GEORGIE PARKER: Collingwood-Carlton opening AFLW season makes sense but players deserve a fixture

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GEORGIE PARKER: Collingwood-Carlton opening AFLW season makes sense but players deserve a fixture

We are entering the tenth season of the AFLW, and I don’t know about you, but I will never forget that opening bounce.

I was living in Belgium at the time playing hockey abroad, and while on pre-season camp I sat my team down to watch these women play this sport I was always told I wasn’t allowed to play.

They didn’t understand the rules, or even understand the moment, but they could see the enormous crowd, and the energy that came through the TV even on the other side of the world was electric.

While this year’s full AFLW fixture is set to be released by the end of the month the opening match has been decided to again be Carlton and Collingwood at Ikon Park, in an homage to the first ever match 2017.

It will be the fourth time these two teams meet in the season opener — mostly with poor showings.

This has been met by disgruntled AFLW fans with anger that yet again two Victorian clubs have prime time coverage without any real performances to back them up.

Neither of these two sides have had the continued success of teams like Brisbane and Adelaide.

The AFLW is in a tough spot when it comes to how it fixtures its matches.

On one hand, the fact there is no full fixture yet for the 2025 season even though preseason has begun is insane and angers me, but on the other hand I also appreciate it’s much harder to keep AFLW fans happy than it is the AFL’s fans.

It’s a different fan base with completely different expectations.

Camera IconCarlton’s Bella Ayre hugs Tilly Lucas-Rodd during the 2017 season opener. Credit: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

While there are so many operational aspects of the AFLW that frustrate me such as the 2024 condensed fixture and the non-family friendly timings and locations of matches, being upset over Collingwood and Carlton opening the season for the 10th anniversary is not the hill to die on.

I understand there are different rivalries in the AFLW for different reasons.

It could be because of the sustained success of some clubs and grand final match ups, or because of the vast player movements in the early days which created internal rivalries, not as well known to the fans watching on.

The AFLW is unique and needs to be celebrated for that.

I understand we want to create our own AFLW history and own traditions, but playing off the biggest rivalry in the men’s game is smart, and replicating the opening match from 10 seasons ago is playing in to the romanticism of that moment.

A moment that is etched into every single one of our minds. Even if you don’t like the W game, you couldn’t escape it.

If you’re going to blow up about the fixture, blow up about the fact there isn’t one even though the season is less than 100 days away, not that the first ever match is going to be commemorated.

Choose your battle to win the war.

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