AFL Women's
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 AFL Women's season
SportAustralian rules football
Founded15 September 2016
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Inaugural season2017
CEONicole Livingstone
No. of teams18
CountryAustralia
HeadquartersMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Most recent
champion(s)		Brisbane (2nd premiership)
Most titlesAdelaide (3 premierships)
TV partner(s)Seven Network
Fox Footy
Streaming partner(s)7plus (Australia)
Kayo Sports (Australia)
WatchAFL (Overseas)
Sponsor(s)NAB
Related
competitions		AFL
AFLW Under 18 Championships
QAFL Women's
SANFL Women's
VFL Women's
WAFL Women's
Official websitewomens.afl

AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 14 teams in 2020 and 18 teams in 2022. The league is run by the Australian Football League (AFL) and is contested by each of the clubs from that competition. The reigning premiers are Brisbane.

The AFLW is the most attended women's football competition in Australia and one of the most popular women's football competitions in the world. Its average attendance in 2019 of 6,262 a game made it the second-highest of any domestic women's football competition. Its record attendance of 53,034 for the 2019 AFL Women's Grand Final was until 2020 the highest match attendance for women's sport in Australia.

The AFLW has attracted an audience of more than 1 million attendees[1] and 2 million viewers[2] and has managed to maintain high interest despite moving to primarily ticketed and subscription broadcasting models. In addition to the most attended, it consistently ranks in the top three (alongside cricket and netball) most watched women's sporting competitions in Australia.[3] In addition, the league receives international interest, particularly in Ireland where it has begun to attract a significant television audience due to the ongoing recruitment of Irish stars.[4] However, it was reported in mid 2023 that data reveal a significant drop in attendances for the seventh season of the women's league compared to the first season. [5]

History

Establishment

In 2010, the AFL commissioned in report into the state of women's football around the country.[6] Along with findings concerning grassroots and junior football, the report recommended the AFL Commission begin working toward the establishment of a national women's league. While the option of new stand-alone clubs was considered, a model using the resources and branding of existing AFL clubs was to be the preferred model for the planned league.[7]

The first on-field step towards the competition took place in 2013, when the AFL announced an exhibition match to be played between women's teams representing Melbourne and Western Bulldogs in June that year. The historic match had a crowd of 7,518 and was won by Melbourne by 35 points.[8]

On 15 May 2013, the first women's draft was held, establishing the playing lists for the two clubs in the forthcoming exhibition match.[9] The match played on 29 June 2013 marked the first time two women's sides had competed under the banners of AFL clubs. The exhibition series was repeated with one game between the clubs in 2014 and two in 2015, the last of which, played on 16 August 2015, was the first women's AFL game to be broadcast on free-to-air television. It attracted an average audience of 175,000, which outweighed the 114,000 average audience for the AFL men's clash between Adelaide and Essendon of the previous day.[10]

The success of these exhibition matches prompted the AFL to accelerate its plans for a nationwide women's competition, announcing a preferred start date of 2017.[11] Prior to this, the league had announced only aspirational plans to have the women's competition established by 2020.[12] The already-planned 2016 exhibition series was expanded at this time, with a total of ten matches to be played in venues across the country and featuring a range of new temporary representative teams.[13]

In 2016, the AFL opened a process for existing clubs to tender applications to join the new competition. The 18 clubs in the men's AFL had until 29 April 2016 to place a bid for a licence, with 13 clubs making bids: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast, and Western Bulldogs.[14] The AFL's preferred distribution of clubs was four clubs from Victoria and one each from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.[15]

The inaugural teams were announced on 8 June 2016. As the only teams to bid in their respective states, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Greater Western Sydney were granted licences to compete in 2017.[16] Both Western Australian clubs made bids, with Fremantle's bid chosen ahead of West Coast's. Eight Victorian clubs made bids: Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Carlton and Collingwood were successful, with Geelong, North Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda unsuccessful. All five unsuccessful bidders were granted provisional licences.[17]

Details about the branding of the league were released in the second half of 2016. The AFL announced that the league would be named "AFL Women's" or AFLW for short, on 15 September 2016, with the logo being unveiled on 19 September 2016.[18][19] The logo is a stylised rendition of an Australian rules football ground goal square and goal posts, drawn from a perspective that shows a "W".[19] On 10 October 2016, the National Australia Bank was named as the league's naming rights sponsor.[20]

Carlton and Collingwood players are contesting the first ball-up in the inaugural AFL Women's match in February 2017. The match was played before a lockout crowd of 24,568 – the highest attendance of the inaugural season.

