Season seven of the AFLW League is set to kick off August 25th at 7:10pm with rival clubs; Carlton vs Collingwood battling it out at Ikon Park to start this season. This same lineup produced a ‘lock out’ crowd last time. A capacity crowd of 24, 568, at Ikon Park during the opening game of the Women’s League in 2017. Carlton won 46 to Collingwood 11.
During this first season of AFLW, eight teams that replicated the men’s league battled it out: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle Dockers, Greater Western Sydney (GWS), Melbourne Demons, and Western Bulldogs.
Since then there has been a planned expansion to the league, with this season now ‘completing the picture’ as all 18 men’s teams now have an affiliate women’s team in the AFLW competition.
Preliminary
Since the inception of AFL in Australia in the mid-19th century, there has been evidence of women’s involvement in the game. Scattered ‘exhibition’ games dot the history of the game throughout the 20th century. Black and white photos depicting skirt-clad women battling out the game we see today on our screens.
In 2010 the AFL commissioned a review of women’s AFL across the country. Following this report, it was decided to schedule the development of a professional league to kick off 2020.
In 2013 the AFL announced a women’s exhibition match and had the best of the best women’s AFL players at the time battle it out under the banners of Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs.
Whilst women’s competitions existed in scattered areas across the country, this was still a relatively small competition scale compared to the men’s league. A stellar crowd of 7,500 spectators watched Melbourne win at their VFL home ground of Casey Fields.
For the succeeding two years, the same exhibition matches were played out and a more robust Victorian Football League Women’s (VFLW) was established as more interest in the sport grew nationally. 2015 the match was broadcast free-to-air and attracted a viewing crowd of 175, 000 (more viewers than who had tuned in to watch the men’s match the previous day).
Season Launch
After the success of these exhibition matches and swelling support for the league, it was proposed to bring the launch of the season forward to 2017. The existing men’s clubs were invited to submit a proposal to undertake a license for the women’s competition.
Of the 18 men’s teams, 13 proposals were received, with 8 teams being granted licenses for the 2017 season. This scheduled expansion of the league was planned and led jointly by Gill McLaughlin as CEO of AFL and Nicole Livingstone as CEO of AFLW.
The inaugural league had re-designed jumpers and playing shorts for the women. Keeping many of the same elements of their male counterpart jumpers. Aligning the clubs alongside the men’s league, I think, has helped the league with; funding, support, crowd attendance, and development as the women are strengthened from the AFL league that holds over 100 years of history.
2017 saw Adelaide Crows coming out victors over Brisbane Lions in the final after a 7-round season alongside Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle Dockers, Greater Western Sydney (GWS), Melbourne Demons, and Western Bulldogs.
Expansion
In 2017 the scheduled expansion was set out to help keep quality and longevity in the league. 2019 saw Geelong, and North Melbourne join the league. The expansion of clubs and new roles meant lots of changes amongst key players in the early years and an influx of new skills and talent.
Gold Coast Suns alongside Richmond, St Kilda, and West Coast Eagles joined the competition in 2020 for the League’s shortest season due to COVID disruptions.
Finally this year in 2022 the picture is complete as all 18 men’s teams have a women’s team in the competition ready to run out from August 25th.
Game On
With the development of the league since 2017, it is inspiring to see statistics that state female football as the fastest growing sport in Victoria in 2017. It is inspiring to be able to show young girls in AusKick role models who they can become, and most recently with changes to the players' agreement, the shot at a real full-time wage for this professional position.
The development of the league is exciting and as new talent comes through I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
Tune into Season 7 Thursday at 7:10pm 25th of August.
Kelly Thompson is the newest member of the Sports journalist team. Kelly currently plays AFL for Casey Demons in the VFLW, and practices what she preaches as a HOPE (Health, Outdoor, and Physical Education) Teacher in Melbourne’s southeast.