West Coast AFLW Michael Prior has blasted the league’s fixturing, complaining that his struggling side had to play against reigning premiers Melbourne.
The Eagles, who have never won more than two games in a season since their introduction in 2020, are again anchored in the bottom four. Their one win in 2023 came against fellow battlers and recent expansion side Port Adelaide.
On Sunday, in 35-degree heat at home, the Eagles started well and only trailed narrowly at halftime but were eventually thumped by the Demons 11.16 (82) to 2.0 (12), for their fourth-worst loss in AFLW history.
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But the fact his Eagles had to play against Melbourne at all drew the ire of Prior in his post-match press conference.
With the matter clearly on his mind, Prior was asked about his general thoughts on the game, saying: “Tough result. I thought we started OK – our first half, our pressure was right up there.
“But at the end of the day, that’s the team that won the Grand Final last year against the team that finished last.
“18 teams in the comp and only 10 games, how we play that team is beyond me. That’s what you get when you get fixturing like that.”
Asked to expand on the complaint, he said: “It’s frustrating because I just think there’s 10 games, 18 teams, and the side that won it is playing the side that came last.
“I just don’t understand that part of it, and we need to look at it.”
The AFLW fixture is somewhat weighted with top teams playing each other more often, but not exclusively, and the same for lesser teams.
For example in 2023, reigning premiers Melbourne were drawn to play against Brisbane (1st in home and away season last year), Adelaide (3rd), Geelong (5th), Collingwood (6th), Western Bulldogs (7th), North Melbourne (8th), GWS (11th), Fremantle (12th), Hawthorn (15th) and West Coast (16th) – six finalists and four non-finalists.
In contrast, the Eagles were drawn to play against Melbourne (2nd), Adelaide (3rd), Western Bulldogs (7th), Gold Coast (9th), Essendon (10th), GWS (11th), Fremantle (12th), Carlton (14th), Port Adelaide (17th) and Sydney (18th) – three finalists and seven non-finalists.
Despite this draw disparity Melbourne is 6-1 and sits third on the ladder, while West Coast is 17th.
In the new CBA, it was agreed the season would continue to expand – 12 rounds in 2025, potentially 14 rounds in 2027 depending on certain metrics – but a full 17-game round robin appears a ways away.
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