‘Robbing Peter to Pay Paula’
A netnographic exploration of Facebook user responses to the amended 2022 Women’s Australian Football League Collective Bargaining Agreement
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24230321 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mackenzie R Glazbrook (0000-0001-6241-6982, Justice and Society, University of South Australia), J Cleland (0000-0001-8852-2257, UniSA Business, University of South Australia), Stephanie Webb (0000-0002-5960-5878, Justice and Society, University of South Australia), Sarven S McLinton (0000-0001-9125-3860, Justice and Society, University of South Australia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pages | 1803-1817 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Sport Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1461-0981 • E-ISSN: 1743-0445 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17430437.2026.2629396 |
| OpenAlex | W7130984671 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
As the popularity of women’s professional sporting leagues in Australia grows, so too does community discourse surrounding financial investment in women’s sport. In particular, the Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) has been subject to several Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) since its inception, outlining updates to the conditions of player contracts (e.g. salary). Implementing a netnographic approach, this study investigates attitudes toward the AFLW through Facebook user responses to news reports concerning the widely publicised 2022 CBA amendment. Our analysis revealed contradictory perspectives on investment in women’s football, emphasising the role of social media as a platform for both challenging and promoting stereotypical gender ideologies, which may act as an important reflection of broader societal attitudes toward women’s football and financial equity. The findings have important implications for relevant sport governing bodies regarding the importance of considering social media commentary in the promotion of women’s sport.
AFLW · collective agreements · Facebook comments · gender stereotypes · player contracts · social media discourse · sports governance · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Physical Education and Sports Studies · Sports, Gender, and Society
Thematic Analysis
Critical realism in case study research
They Came, They Liked, They Commented
Beyond Mars and Venus
This Isn’t Just About Us”
Gender Essentialism and U.S. Attitudes Towards the Media Coverage of Women’s Sport
It’s ‘Gut Feeling’ Mostly
Assessing online misogyny
Gender essentialism and benevolent sexism in anti‐trans rhetoric
You belong in the kitchen”
Men’s comments on elite women athletes
Clubhouses and locker rooms
Cinderella at the (foot)ball
Television commentary on women's and men's Australian Rules football
Brittney Griner, Intersectionality, and “Woke Politics”
Privileging Difference
Gender Equality and Economic Entanglements in Male-Dominated Sport Organizations
Gender Ideologies, Youth Sports, and the Production of Soft Essentialism
Gender Differences in the Implicit and Explicit Perceptions of Sport
Virtual football violence
A new league, new coverage? Comparing tweets and media coverage from the first season of AFLW
Who unlocked the kitchen
Pretty Disgusted Honestly
Social media and the politics of gender, race and identity
To hell with toxic masculinity
Alphas, Betas, and Incels
Assessing the sociology of sport
The Times They are A-Changin
Hegemonic Masculinity
Print Media Narratives of Bullying and Harassment at the Football Association
Sportswomen and Social Media
| Highly cited | No |
|---|