The sporting ‘incongruity’ that’s left Tom Elliott puzzled

AFLW attendance across the first seven rounds of this season sits at just 2642, far below the 3500 average trigger the expansion to a 12-game season next year.

And Tom Elliott is puzzled by the low numbers.

“To me it seems incongruous that … more and more girls are playing footy and yet this is not translating … after seven seasons, not more people are watching it. In fact, fewer people are watching AFLW than used to be the case,” the 3AW Drive host said.

Press PLAY below to hear Tom’s view

Associate dean of higher education and sport at Holmesglen, Dr Sam Duncan, says “the Melbourne market is one of the most cluttered in the world”.

“Generally it goes to the strength of your product … fans want to watch the best,” he told Tom Elliott.

Press PLAY below to hear his theory on why some sports struggle to translate participation into viewership

Image: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images