AFL EGM of Football Laura Kane said that the league powerbrokers are looking heavily into improving the women's competition as it prepares to add two more games to its 2025 fixture.
The current AFLW campaign saw the introduction of mid-week games, ultimately condensing an 11-round schedule into 10 weeks.
Under the approved Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), next year will see an increase of two games (increasing to 12), with Kane acknowledging the need to create unique "rituals" for the women's competition.
"What we do know is, we know we'll be playing twelve games โ that's built into the CBA, which is terrific, more AFLW is terrific," Kane told Channel 7s Talking W.
"And now the question is, when do we start? There are a couple of important decisions that we have to make, one being when do we play the Grand Final?
"We absolutely hear the feedback...
"Sunday nights and mid-week football, people really like that ... we might see a mid-week game next year, but when do you play your next one? I think we've heard the feedback on that pretty clearly."
- Laura Kane on AFLW fixturing. pic.twitter.com/VzvvufIL8R
— 7AFL (@7AFL) October 28, 2024
"A focus for us over the past year or so has been building rituals into the AFLW fixture and making sure that our fans know when their team will be playing, and that goes into the fixture build. So yes, (an earlier start date) is something that we're definitely considering.
โOne thing we did learn, which wouldn't have happened but for that style of fixture, is Sunday nights and mid-week football; people really like that."
It is also understood that there are certain metrics the AFLW has to meet before increasing the amount of games.
The CBA outlined the hope to increase the fixture to 14 rounds by 2027, but is dependent on "key audience metrics" including 6,000 fans a game and 100,000 broadcast viewers.
Kane also alluded to the prospect of playing double headers between the men and women's competitions.
"We're looking at double headers for men's and women's, AFLW double headers and also looking at two games in close proximity (think Punt Road and the MCG)," Kane added.
โข A night Grand Final
โข AFL and AFLW double-headers
โข List sizes and the soft capQuick-fire questions for Laura Kane... pic.twitter.com/UFUkasjDBp
— 7AFL (@7AFL) October 28, 2024