This year’s AFLW players will have 1.1 million reasons to smile with confirmation the code will receive equal prizemoney to the AFL for the first time.
The announcement, made by new AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, is a $500,000 boost on last season’s reward for players.
Dillon confirmed the $1.1 million will be split between the AFLW’s top eight teams for the upcoming season.
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AFL competition prizemoney in 2022 was $1.1 million, split between the top four teams, and will remain the same in 2023.
There has never been an AFLW grand final played without either Adelaide or Brisbane involved, but both sides are relishing their new-found underdog status as reigning premiers Melbourne enter this season as raging flag favourites.
AFLW club captains have overwhelmingly backed Melbourne to win back-to-back flags, with 14 of the 17 rival skippers tipping the Demons to salute after a remarkable off-season in which they managed to retain all of their stars, save for retiring captain Daisy Pearce.
No captains picked Brisbane to make it to a second consecutive grand final after the departures of star trio Emily Bates, Greta Bodey and Jesse Wardlaw, but Lions skipper Breanna Koenen said the perception they were no longer a serious threat would only spur her team on.
“(Being underdogs) suits us – in the past couple of seasons, people have wrote us off, so I think that’s a good thing for us and I think a lot of the girls take that in their stride and want to prove people wrong,” Koenen said.
“We’ve had really good depth over the last few seasons, I think giving those younger girls a chance, and we’ve recruited pretty well – I think it’s probably underrated how many good people we’ve brought into our group as well.”
“I think if you dwell on (last year’s grand final loss) too much, we’re not going to get anything out of it. I think we learnt from that experience, and then moved on – we want to try and be bigger and better this year.”
Koenen said the Lions would be challenged by the introduction of an interchange cap, with teams to be limited to 60 per game.
Playing regularly in hot conditions, the All-Australian defender suspected her side had used significantly more rotations last season, although they weren’t recorded by the league.
Adelaide star Ebony Marinoff said the new rule could present the Crows with an advantage over Brisbane and Melbourne, who she said were both perceived by opponents as sides which relied heavily on quick rotations.
Marinoff said an inability to use their bench as well as the Lions could have cost the Crows in their preliminary final played in balmy evening conditions on the Gold Coast.
“Something that potentially could have got us against Brisbane last year is they do have high rotations, it’s good for us that we didn’t really,” Marinoff said.
“I guess the faster the game gets, you probably need more rotations – Brisbane and Melbourne were two teams that were really going for it (with high rotations), but we weren’t, so hopefully that holds us in good stead.”
Marinoff said there was a sense at Adelaide that pressure had been “taken off” after Melbourne’s breakthrough flag last season.
The Crows have started almost every season as premiership favourites, winning three of the seven flags.
“Having that pressure taken off, it’s always a good thing – you love pressure, because it’s a complement, but we also love being the underdogs and we’re really looking forward to this season,” Marinoff said.
THE PREDICTIONS FROM AFLW CAPTAINS
Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
*Eight captains correctly picked Melbourne last season
14 – Melbourne
2 – Adelaide Crows
1 – Geelong Cats
1 – North Melbourne
Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?
*No captains predicted Brisbane’s Ally Anderson to win last season’s AFLW Best and Fairest
7 – Monique Conti (Richmond)
3 – Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
2 – Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)
1 – Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)
1 – Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats)
1 – Maddy Prespakis (Essendon)
1 – Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)
1 – Bri Davey (Collingwood)
Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
*Only one captain predicted ex-Lion Jesse Wardlaw to kick the most goals last season
5 – Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)
2 – Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
2 – Caitlin Greiser (Richmond)
2 – Chloe Scheer (Geelong Cats)
2 – Aine Tighe (Fremantle)
1 – Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
1 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 – Ash Woodland (Port Adelaide)
1 – Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
-With Ed Bourke
