It has the makings of a great tv show; two sports, one star…Ellyse Perry in "The Choice".  In reality (pardon the pun) it is not that simple and in the last couple of days it has got a lot more interesting.

In an interview with ABC Radio on Tuesday morning, Canberra United CEO Heather Reid stated that "…we have basically given Ellyse an ultimatum.  It's based on the fact that from Jitka's [Klimkova] point of view, Ellyse needs to choose whether she wants to be a full time Canberra United player… or if she still wants to try and mix her cricket commitments with football, then perhaps she will need to find another club."

As you can expect, reaction to this has been varied but to anyone who follows the W-League closely, it wasn't too much of a shock. 

The move was foreshadowed ahead of the Season Four semi final when Perry ruled herself out as the match clashed with the Australian women's Twenty20 cricket fixture against New Zealand.  At that time Klimkova said that she believed "the time has come for Perry to focus on one sport." 

As soon as the audio/article hit, the Twittersphere erupted with "Ellyse Perry" trending on the social media site as number 5 in Australia.  There was a mix of dismay, venom and even some kudos to Canberra.   

In relation to this "ultimatum" I think there are three viewpoints, and subsequent questions, to consider:

1.  The Players: Should a female sportswoman have to choice between two sports she is equally adept at?  My gut reaction to this "heck no" for the very simple reason that most women's sport do not pay enough for a play to subsist on one wage alone. 

The dual sportsman was a phenomenon men's sport contended with back in the 70s and 80s where some AFL (sorry to speak the name) players were equally talented cricketers.  However, as both sports moved into full professionalism, the "dual sportsman" became an extinct species. 

I could understand an ultimatum if the sport was maybe tennis, golf, basketball (the WNBA type) or even swimming. But let's face it, most women's sports are not fully professional and in many cases are a long way from being so.  If a sport could provide decent living wages then you could understand their viewpoint. 

2.  The Club: What should a club reasonably expect from its players? This is where the clash can occur.  On the way to going through the season undefeated, Canberra United captured the W-League 2011/12 Premiership and Championship.  This feat was achieved with roughly the same squad as in Season Three with one marked difference; Jitka Klimková. 

The UEFA Pro Licence holding Czech (one of a very small handful of women) markedly changed the outlook of the playing group. She implemented a high level of professionalism and the results were there for all to see.  All players in United squad improved and  the difference between them and other squads was the quality of their "mid level" players.  That improvement required commitment from the players. Commitment to more intensive training sessions, extra training sessions and more ball and skills work.  As the coach, she has the right to demand a level of commitment from her players and expect them to be met. 

3.  The Football Community (in particular women's football): Is it good for the game as a whole? Like it or not, undoubtedly Ellyse Perry gives women's football and cricket media attention it would not otherwise garner. She is young, very talented, articulate, down to earth and yes, stunning (sigh, some people have all the luck!).  She gives both sports an increased profile and her loss to football would be felt. 

Would her loss be deterimental to the game?  I think in the short term yes but in the long term no.  We have some good youngsters (that's another blog there) coming through the system. I think in time their narratives would fill the void.         

To be honest, at this stage, this is a non-issue.  Ellyse Perry is good enough for most W-League sides but I can understand all viewpoints.  I think Perry is a good defender in the W-League and her ability and skill makes her worthy of a position in most starting line ups. 

However, I also understand Canberra United wanting a full commitment from all their players.  It may be the case that other players in the Canberra squad are just as good as her in that full back position.

So why wade into it? Well because it is a question being whispered more and more and  I think the bigger dilemma will come in relation to the national team with those small young players quickly rising through the ranks. Subsitute "club" in question 2 above for "Matildas" then we have a real issue to consider.   

But for the moment, let's just say if she turned up at my team Perth Glory, I wouldn't say no!