GEORGIE PARKER: Collingwood’s AFLW brand fails to take flight like the men’s

I played three games for Collingwood, so before anyone accuses me of contributing to the problem, I’ll happily admit I didn’t exactly help build an AFLW dynasty.

But almost a decade after Collingwood became one of the foundation clubs of the AFLW, I keep coming back to one question: why doesn’t being Collingwood seem to mean anything in the women’s competition compared to the enormous weight it carries in the men’s?

I find it particularly interesting because when I was coming into the AFLW, even as a life long Crows supporter, I wanted to play for Collingwood. I wanted to wear the black and white. There was an aura attached to that jumper and that club unmatched by anyone else. Collingwood was proud, powerful and one of the most recognisable sporting brands in the country.

That should be one of Collingwood’s greatest advantages in AFLW. Yet almost a decade later, I’m not sure the club has capitalised on it.

In the men’s game, Collingwood is a destination club. Players understand the size of the club, the supporter base, the history and the opportunities that come with playing there. Success breeds interest, crowds and more players wanting to be part of it.

Why hasn’t the women’s program been able to create its own version of that?

Instead, Collingwood has lost some extraordinary AFLW talent. Jasmine Garner was a ‘Pie before becoming one of the competition’s most elite players and two time premiership player at North Melbourne. Chloe Molloy, arguably the most talented player in the league left for Sydney, and Jaimee Lambert, an unassuming midfield star moved to St Kilda.

To be fair, Collingwood has attracted elite talent. Brianna Davey is the obvious example and, when fit, belongs among the competition’s best. Injuries have repeatedly kept her off the park, and there is an element of plain bad luck in that.

Expansion deserves some blame too. As new teams entered the AFLW, foundation clubs were inevitably raided for experienced players. But how long can expansion remain the explanation? All clubs had to deal with that.

The AFLW has been an 18-team competition for several seasons now, yet we still haven’t regularly seen established stars looking at Collingwood and thinking: that’s where I want to play my football.

In fact, I wonder whether some now say no thanks. If your career is short and success is the goal, why wouldn’t you choose a program like North Melbourne, where players can see a proven pathway to premierships?

That is the interesting reversal. Collingwood’s men’s program has pulling power that a club such as North Melbourne simply can’t match. In AFLW, it’s the opposite. North has built the football reputation Collingwood should want: a program associated with development, success and winning.

Results become part of your recruiting pitch, and Collingwood’s haven’t helped.

Even the home-ground experience reflects that difference. Victoria Park has enormous history, but today it is a local suburban ground that is also used by the community as a dog park. I’ve played there. I take my dog there. And the ground and change-room facilities aren’t exactly an obvious selling point for an elite player weighing up where she wants to play. It could be close to the worst in the league.

That’s not the reason Collingwood isn’t winning, but add it to poor results and you start wondering: what exactly is the Collingwood AFLW program selling?

There are legitimate reasons for its current position. Injuries matter and Collingwood has invested heavily in young talent in recent drafts. Ash Centra arrived as the No.1 pick for example but nobody should expect teenagers to immediately turn a struggling team into a premiership contender.

But perhaps Collingwood also needs to face more pressure externally.

If the men’s team spent years struggling near the bottom while losing some of the competition’s best players, every part of the football department would be under enormous scrutiny from all angles. The women’s program shouldn’t escape serious questions simply because fewer people are watching.

That’s why the next few years should put Collingwood’s coaching and list management on notice. Can they develop this young talent? Can they retain it? And can they finally turn one of Australian sport’s biggest brands into an AFLW destination club?

Ash Centra doesn’t need to turn Collingwood into a powerhouse tomorrow. But in five years, Collingwood can’t afford for us to talk about her the way we now talk about Jasmine Garner: as another superstar who became one somewhere else.

I wanted to wear the black and white because being Collingwood meant something. For the AFLW program, it needs to start meaning something again.