Mortlake Gift 2023

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091511990518

Event Details:
https://www.val.org.au/Seasoncalendar/AlbieThomas(NSW).aspx

https://visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/events/mortlake-gift/

News:
https://www.standard.net.au/story/8309837/small-community-gets-behind-inaugural-gift-event/

Entry list has been posted on the VAL website, handicaps are live next week.

https://www.val.org.au/Handicaps.aspx

good to see the season commencing ahead shortly.
However are we going to ignore the fact that there is massive issue going on here regarding prize money/entries.

Mortlake
48 entries for mens gift
23 entries for womens gift
More then double the entries but same prize money
Cobden
22 entries for womens 120
51 entries for mens 120
Same prize money

This will lead to less entries from the men in future.

NotAprotectedspecies wrote:good to see the season commencing ahead shortly.
However are we going to ignore the fact that there is massive issue going on here regarding prize money/entries.

Mortlake
48 entries for mens gift
23 entries for womens gift
More then double the entries but same prize money
Cobden
22 entries for womens 120
51 entries for mens 120
Same prize money

This will lead to less entries from the men in future.

Why would it lead to less entries from men?
I'm sure most men understand equal prize money will help with increasing female participation.

Fantastic job by the Val being so organised and getting documentation and rules, starting marks made public out so early in the season. Kudos to the VAL, big tick.
However Pandora’s box will continue unless some logical common sense system is allocated when equal Prizemoney is given when male entries are 2-3 times more. Sponsors are not getting the same product for the same Prizemoney distribution between the two gifts. Spare a thought for those who has no doubt spent countless hours getting these inaugural two meets up and running with decent Prizemoney and now the league has to work out, do the men have to run heat, semi, final to win the same Prizemoney compared to the women who likely will only run heat and final. The same Prizemoney is on offer yet the same work output to make a final or win is the not the same. Welcome to equality in 2023.

Who Dares Wins wrote:

NotAprotectedspecies wrote:good to see the season commencing ahead shortly.
However are we going to ignore the fact that there is massive issue going on here regarding prize money/entries.

Mortlake
48 entries for mens gift
23 entries for womens gift
More then double the entries but same prize money
Cobden
22 entries for womens 120
51 entries for mens 120
Same prize money

This will lead to less entries from the men in future.

Why would it lead to less entries from men?
I'm sure most men understand equal prize money will help with increasing female participation.

Will they?
I don’t think they will.
Go to Keilor gift.
6 semis 6 man final semi winner only.
Womens gift
2 Semis
2 winners 4x

So the bloke who runs 2nd runs quicker then the semi before or after and doesn’t go through.
Sure we will just piss off more men or we can have men identifying as women and then just dominating the women division.
Is that what you would like?

Have either of you considered it's in the VAL's best interest to increase female participation? Ironically it's in your best interest too.

Female participation in sport is lower and the participation drop-off with increasing age is significantly higher, which means there is a substantial market of potential VAL competitors.

What comes with more athletes signing up and competing in the VAL? Revenue that can be used to create bigger events, access better facilities, increase marketing, and subsequently broaden the appeal to larger sponsors.

So you know what? Pay the girls. Hell, let's pay them more!

Absolutely agree promoting and increasing female participation should be the number 1 priority for the VAL. However It’s easy to say throw more money as the solution when the money from sponsors isn’t yours. Perhaps ask the major sponsors how they really feel? The Victorian Athletic League isn’t the AFL/NBA/BBL or World Grand Slam Tennis who can dip into their millions of profits generated by the men’s game to support the female sports and keep it running, often running women’s sports at an operating loss. Now in reality business do not survive long term when operating at a loss, which is what the AFLW and WNBA are currently doing, but are currently being kept afloat by the profits the Men’s league generates.

Strategies around retention of athletes should be prioritised especially in women’s events and increasingly woke politics regarding gender and equality I dare say will result in the opposite effect long term, athletes will leave the sport.

Would anyone have the prizemoney breakdown for Cobden and Mortlake? I know it wasn't in the program but did it exist anywhere or is this only a question VAL can answer?