hero ball about it.
But she did one thing really well - loose ball gets. Absolute tiger - happy to throw her weight around and think about the consequences later. Goes to play regional AFL, having never played before. In her first season, she records several best on ground performances, and is considered one of the guns of her team. Her physicality and conditioning (fostered by basketball) were considered assets. But it was her hands - her capacity to jump and take marks; to paddle the ball in a controlled way - that was considered her best asset. It is hard to get that package of skills in other sports - apart from the few numbers that play rugby. Certainly not in netball.

Now i anticipate many readers will reject my points, and some may follow a sink or swim approach. In normal times i stand with them. But the emergence of AFLW and their poaching of basketball talent represents a significant threat to the junior development program, and BA needs to get off its arse to meet this threat.

the biggest thing when girls become women is financial independence, when they are juniors playing at an elite level their parents still pay for everything, once they get to uni age, are driving themselves and want their independence, along with that comes the need to be able to pay your bills, even if they still stay at home for a number of years, most of these players are on either the basic minimum which is less than $15,000( which has only just come in the last three years and only last year it jumped to double didgets) or a max of $60 for those who are starting, the rest are somewhere in between. Tell me what man could survive paying their bills, like rent and health and insurance , utilities food etc for a year on that wage, because these WNBL clubs expect their players to be front and center 5 days a week and play weekends. The season runs from Aug/September to Feb/March, thats 8 months of the year.

AFLW are throwing big money at many players for a season that runs less than 4 months át the moment'' add in NBL1 which WILL accommodate players because of the different schedules that dont clash, and players can literally double their money AND still play two sports, and if they want get a job or go to uni.

So until WNBL starts actually paying more than just their imports and a couple of big names, enough to live on without relying on mum and dad, this WILL continue to happen with the younger players.

I know a good young player who was asked by several clubs to play for them this WNBL season, on the minimum wage scale, guaranteed some court time, but not a starter, she lives away from home and wants her independence, also going to uni. The training didn't allow her to finish uni and have a job and train, the pay didn't allow her to live independently, so she instead chose to finish uni, continue working and play NBL1 this season, shes just one of many.

I think he was including pre/post-season, which is still a sizeable commitment.

"BA needs to get off its arse to meet this threat"

How though? Without a thriving WNBL, there will be a ceiling to what basketball can offer female athletes.

Call me pessimistic, but I have no confidence in BA's ability to achieve the heights necessary to stave off other codes.

676, except how long will those salaries be viable for WNBL clubs, let alone further increases? I'd say it is a massive difference.

AFLW is at least propped up by the AFL.

"The season runs from October to February. That is 5 months not 8."

And they expect them training long before then, they don't simply turn up to the first game of the season and go “ok let’s play”