The AFL has finally released the 2023 AFLW fixture featuring a 10-round home and away season after the league and the players’ union came to an agreement following lengthy negotiations.
The fixture for season eight of the AFLW was released on Monday afternoon, with the season to commence on Friday September 1, which is the weekend of the pre-finals bye of the men’s competition.
Reports indicated players were keen on a fixture length of 12 rounds or more in the journey towards a full-time professional competition. But the AFL Players’ Association agreed to a 10-week season to provide certainty for players but provide the platform for future negotiations to expand the season length in the next few years.
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“While the 18 clubs have been working towards key dates, it was important to reach an agreement with the Players’ Association and not delay the fixture any further to provide certainty to players, clubs and fans,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said.
Ultimately, AFLW players are seeking full-time contracts and a 17-game season — where every club would play each other once — in future years.
AFLPA boss Paul Marsh stressed CBA negotiations between his union and the AFL “remain ongoing” and while “progress has been made in recent weeks … there is still much work to be done”.
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The AFLW players are deeply committed to the growth of the AFLW competition as partners in the game,” Marsh said. “It is with this objective at the forefront that player leaders have signed-off on the AFL’s release of a 10-game home and away fixture for 2023. This agreement has formed part of our CBA negotiations with the AFL and comes with a commitment from the AFL for growth in AFLW games from 2024 and beyond.
“Players believe the release of the fixture will provide fans and clubs with the certainty needed to deliver a successful and exciting 2023 season of AFLW.”
Season eight will feature longer quarters and a strict interchange cap after the AFL Commission last month unveiled several rule changes.
Reigning premiers Melbourne will kick off the season with a Friday night clash against Collingwood at Ikon Park.
The match headlines a big opening round, with three derbies to take place — Adelaide-Port Adelaide, Swans-Giants and Fremantle-West Coast — and expansion clubs Hawthorn and Essendon to clash across the weekend.
Games played between Rounds 2 and 5 will be scheduled around the men’s finals series, with Sunday’s jam-packed across the first four rounds.
Round 5, which lands on the same weekend of the AFL Grand Final, will commence with a Cats-Demons clash on the Thursday night before four games are played on Grand Final Eve, including three in Melbourne. Essendon and Collingwood will then face off on Grand Final day, with the match at the AIA Centre to commence at 11.10am.
The Bombers, as flagged in late 2021, will play their home games at Windy Hill following Stage 1 of the precinct redevelopment. In their first year, the Bombers spread their home games at Marvel Stadium, North Port Oval, Reid Oval (Warrnambool) and Ikon Park, but this season four of their five home matches will be at Windy Hill.
The Western Bulldogs will also return to Whitten Oval for their home games after the venue was out of action for Season 7 while it underwent redevelopments.
Hawthorn will host a game in Cairns in Round 8 when it takes on Richmond.
Fans will have to wait until Round 10 for a Grand Final rematch, with the Brisbane Lions to host Melbourne at Brighton Homes Arena. The dates and times for all nine games in Round 10 will be confirmed later in the year as part of a floating fixture.
“We are delighted to present a fixture that strikes a balance between excellent broadcast slots and optimal access for fans,” AFL Executive General Manager Clubs and Broadcast Travis Auld said.
“Access and affordability continues to be at the heart of our decision making, ensuring match-ups are spread, teams get standalone prime slots where applicable and games continue to be played at heartland venues within their respective communities.
“We are thrilled about the upcoming season, which starts with a weekend of clean air amongst the biggest footy month of the year and boasts a robust fixture of Saturday night blockbusters throughout.”
Every match will be broadcast live on Fox Footy, ad break-free siren-to-siren and in high definition.
FULL AFLW FIXTURE 2023 (all times AEST/AEDT)
ROUND 1
Friday September 1
Melbourne v Collingwood, Ikon Park (7.20pm)
Saturday September 2
Carlton v Gold Coast Suns, Ikon Park (1.05pm)
Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide, Norwood Oval (3.05pm)
Geelong Cats v Western Bulldogs, GMHBA Stadium (5.05pm)
Hawthorn v Essendon, Kinetic Stadium (7.15pm)
Sunday September 3
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v St Kilda, Blundstone Arena (1.05pm)
Sydney Swans v GWS Giants, North Sydney Oval (3.05pm)
Brisbane Lions v Richmond, Brighton Homes Arena (3.05pm)
Fremantle v West Coast Eagles, Fremantle Oval (5.05pm)
ROUND 2
Friday September 8
Richmond v Adelaide Crows, Ikon Park (5.05pm)
Saturday September 9
