The statement followed comments made by the AFL\u2019s Steve Hocking that the league was \u201call ears\u201d about suggestions to change the name of the men\u2019s comp to AFLM<\/a>.<\/p>\n BICKS: \u201cThat hits it on the head right there.\u201d<\/p>\n ROWEY: \u201cNot for me it doesn\u2019t. I think there is no doubt whatsoever the powers that be and the boss Nicole Livingstone, she already even on our show refers to our AFL completion as the AFL men\u2019s competition, so there is a want and will and a desire.\u201d<\/p>\n BICKS: \u201cStop. Let me just read that out: \u2018There are no plans to change the name of the AFL competition\u2019 -Gil McLachlan. Pretty conclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n ROWEY: \u201cYeah that\u2019s ok, he can say that. I\u2019m saying in my eyes, from what I hear, the vocabulary from the AFLW, the teams, the coaches, the players, Nicole Livingstone on our show, always refer to it as the AFL men\u2019s. It hasn\u2019t just popped from nowhere and appeared\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cNo immediate plans, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n BICKS: \u201cNo, no, no — stop. It\u2019s not \u2018no immediate plans\u2019 it\u2019s \u2018no plans\u2019 is what he said.\u201d<\/p>\n ROWEY: \u201cI still think that\u2019s open ended and, if you know the AFL, to me that is open ended.\u201d<\/p>\n BICKS: \u201cThat is the most unambiguous statement you can make: there are no plans.\u201d<\/p>\n ROWEY: \u201cDo you trust them?\u201d<\/p>\n BICKS: \u201cSo now we\u2019re saying that Gil\u2019s a liar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026<\/p>\n ROWEY: \u201cNo I\u2019m not saying that at all. I look at the history of the AFL and they\u2019ve said no to a lot of things and it\u2019s happened. I\u2019m not saying I don\u2019t trust him or he\u2019s a liar or anything like that, so don\u2019t go putting words in my mouth. That\u2019s being ridiculous and you always go down that path.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n We had a great first round to season four of the AFL Women\u2019s competition. AFLW has built its own powerful identity in the community & we will continue to promote its message & celebrate the league & women\u2019s football. There are no plans to change the name of the AFL competition.<\/p>— AFL House (@AFL_House) February 11, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>