AFL Women's

AFL Women's. The elite national competition for women's Australian rules football, AFL Women's is administered by the Australian Football League. Launched in 2017, the league has rapidly expanded, achieving full integration with all 18 AFL clubs by the 2022 season. It has significantly elevated the profile of women's sport in Australia, drawing substantial media attention and fostering a new generation of professional athletes.

History

The establishment of a national women's league followed years of advocacy and the success of exhibition matches, notably the 2013 exhibition match between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. The AFL Commission officially announced the formation of the league in 2016, with eight founding clubs. The inaugural season in 2017 was a landmark event, with the first match between Carlton and Collingwood at Princes Park drawing a record crowd. Key figures in its development include former head of women's football Nicole Livingstone and pioneering players like Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips. The league's expansion was accelerated, with the Gold Coast Suns and Richmond joining in 2020, and the final four AFL clubs—Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, and the Sydney Swans—entering in the 2022 season.

Competition structure

The AFL Women's season has undergone several structural changes. Initially a seven-round home-and-away series followed by a finals series, it expanded to a ten-round season in 2022. The competition culminates in a finals series, traditionally featuring the top six teams, though this format is reviewed periodically. The premiership-deciding match is the AFL Women's Grand Final, held at venues such as Adelaide Oval and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The league uses a draft system, the AFL Women's draft, for player recruitment, alongside signing periods for uncontracted players. The competition is governed by a collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the AFL Players Association and the Australian Football League.

Clubs

All 18 clubs are aligned with their Australian Football League counterparts, sharing identities, home grounds, and major sponsors. The eight foundation clubs were Adelaide, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Melbourne, and the Western Bulldogs. They were joined by Geelong and the North Melbourne in 2019. Each club fields a senior list of players, with list sizes and salary caps managed under the league's regulations. Rivalries such as the Western Derby between Fremantle and the West Coast Eagles have been established within the competition.

Players and awards

The league has produced many standout athletes who have become household names. Erin Phillips of Adelaide is a multiple recipient of the league's highest individual honor, the best and fairest award, and a three-time premiership player. Other notable stars include Emma Kearney of the North Melbourne, Brianna Davey of Collingwood, and Chloe Dalton of Carlton. The major annual awards are the best and fairest (named the Dhampir Medal), the Leading Goalkicker Medal, and the Rising Star award. The All-Australian team is selected each season to recognize the competition's elite performers.

Media coverage and attendance

Broadcast rights are held by the Seven Network for free-to-air television and Fox Footy for pay television, with matches also streamed on the Kayo Sports platform. The inaugural match in 2017 attracted a television audience of over one million viewers on the Seven Network. Crowd numbers have been strong, with regular-season matches at venues like Princes Park and GMHBA Stadium often selling out. The 2022 Grand Final between Melbourne and Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground drew a crowd of over 42,000 spectators. Major corporate partners include Toyota, Coles, and the National Australia Bank.

Category:AFL Women's Category:Australian rules football competitions Category:Women's sports leagues in Australia