The first premiership game was played on Friday, 3 February 2017[21] at Ikon Park. The AFL had initially planned to host the game at Melbourne's Olympic Park Oval, with a capacity of just 7,000, but was forced to change the venue to Ikon Park due to overwhelming interest and a lack of adequate seating.[22] The match was deemed a "lockout" with a capacity crowd of 24,568 in attendance, with a few thousand estimated to have been waiting outside.[23] As a result, Gillon McLachlan, the AFL's CEO, personally apologised to those who missed out. The game was also a great success on TV, attracting a national audience of 896,000, including 593,000 metropolitan free-to-air viewers, 180,000 regional free-to-air viewers, and 123,000 on Fox Footy.[24] The Melbourne metropolitan audience of 424,000 was on par with that of Friday-night AFL men's matches.[24]

The inaugural season concluded with the Grand Final held on Saturday, 25 March 2017. The Adelaide Crows were crowned the league's first premiers after defeating minor premiers, the Brisbane Lions. The scoreline read Adelaide 4.11 (35) def. Brisbane 4.5 (29).[25]

Expansion (2019–present)

Expansion of the competition occurred in two installments, with two clubs added in 2019 and four in 2020, to result in 14 teams in total. The 10 AFL clubs not originally participating in the competition were invited to bid for inclusion, with priority given to the five clubs that unsuccessfully bid to participate in the inaugural season.[26] The deadline to lodge submissions was 16 June 2017. The only clubs not to bid were Port Adelaide and Sydney.[27] North Melbourne worked with AFL Tasmania to craft its bid, with the club aiming to play home matches in Melbourne, Hobart, and Launceston, and also select half of its playing list from Tasmania.[28][29] A final decision on which clubs are admitted to the competition was expected by the end of July 2017, but was delayed several times to September 2017.[27][30][31]

On 27 September 2017, the AFL announced that Geelong and North Melbourne had been selected to enter the competition in 2019.[32] North Melbourne retained its commitment to playing matches in Tasmania.[33] The league then expanded an additional four teams in 2020, with the AFL selecting Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast to join the competition.[32][33] The growth in clubs was accompanied by the introduction of American-style conferences for the 2019 season, further details of which can be found in the season structure section of this article. The conferences were abandoned in favour of the traditional single ladder ahead of the 2021 season.[34] The 2020 season was curtailed and eventually cancelled without a premiership awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[35]

On 12 August 2021, the other four clubs without an AFLW license, Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, and Sydney, were granted entry into the competition to commence in AFL Women's season seven.[36]

Expansion of AFL Women's
Club Entry in 2017 Entry in 2019/20 Entry in 2022 (S7)
Placed
bid		 Granted
entry		 Placed
bid		 Granted entry Placed
bid		 Granted
entry
2019 2020
AdelaideYesYes—
BrisbaneYesYes—
CarltonYesYes—
CollingwoodYesYes—
EssendonNo—YesNoNoYesYes
FremantleYesYes—
GeelongYesNoYesYes—
Gold CoastNo—YesNoYes—
Greater Western SydneyYesYes—
HawthornNo—YesNoNoYesYes
MelbourneYesYes—
North MelbourneYesNoYesYes—
Port AdelaideNo—No——YesYes
RichmondYesNoYesNoYes—
St KildaYesNoYesNoYes—
SydneyNo—No——YesYes
West CoastYesNoYesNoYes—
Western BulldogsYesYes—

Clubs

The competition's 18 teams are based across five states of Australia. Ten are based in Victoria (nine in the Melbourne metropolitan area), and New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia have two teams each, while a team from Tasmania will enter the AFLW at a date to be confirmed. [37] The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are the only states or territories not to have AFLW teams.

