It’s been a mere four months since the last AFLW premiership was won by Adelaide, yet another season is ready to kick off. This time, all 18 AFL clubs will be in the race.
It all begins Thursday, August 25, when Carlton host Collingwood for the traditional opener at Ikon Park.
The AFLW’s seventh season will finally have all 18 teams represented.Credit:Eddie Jim
There’s been many changes to the women’s football landscape since April.
Here’s everything you need to know about AFLW season seven.
18 teams, but only 10 rounds
For the first time in AFLW history, season seven will feature all 18 AFL clubs with expansion sides Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney entering the competition. However, the season length remains at 10 home-and-away rounds, plus four weeks of finals.
Traditional men’s rivals, Essendon and Hawthorn, will now feature in the top women’s competition. Bonnie Toogood of the Bombers and Tilly Lucas-Rodd of the Hawks face off.Credit:AFL Photos
Speaking at captain’s day on Wednesday, Hawthorn captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd said the season length remained a sticking point, with many expressing their wish for a season where each side played each other.
“You want to play everyone once, I think it’s fair to the game and the competition and the girls to play everyone once,” said Lucas-Rodd. “And we’re slowly getting there, we’re pushing it, and we always go for negotiations at the PA [players’ association].”
Who’s favourite?
In the captains’ predictions for the flag, Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions were the most popular, followed by reigning premiers Adelaide, then Fremantle.
The playing lists of the Demons and Lions were largely left untouched during the expansion and sign and trade periods, while the Crows and Dockers lost a handful of key players but retained their cores.
Richmond’s Monique Conti was the most popular pick for the league best and fairest, followed by Adelaide’s Anne Hatchard, best on ground in last season’s grand final, and 2022 AFLW best-and-fairest winner, Emily Bates of the Lions.
For the rising star, Sydney’s No.1 draft pick Montana Ham was the captains’ favourite, followed closely by Hawthorn’s agile midfielder Jasmine Fleming.
Who are the big recruits?
With the final expansion during the off-season, there has been plenty of player movement and changes of colours since Adelaide raised the cup in April.
Notably, three-time premiership Crow Erin Phillips switched over to captain cross-town rivals Port Adelaide’s inaugural side, while 2020 league best and fairest Maddy Prespakis departed Carlton for Essendon.
The Bombers also recruited nifty forward Georgia Gee from the Blues and premiership Bulldog Bonnie Toogood and Stephanie Cain from Fremantle. Toogood and Cain will serve as co-captains.
Port Adelaide lured two-time All-Australian forward Gemma Houghton from the Dockers and defender Ange Foley from the Crows.
At Hawthorn, Kaitlyn Ashmore will be one to watch, who jumped over from the Kangaroos but was originally a marquee signing of the Brisbane Lions, while Lucas-Rodd, who was arguably St Kilda’s most important player last season, has also joined.
There are plenty of promising new draftees ready to announce themselves, including Sydney’s top pick Ham, West Coast’s complete package Ella Roberts, Essendon’s powerful forward Paige Scott and Hawthorn’s Fleming.
What does the new season time mean?
Season seven kicks off in the last weekend of August during the bye round before the AFL men’s finals, with the grand final held on the last weekend of November.
With four new clubs entering, there is now a top eight, up from a previous top six, plus a four-week finals series.
With the start of the season overlapping with the men’s finals, all Saturday matches across September have a floating fixture to allow for potential double-headers with the men’s games.
Where will the grand final be played?
Each year, a home grand final is awarded to the team in the decider who finished higher on the home-and-away ladder.
However, with the change of start date, AFL general manager of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said grand final locations moving forward are yet to be determined, with Marvel Stadium a potential long-term host.
Grand finalists Adelaide and Melbourne will meet again in round one.Credit:AFL Photos
“One of the unique things about AFLW is to actually award the grand final to the top-finishing club that makes it into the grand final,” Livingstone said.
“Whilst that’s also difficult for us to very quickly put things in place in a couple of weeks, for now, that’s part of the uniqueness of AFLW. Players, clubs, they appreciate the opportunity to have that as a reward for their year.
“No discussions on locking it in as yet, but we focus on season seven and putting on not only a great season of 90 home-and-away matches, but also four weeks of finals.”
How much are tickets?
Adult tickets for all AFLW games are a flat $10, and kids under 18 are free. Tickets are digital only due to COVID safety requirements. They can be purchased through the AFLW website.
What are the blockbuster rounds?
Round one features some big clashes, including the traditional Carlton v Collingwood opener at Ikon Park, an inaugural rivalry match between Essendon and Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium and a grand final rematch between Adelaide and Melbourne at Norwood Oval.
Indigenous round is spread across round three and four to allow each club a home game for recognition and celebrations, also featuring the first AFLW Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond.
Pride round is round eight, headlined by a double-header at Ikon Park with Essendon v Sydney and Geelong v West Coast.
Local derbies will be held at major stadiums, including Sydney v GWS at the SCG in round three, Fremantle v West Coast at Optus Stadium in round five and Adelaide v Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval in round six.
Where can I watch?
All games will be streamed live on the AFLW app and website and across the Seven Network, Fox Footy and Kayo.
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