Gold Coast Suns v West Coast Eagles, Heritage Bank Stadium (11.05am)
Port Adelaide v Brisbane Lions, Alberton Oval (1.05pm)
Sydney Swans v Geelong Cats, North Sydney Oval (1.05pm)
Sunday September 10
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn, Mars Stadium (1.05pm)
Collingwood v Fremantle, Victoria Park (1.05pm)
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Carlton, Arden Street (3.05pm)
Essendon v St Kilda, Windy Hill (3.05pm)
GWS Giants v Melbourne, Manuka Oval (5.05pm)
ROUND 3
Friday September 15
Geelong Cats v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, GMHBA Stadium (5.05pm)
Saturday September 16
GWS Giants v Richmond, Blacktown International Sports Park (1.05pm)
Adelaide Crows v Essendon, Unley Oval (3.05pm)
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, Casey Fields (3.05pm)
Fremantle v Hawthorn, Fremantle Oval (5.05pm)
Sunday September 17
St Kilda v Port Adelaide, RSEA Park (1.05pm)
Collingwood v Gold Coast Suns, Victoria Park (3.05pm)
West Coast Eagles v Carlton, Mineral Resources Park (3.05pm)
Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans, Brighton Homes Arena (5.05pm)
ROUND 4
Friday September 22
Hawthorn v Melbourne, Kinetic Stadium (5.05pm)
Saturday September 23
GWS Giants v Adelaide Crows, Manuka Oval (11.05am)
Carlton v Richmond, Ikon Park (1.05pm)
Port Adelaide v Geelong Cats, Alberton Oval (1.05pm)
Sunday September 24
Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles, Henson Park (1.05pm)
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Brisbane Lions, UTAS Stadium (1.05pm)
Essendon v Fremantle, Windy Hill (3.05pm)
St Kilda v Collingwood, RSEA Park (3.05pm)
Gold Coast Suns v Western Bulldogs, Heritage Bank Stadium (5.05pm)
ROUND 5
Thursday September 28
Geelong Cats v Melbourne, GMHBA Stadium (6.15pm)
Friday September 29
Richmond v Fremantle, Ikon Park (1.05pm)
Carlton v Sydney Swans, Ikon Park (4.05pm)
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda, Whitten Oval (7.15pm)
West Coast Eagles v Port Adelaide, Mineral Resources Park (9.15pm)
Saturday September 30
Collingwood v Essendon, AIA Centre (11.05am)
Sunday October 1
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v GWS Giants, Arden Street (1.05pm)
Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions, Kinetic Stadium (3.05pm)
Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns, Unley Oval (5.05pm)
ROUND 6
Friday October 6
Western Bulldogs v Carlton, Whitten Oval (7.15pm)
Saturday October 7
GWS Giants v West Coast Eagles, Blacktown International Sports Park (1.05pm)
Melbourne v Adelaide Crows, Casey Fields (3.05pm)
St Kilda v Hawthorn, RSEA Park (3.05pm)
Port Adelaide v Sydney Swans, Alberton Oval (5.05pm)
Brisbane Lions v Collingwood, Brighton Homes Arena (7.15pm)
Sunday October 8
Essendon v Geelong Cats, Reid Oval – Warrnambool (1.05pm)
Richmond v Gold Coast Suns, Ikon Park (3.05pm)
Fremantle v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, Fremantle Oval (5.05pm)
ROUND 7
Friday October 13
Adelaide Crows v Western Bulldogs, Norwood Oval (7.15pm)
Saturday October 14
St Kilda v GWS Giants, RSEA Park (1.05pm)
Geelong Cats v Fremantle, GMHBA Stadium (3.05pm)
Sydney Swans v Hawthorn, Henson Park (3.05pm)
Gold Coast Suns v Brisbane Lions, Heritage Bank Stadium (5.05pm)
Richmond v Essendon, Ikon Park (7.20pm)
Sunday October 15
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Port Adelaide, Arden Street (1.05pm)
Carlton v Collingwood, Ikon Park (3.05pm)
West Coast Eagles v Melbourne, Mineral Resources Park (5.05pm)
ROUND 8
Friday October 20
Hawthorn v Richmond, Cazaly’s Stadium – Cairns (7.45pm)
Saturday October 21
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans, Whitten Oval (1.05pm)
Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Crows, Brighton Homes Arena (3.05pm)
GWS Giants v Carlton, Henson Park (3.05pm)
Port Adelaide v Gold Coast Suns, Alberton Oval (5.05pm)
Melbourne v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, Ikon Park (7.15pm)
Sunday October 22
Collingwood v Geelong Cats, Victoria Park (1.05pm)
Fremantle v St Kilda, Fremantle Oval (3.05pm)
Essendon v West Coast Eagles, Windy Hill (5.05pm)
ROUND 9
Friday October 27
Gold Coast Suns v GWS Giants, Heritage Bank Stadium (7.45pm)
Saturday October 28
Melbourne v Fremantle, Casey Fields (1.05pm)
St Kilda v Brisbane Lions, RSEA Park (3.05pm)
Essendon v Carlton, Windy Hill (3.05pm)
West Coast Eagles v Western Bulldogs, Mineral Resources Park (5.05pm)
Richmond v Geelong Cats, Ikon Park (7.15pm)
Sunday October 29
Sydney Swans v Collingwood, Henson Park (1.05pm)
Adelaide Crows v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, Unley Oval (3.05pm)
Hawthorn v Port Adelaide, Kinetic Stadium (5.05pm)
ROUND 10
Friday November 3 – Sunday November 5
Brisbane Lions v Melbourne, Brighton Homes Arena (TBC)
Carlton v St Kilda, Ikon Park (TBC)
Collingwood v Richmond, Victoria Park (TBC)
Fremantle v Sydney Swans, Fremantle Oval (TBC)
Geelong Cats v Hawthorn, GMHBA Stadium (TBC)
Gold Coast Suns v Essendon, Great Barrier Reef Arena – Mackay (TBC)
Port Adelaide v GWS Giants, Alberton Oval (TBC)
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, Whitten Oval (TBC)
West Coast Eagles v Adelaide Crows, Mineral Resources Park (TBC)