Current clubs

Club Colours Moniker State Home venue 2022 (S7)
members[38]		 Exhibition
games		 Est. Seasons Premierships
First Total Total Most recent
Adelaide CrowsSouth AustraliaNorwood Oval6,706—20162017+832022 (S6)
Brisbane LionsQueenslandSpringfield Central Stadium2,323201620162017+822023
Carlton BluesVictoriaPrinces Park3,882—20162017+80—
Collingwood MagpiesVictoriaVictoria Park5,621—20162017+80—
Essendon BombersVictoriaWindy Hill4,245—20222022 (S7)20—
Fremantle DockersWestern AustraliaFremantle Oval2,552201620162017+80—
Geelong CatsVictoriaKardinia Park5,938—2018201960—
Gold Coast SunsQueenslandCarrara Stadium1,19420162019202050—
Greater Western Sydney
GiantsNew South WalesVarious[lower-alpha 1]2,984201620162017+80—
Hawthorn HawksVictoriaFrankston Park5,427—20222022 (S7)20—
Melbourne DemonsVictoriaCasey Fields3,36220132013*2017+812022 (S7)
North Melbourne KangaroosVictoria & Tasmania^Arden Street Oval3,349—2018201960—
Port Adelaide
PowerSouth AustraliaAlberton Oval4,782—20222022 (S7)20—
Richmond TigersVictoriaPunt Road Oval[lower-alpha 2]2,662—2019202050—
St Kilda SaintsVictoriaMoorabbin Oval5,114—2019202050—
Sydney SwansNew South WalesHenson Park7,757201620222022 (S7)20—
West Coast EaglesWestern AustraliaLathlain Park3,53820162019202050—
Western Bulldogs BulldogsVictoriaWhitten Oval4,13220132013*2017+812018
^ denotes that the club has a formalised partnership with this state or territory
* denotes that the club had a foundation women's team
+ denotes that the club was a founding member of the AFLW

Notes

  1. ↑ Hosting home games at Blacktown ISP Oval, Henson Park and Manuka Oval during the 2023 season[39]
  2. ↑ Hosting home games at Princes Park during the 2023 season while Punt Road Oval undergoes redevelopment[39]

Future clubs

Club Colours Moniker State Home venue Joining
league
Unnamed Tasmanian club TBCTBCTasmaniaMacquarie Point StadiumTBC

Venues

Below are the venues that will host matches during the 2023 season.[39]

Venue Matches Location Capacity Host club(s)
Alberton Oval5Adelaide, South Australia11,000Port Adelaide (5)
Arden Street Oval3Melbourne, Victoria4,000North Melbourne (3)
Bellerive Oval1Hobart, Tasmania19,500North Melbourne (1)
Blacktown ISP Oval2Sydney, New South Wales10,000Greater Western Sydney (2)
Carrara Stadium4Gold Coast, Queensland22,500Gold Coast (4)
Casey Fields3Melbourne, Victoria9,000Melbourne (3)
Cazalys Stadium1Cairns, Queensland15,000Hawthorn (1)
Eureka Stadium1Ballarat, Victoria11,000Western Bulldogs (1)
Frankston Park4Melbourne, Victoria5,000Hawthorn (4)
Fremantle Oval5Perth, Western Australia10,000Fremantle (5)
Great Barrier Reef Arena1Mackay, Queensland10,000Gold Coast (1)
Henson Park4Sydney, New South Wales30,000Greater Western Sydney (1), Sydney (3)
Kardinia Park5Geelong, Victoria23,000Geelong (5)
Lathlain Park5Perth, Western Australia6,500West Coast (5)
Manuka Oval2Canberra, Australian Capital Territory16,000Greater Western Sydney (2)
Moorabbin Oval5Melbourne, Victoria8,000St Kilda (5)
North Sydney Oval2Sydney, New South Wales10,000Sydney (2)
Norwood Oval3Adelaide, South Australia10,000Adelaide (3)
Olympic Park Oval1Melbourne, Victoria3,500Collingwood (1)
Princes Park12Melbourne, Victoria12,000Carlton (5), Melbourne (2), Richmond (5)
Reid Oval1Warrnambool, Victoria5,000Essendon (1)
Springfield Central Stadium5Brisbane, Queensland8,000Brisbane (5)
Unley Oval2Adelaide, South Australia10,000Adelaide (2)
Victoria Park4Melbourne, Victoria10,000Collingwood (4)
Whitten Oval4Melbourne, Victoria10,000Western Bulldogs (4)
Windy Hill4Melbourne, Victoria10,000Essendon (4)
York Park1Launceston, Tasmania19,000North Melbourne (1)

Players

Melbourne's Elise O'Dea evaded Hannah Scott of the Western Bulldogs in Round 3, 2017.

