after the whistle

After The Whistle – Week Six

This week, the Brisbane Lightning head to the west coast to face Perth Inferno at home.

Inferno walked away with 5 out of 6 points from the weekend, winning 6-1 in regulation time on Saturday and 2-1 on Sunday in ShootOut.

 

Players on Fire

Names like Elizabeth Scala, Sara Sammons and Michelle Clark-Crumpton are becoming familiar this season. This weekend was no exception to why they stand out. Scala secured three goals and three assists, Sammons with three goals and four assists, and Michelle Clark-Crumpton with one goal and three assists across the weekend.

 

My favourites…the keepers

To those who know me, it is no surprise that some of my favourite players are the goalkeepers, and this weekend’s performance reinforces why I support them.

Inferno started Sasha King in both games, and she is undoubtedly one of the country’s best. Leading the league in save percentage (.924), her agility and ability to move and track the puck is exciting to watch.

Lightning started Katie Meyer on Saturday. She faced 50 shots, is one of the youngest across the league, and stands on her head for her team. Imogen Perry started on Sunday facing 36 shots and another goalie on the rise to greatness.

 

Raising some questions….

Sunday was challenging as a viewer of the stream. Again.

Each week, numerous issues raise the first question – why?

Up until 4mins left in the first period, we had silence. So, what took so long to realise something was wrong and fix it? It’s also not the first time there have been issues. Other weeks, commentators drop out, can’t connect, and get glitchy and patchy. In the shootout on Sunday’s game, we missed the visual on the first shot. What were they doing?

More often than not, the clock on the screen doesn’t match the clock in the background at the rink, and some weeks, the teams were wrong. On Sunday there’s one commentator and no replays. Are replays and a colour commentator not basic elements of a sporting Livestream?

Looking at this as a platform to help grow the awareness of the league and a place that could attract sponsorships, it is disappointing to see it not be executed at the highest level for the players of the AWIHL.

One Fan took to YouTube saying, “Can’t get sponsors because there isn’t a decent stream… can’t have a decent stream because there’s no sponsors to pay for it, vicious cycle.” Gone are the days when a stream’s audience was players’ friends and family.

The AWIHL is such an essential pathway for the young women of Australia to strive for. With the launch of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), many of them have the chance to shoot higher than before. If we don’t step up and create a sustainable league and environment for these players, how long can it last for them?

The final question I want to ask is, why is this product being accepted as good enough?