AFLW and the Australian Football Revolutions of 2017-19: A study in the contemporary war of sports

In the contemporary global war of spectator and participant sports the Australian Football League (AFL) pursued three ‘revolutions’, seeking to ensure the Australian game remains Australia’s most successful sport. A women’s national league, AFLW, in February 2017, addressed high profile spectator support and women’s participation as players. Despite some voices of discontent AFLW’s great success built on three decades of increased women’s participation in Australian Football, on and off the field. AFLX, a tentative 2018 and 2019 experiment in inventing an ‘instant sport’, with smaller teams, spaces and shorter matches, drew traditionalists’ opposition, as it sensibly addressed new overseas markets and new immigrant demographics. A 2019 tentative revolution changed AFL rules, challenging the ugly, defensive play characterising most top sports. The three revolutions might ensure Australian Football’s sporting primacy in 2058, during the bicentenary of the oldest codified form of football.