The club's playing lists were constructed from scratch through the later stages of 2016. All participants in the 2017 season were required to be over the age of 17.

Initially, clubs were asked to nominate a list of desired players, with the AFL assigning two of these "marquee" players to each club. In addition, clubs were able to sign a number of players with existing connections to the club, or with arrangements for club-sponsored work or study.[40][41][42] This number varied for each club, in an attempt to equitably spread talent across the teams. In addition, clubs were required to recruit two "rookies" – people with no Australian rules football experience in the previous three-year period. The majority of players were later recruited through the 2016 AFL Women's draft.[43] The remaining list spots were filled with free-agent signings in the week following the draft. In total, clubs have 27 active listed players in addition to injury replacements signed to take the spot of long-term injury-affected players.

Salary

The current collective bargaining agreement, in place until the end of the 2022 season, has total player payments per club of $576,240 in 2020 and $717,122 in 2022.[44]

Players are split into four tiers as follows:

Tier[44][45] 2020 2021 2022 2023
1 $29,856 $32,077 $37,155 $71,935
2 $23,059 $24,775 $28,697 $55,559
3 $19,661 $21,124 $24,468 $47,372
4 $16,623 $17,473 $20,239 $39,184

Rules

The rules are mostly the same as those used in the AFL, with a few exceptions:

  • The use of a slightly smaller ball, in line with other women's competitions.
  • Quarters last 17 minutes (15 prior to 2023) instead of 20, with time-on only in the last two minutes.
  • Teams have 16 players on the field at a time instead of 18, and have five interchange players and 60 player rotations (unlimited prior to 2023) instead of four interchange players with one substitute and 75 total rotations.[46]
  • Throw-ins are executed 10 metres in from the boundary line, except within the 50-metre arcs, instead of on the boundary line.
  • A "last touch" out-of-bounds rule applies, except within the 50-metre arcs: during 2018, this "last touch" rule applied everywhere.[47]

Season structure

Pre-season

Prior to the commencement of the home-and-away season teams are paired off to play an exhibition trial match. In 2017, these matches took place during varying weeks of January.

Premiership season and finals

For the first two seasons of competition, the home-and-away season was operated on a single table, and seven matches were played by each of the eight teams. The two highest-placed teams at the conclusion of the home-and-away season qualified for the Grand Final match, in the absence of a longer finals series.

With the addition of two extra teams in 2019, the AFL Women's home-and-away season introduced conferences, a concept not common in Australian sports.[48][49] The top-two teams from the respective conferences qualified to the preliminary finals, with the first-ranked team in Conference A meeting the second-ranked team in Conference B and the opposite employed for the other preliminary final. The winners of those matches then met in the Grand Final.[49]

The use of conferences was retained in 2020, along with the inclusion of four additional teams. The 14 teams were split into two conferences of seven, with teams playing each other team in their conference once. The top-four teams in each conference qualified for the finals series. The first round of the finals consisted of four knockout finals, with teams from opposite conferences playing against each other, first in Conference A versus fourth in Conference B, and so on. This left a final four of North Melbourne, Fremantle, Carlton, and Melbourne, with two rounds of finals to be played. At this point, the season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no 2020 premier.

In 2021, the league reverted to a single 14-team ladder. Each team played 9 matches, with the top six qualifying for a three-week finals series. All finals are knockouts, with the top-two teams having a bye in the first round of the finals.[34] Since 2022 (S7) the competition has been contested by 18 teams, and the finals series has expanded to eight teams and is played under the AFL final eight system that has been in use in the men's competition since the 2000 season.

