Making statements that fly in the face of overwhelming sentiment was once the specialty of angry climate change denialists.

Now it seems the AFL has adopted this approach, revealing its own climate denial regarding AFLW.

Boss McLachlan’s proposal to shorten the 2019 season was met with universal scorn, his subsequent comparison to the soccer World Cup only making matters worse by highlighting the gulf between administrator and fan.

Football bureaucrats can seemingly get away with saying anything because, ultimately, they know the footy gods will protect them.