Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon has hit out at the AFL for their decision to tell AFLW coaches they should strongly consider playing a higher scoring brand of football.
The calls reportedly came from the AFL on the back of Friday night's season opener between Carlton and Collingwood, after neither side managed to kick a goal after half-time.
Lyon has slammed the League's call, suggesting they should be supporting the AFLW competition, and not try to manufacture performances.
“Is this an exhibition game or, as we have been told repeatedly since AFLW came in, will we treat these women and this sport with the respect it deserves,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“They're professional athletes, they're competitors, they want to win and they're dedicating themselves to the process.
“Coaches are then required to coach in a certain manner.
“If you want an attractive and high scoring game, legislate and take it out of the hands of the coaches.
“Coaches are going to be competitive.
“I agree it was ugly and that is a concern, but legislate.
“Don’t, after one round, go to the coaches and say hang on a minute, make it attractive.
“That isn’t their obligation.”
In making a call to the coaches, Lyon believes the AFL has prioritised the importance of scoring over winning games, which doesn't fit in line with the current competitiveness of the league and their players.
“You can’t come out and say you want a competitive game and a professional league, we have Daisy Pearce telling us how much it means to her, and you got girls sacrificing so much,” Lyonsaid.
“Then you say, hey hey hey, don’t worry about winning, just make it look good.”
While high-scoring football is always attractive to spectators, Lyon understands almost everyone involved with clubs in the competition would prefer winning games, which would certainly be the main focus for teams at the business of the season.
“Ten minutes into the last quarter of the Grand Final, what is the priority of the coaches?” Lyon added.
“I can put one or two behind the footy and we win the premiership, or, well no, we want it open and attractive, therefore I won’t.
“Fremantle were playing the Western Bulldogs on the weekend.
“The Dogs have kicked three or four goals, and rightfully so, Ben Dixon says Freo need to put one behind the ball.
“He was saying the coach wasn’t doing her job because she wasn’t putting players behind the ball.
“Where does it start and where does it end?”