On the 21st of August 2023, the incoming chief executive of the AFL Andrew Dillon announced that the AFLW will receive equal prize money to the AFL. The prize money for AFLW players will almost double, going from $623,922 to $1.1 million to split between the top 8 teams. [50]

Awards

These major individual awards and accolades are presented each season:[51]

  • Best and Fairest Trophy – to the fairest and best player in the league, voted by the umpires
  • Leading Goalkicker Award – to the player who kicks the most goals during the home-and-away season
  • All-Australian Team – a squad of 21 players deemed the best in their positions, voted by an AFL-appointed committee
  • Rising Star Award – to the fairest and best young player under the age of 21 as at the start of the calendar year, voted by the AFL-appointed All-Australian committee
  • Grand Final Best on Ground Award – the best player on the ground in the Grand Final, voted by a committee of media members

Media coverage

Television

In its inaugural 2017 season, all matches were televised live by affiliate partners the Seven Network and Fox Footy.[52] As part of the initial broadcast deal, the free-to-air carrier Seven broadcast one Saturday-night game per week as standard, in addition to the league's opening match and Grand Final. Pay TV network Fox Footy televised all premiership season matches, including simulcasts of the Seven-hosted matches other than the Grand Final.[53] The two television networks covered the costs of broadcasting these matches, with no licensing fee payable to the league in exchange.[54] Fearless: The Inside Story of the AFLW debuted on Disney+ in 2022, the docu-series followed several AFLW clubs through the course of the 2022 season.[55] In July 2023 The Age reported that AFLW viewer numbers were down 70% from the debut season, blaming a combination of scheduling, poor quality venues and broadcast quality, and "football fatigue".[56]

Online

The official internet/mobile broadcast partner of the AFL is BigPond, part of Telstra. The company hosts the league website and those of each of the eight participation clubs. The AFL has retained digital broadcast rights to matches in the league's inaugural season and will stream all matches live and free on the league website and mobile app.[54] Since 2021 Kayo Sports has streamed all AFLW matches live and on demand in Australia.[57] Outside Australia, the inaugural season is available on Watch AFL.[58]

Corporate relations

Sponsorships

The National Australia Bank is the league's inaugural and (as of 2022) current naming-rights partner.[59] All playing and training equipment, as well as all licensed apparel and hats for the league's clubs, are manufactured by Cotton On.[60] Other 2017 league sponsors included Wolf Blass, Chemist Warehouse, and Kellogg's.[61][62][63] The official ball supplier is Sherrin.[64]

Merchandising

Official match-day attire, together with other club merchandise, is sold through the AFL's stores and website, as well through the clubs and some retailers.

Women's exhibition games (2013–2016)

Prior to the creation of the league, the AFL ran four years of exhibition matches between sides representing Melbourne and Western Bulldogs. In 2016, the series was expanded to multiple teams from around the country.

2013 exhibition game
Sunday, 30 June Melbourne 8.5 (53) def. Western Bulldogs 3.3 (21) MCG (crowd: 7,500) Match report


2014 exhibition game
Sunday, 29 June Western Bulldogs 4.2 (26) def. by Melbourne 10.12 (72) Etihad Stadium (crowd: 24,953 (D/H)) Match report


2015 exhibition series
Sunday, 24 May Melbourne 4.13 (37) def. Western Bulldogs 4.5 (29) MCG (crowd: 29,381 (D/H)) Match report
Sunday, 16 August Western Bulldogs 5.6 (36) def. by Melbourne 6.4 (40) Etihad Stadium (crowd: 27,805 (D/H)) Match report


2016 exhibition series
Sunday, 2 March Melbourne 3.3 (21) def. by Western Bulldogs 6.5 (41) Highgate Recreational Reserve Match report
Saturday, 2 April SANFL Blue 5.4 (34) def. SANFL Red 5.2 (32) Adelaide Oval (crowd: 51,585 (D/H)) Match report
Saturday, 9 April Sydney 9.8 (62) def. Greater Western Sydney 5.3 (33) SCG (crowd: 37,045 (D/H)) Match report
Saturday, 9 April West Coast 13.10 (88) def. Fremantle 3.5 (23) Domain Stadium (crowd: 40,555 (D/H)) Match report
Sunday, 10 April Northern Territory 13.11 (89) def. Tasmania 7.11 (53) Peanut Reserve Match report
Saturday, 16 April Brisbane 5.8 (38) def. Gold Coast 3.6 (24) Gabba (crowd: 20,041 (D/H)) Match report
Sunday, 22 May Melbourne 14.7 (91) def. Brisbane 3.2 (20) MCG (crowd: 26,892 (D/H)) Match report
Sunday, 5 June Western Bulldogs 8.5 (53) def. Western Australia 5.10 (40) Etihad Stadium (crowd: 28,769 (D/H)) Match report
Sunday, 5 June South Australia 4.3 (27) def. NSW/ACT 3.7 (25) Adelaide Oval (crowd: 40,896 (D/H)) Match report
Saturday, 3 September Western Bulldogs 14.6 (90) def. Melbourne 7.9 (51) Whitten Oval (crowd: 6,365) Match report
  • Selected matches aired live on either on the Seven Network or Fox Footy, as part of their AFL coverage.
  • This series saw the introduction of a women's Sydney Derby, Western Derby, and QClash: these would take place again in 2022 and 2019 in the AFLW.
  • The SANFL Blue v SANFL Red match was originally meant to be a women's Showdown, but Port Adelaide's women's team went into recess at the end of their 2016 season. After plans for an Adelaide v Rest of South Australia match fell through, Adelaide, Port Adelaide and the AFL mutually agreed to arrange this fixture, which also served as a selection trial for the inaugural Adelaide AFLW squad: the first women's Showdown would take place in 2022.
  • Only the 3 September clash between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, which was played in the week's break before the 2016 AFL finals series, was contested for the Hampson-Hardeman Cup. The match was televised on Channel 7, attracting a peak of 1.05 million viewers nationally, with 387,000 viewers in Melbourne; it was the highest-rated match broadcast in Melbourne during the 2016 home and away season.[66]

Premiers and awards

Premiers

Club Seasons in
competition		 Premierships Runners up Premiership
seasons		 Runner-up
seasons
Adelaide 2017–present 3 1 2017, 2019, 2022 (S6) 2021
Brisbane 2017–present 2 3 2021, 2023 2017, 2018, 2022 (S7)
Western Bulldogs 2017–present 1 0 2018
Melbourne 2017–present 1 1 2022 (S7) 2022 (S6)
Carlton 2017–present 0 1 2019
North Melbourne 2019–present 0 1 2023
Collingwood 2017–present 0 0
Fremantle 2017–present 0 0
Greater Western

Sydney

 2017–present 0 0
Geelong 2019–present 0 0
Richmond 2020–present 0 0
St Kilda 2020–present 0 0
Gold Coast 2020–present 0 0
West Coast 2020–present 0 0
Essendon 2022 (S7)–present 0 0
Hawthorn 2022 (S7)–present 0 0
Port Adelaide 2022 (S7)–present 0 0
Sydney Swans 2022 (S7)–present 0 0

AFLW best and fairest

The best and fairest award determined in the same way as the Brownlow Medal for men, with umpires awarding three, two, and one votes to the best three players in each game, and suspended players are ineligible.

Season Player Club
2017 Erin Phillips Adelaide
2018 Emma Kearney Western Bulldogs
2019 Erin Phillips[67] Adelaide
2020 Madison Prespakis[68] Carlton
2021 Brianna Davey Collingwood
Kiara Bowers[69] Fremantle
2022 (S6) Emily Bates Brisbane
2022 (S7) Ally Anderson[70] Brisbane
2023 Monique Conti[71] Richmond

AFL Players' Association Most Valuable Player

The MVP award is voted on by the players' peers, in a similar method to the Leigh Matthews Trophy for men.

Season Player Club
2017 Erin Phillips Adelaide
2018 Courtney Gum GWS Giants
2019 Erin Phillips Adelaide
2020 Jasmine Garner North Melbourne
2021 Brianna Davey Collingwood
2022 (S6) Emily Bates Brisbane
2022 (S7) Monique Conti Richmond
2023 Jasmine Garner North Melbourne

AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player

Each week, the senior coach of each club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best.

Season Player Club
2017 Not awarded
2018 Chelsea Randall Adelaide
Emma Kearney Western Bulldogs
2019 Erin Phillips Adelaide
2020 Jasmine Garner North Melbourne
2021 Kiara Bowers Fremantle
2022 (S6) Emily Bates Brisbane
2022 (S7) Jasmine Garner North Melbourne
2023 Jasmine Garner North Melbourne

Leading goalkicker

Season Player Club Goals
2017 Darcy Vescio Carlton 14
2018 Brooke Lochland Western Bulldogs 12
2019 Stevie-Lee Thompson Adelaide 13
2020 Caitlin Greiser St Kilda 10
2021 Darcy Vescio (2) Carlton 16
2022 (S6) Ashleigh Woodland Adelaide 19
2022 (S7) Jesse Wardlaw Brisbane 22
2023 Kate Hore Melbourne 20
Eden Zanker Melbourne

See also

References

  1. ↑ AFLW passes the million mark as crowds keep growing
  2. ↑ Over 2.6 million Australians watch AFLW on TV from Roy Morgan 29 March 2021 Finding No. 8674
  3. ↑ Fox Sports research shows women’s sport gaining popularity in Australia
  4. ↑ The Cora effect: What's behind the explosion of Irish AFLW interest?by Gemma Bastiani 4 May 2023
  5. ↑ "AFLW attendance and ratings numbers don't tell full story". ABC Radio Melbourne. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Review could lead to AFL women's league". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Cheryl Critchley; Michael Warner (22 March 2010). "Sam Newman weighs into debate on female footy". Herald Sun. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "Daisy 'ready to go again' – AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Twomey, Callum (16 May 2013). "Pearce the first pick in AFL's inaugural women's draft". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Ward, Roy (17 August 2015). "More watched women's footy on TV than Bombers' demise". The Age. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  11. ↑ Gorr, Libbi; Goswell, Gus (18 February 2016). "AFL promises 2017 women's competition as eager starters call for more details". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  12. ↑ O'Halloran, Kate (29 June 2013). "Women kicking on in all fields". The Age. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "AFL announces 10-match national women's exhibition series to be played in 2016". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "AFL women's teams announced – AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  15. ↑ Matthews, Bruce (29 April 2016). "Decision time as 13 clubs want women's team". Australian Football League.
  16. ↑ Women's league bidding heating up, with teams scrambling for licenses
  17. ↑ Matthews, Bruce (15 June 2016). "Eight teams named for inaugural women's league". Australian Football League. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "AFL announces name for inaugural women's competition". Australian Football League. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  19. 1 2 "Logo revealed for new AFL Women's competition". Australian Football League. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  20. ↑ Gaskin, Lee (10 October 2016). "NAB signs on as AFL Women's League naming-rights sponsor". Australian Football League. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "First Friday in February". AFLW audio collection. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  22. ↑ "Pies-Blues AFLW opener moved to Ikon Park – AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  23. ↑ "Maiden AFL Women's match thrills packed house in Melbourne". ABC News. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  24. 1 2 "TV ratings bonanza for AFLW opener – AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  25. ↑ O'Halloran, Kate (25 March 2017). "AFLW grand final: Adelaide Crows beat Brisbane Lions – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  26. ↑ Phelan, Jennifer (9 May 2017). "AFL Women's set for expansion in 2019". Australian Football League.
  27. 1 2 "Eight clubs submit bids for AFLW in 2019". afl.com.au. Australian Football League. 16 June 2017.
  28. ↑ McGowan, Marc (16 June 2017). "Roos and Tasmania combine for AFLW bid". afl.com.au. Australian Football League.
  29. ↑ "North's AFLW proposal". nmfc.com.au. North Melbourne Football Club. 16 June 2017.
  30. ↑ "Can you believe it? Less than 48 hours until AFLW makes its next little piece of history! Get set for new teams in 2019!!!". Instagram. Australian Football League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  31. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (29 August 2017). "Decision on AFLW expansion delayed". Australian Football League.
  32. 1 2 "North and Geelong win AFLW expansion race". Australian Football League. 27 September 2017.
  33. 1 2 "AFLW: Tasmania-North Melbourne and Geelong win licenses to field teams in 2019". ABC News. 27 September 2017.
  34. 1 2 "AFLW 2021 season: Conferences out, $10 tickets, start date revealed". womens.afl. 10 December 2020.
  35. ↑ Canil, Jourdan (22 March 2020). "No premiership in 2020: AFLW season ends immediately". womens.afl. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  36. ↑ Black, Sarah (12 August 2021). "'Changing forever and for the better': Final four clubs complete AFLW". womens.afl. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  37. ↑ North Melbourne currently have a formalised partnership with Tasmania, which enables the club to draft players from and play home games there.
  38. ↑ "AFLW Club Membership breaks all-time record". womens.afl. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  39. 1 2 3 Black, Sarah (17 July 2023). "AFLW fixture: Match-ups revealed, GF venues locked in". womens.afl. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  40. ↑ Bruce Matthews (21 March 2016). "Women to kick-off 2017 with two-month season". Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  41. ↑ Grant Baker; Eliza Sewell (15 June 2016). "AFL National Women's League: Marquee system aims to spread the talent across eight licensed clubs". Herald Sun. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  42. ↑ Matthews, Bruce (20 August 2016). "Meg Hutchins joins Pies under new women's priority pick rules". Australian Football League. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  43. ↑ "Women's draft nominations open". Melbourne Football Club. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  44. 1 2 "Landslide yes vote ensures 2020 AFLW season will go ahead". AFL Women's. 28 October 2019.
  45. ↑ LOCKED IN: AFLW set for August start
  46. ↑ New Rules for 2019, AFL, 7 November 2018
  47. ↑ AFLW Insight: New season, new rules, AFL, 6 February 2019
  48. ↑ "AFLW introduces US-style conferences but teams still won't play every other team". ABC News. 7 September 2018.
  49. 1 2 "AFLW 2019: How the conference system works". AFL.com.au. 7 September 2018.
  50. ↑ "Equal prizemoney for AFL and AFLW competitions". afl.com.au. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  51. ↑ Guthrie, Ben (1 February 2017). "AFLW awards revealed ... but titles on hold". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  52. ↑ Australian Associated Press (9 December 2016). "Every AFL Women's game to be televised as 2017 fixtures are released". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  53. ↑ Wright, Patrick (9 December 2016). "AFL women's competition: Fixture released, all games to be broadcast on TV". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  54. 1 2 Schmook, Nathan (8 December 2016). "First AFLW Grand Final to be held during round one". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  55. ↑ Davis, Jason (27 August 2022). "New Disney+ series Fearless gives viewers an inside look at the lives of AFLW players". Sunrise. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  56. ↑ Vinall, Marnie (10 July 2023). "'The broadcast was almost unwatchable': The insiders' view on why Australia switched off AFLW". The Age. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  57. ↑ Kayo Sports AFLW
  58. ↑ "Aussie Rules TV Schedules for 2017 for USA, Canada, and Mexico". www.afana.com. Australian Football Association of North America. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  59. ↑ Gaskin, Lee (10 October 2016). "NAB signs on as AFL Women's League naming-rights sponsor". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  60. ↑ Navaratnam, Dinny (10 November 2016). "New uniforms unveiled for AFL Women's comp". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  61. ↑ Connolly, Eoin (11 January 2017). "Wednesday's Daily Deal Round-Up: Boxing and much more". SportsPro. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  62. ↑ "Wolf Blass to sponsor AFL Women's League". Mumbrella. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  63. ↑ Faloyin, Dipo (31 January 2017). "Kellogg's to sponsor inaugural AFL Women's League". SportsPro. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  64. ↑ "Home". sherrin.com.au.
  65. ↑ First bounce for women's footy at the MCG
  66. ↑ Di Giorgio, Giulio (4 September 2016). "Women's All-Stars game a ratings smash". Australian Football League. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  67. ↑ Erin Phillips wins AFLW best and fairest for second time after Adelaide Crows premiership win, ABC, 2 April 2019
  68. ↑ Indigenous player Madison Prespakis named AFLW's best player, NITV, 29 April 2020
  69. ↑ https://womens.afl/news/71748/history-makers-magpies-co-captain-dockers-superstar-share-aflw-b-f , Womens.afl, 25 April 2021
  70. ↑ Lions star Ally Anderson crowned AFLW best and fairest in comp’s most insane count yet, 23 November 2022
  71. ↑ Vinall, Marnie (27 November 2023). "Cross-code superstar Conti wins the AFLW's biggest award; Garner 'officially invisible'". The Age. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
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