It’s full steam ahead for the next AFLW season which will kick off in August.
The AFL and AFL Players Association last week announced that they had signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the upcoming season.
The agreement confirmed that the season would start in the last weekend of August, during the AFL pre-finals bye week.
The competition will see the introduction of four new sides, Esssendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide, but it will remain a 10 week regular season.
Finals will be four weeks instead of three, with the grand final to be held on the weekend of November 25.
Average player salaries will increase by 94 per cent across the board from $23,904 to $46,280.
List sizes at each club will be maintained at 30 players per team.
Clubs will be able to start signing players from this week, while the sign and trade period will start on May 31.
Pre-season training will start on June 13. The AFLW draft will be held on June 29.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the announcement provides certainty for players and clubs.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience, especially the players and clubs over the last few weeks, and that patience has resulted in a great agreement for both the players and the broader industry,” he said.
“Our NAB AFLW Competition has accelerated the growth of women’s football across the country, and we are entering a new, exciting phase with all 18 clubs and our focus is now on continuing to support, nurture and amplify our competition at every opportunity,”
“The agreement represents a landmark improvement in pay for AFLW players and an historic level of investment in domestic women’s sport that truly values the contribution of our players and is a giant step forward in achieving our vision of ensuring AFLW players are the best paid female athletes in any local professional competition by 2030.
“As well as providing the best possible outcome for AFLW players, the responsibility of the AFL and the wider football industry is to recognise that we all need to balance the needs of all parts of the football community.
AFLPA Chief Executive Paul Marsh lauded the agreement as a major step forward for the players and the future of the AFLW.
He said this is the first step towards the vision of AFLW players being full time footballers by 2026.
Essendon has already announced a number of players who have agreed to sign with the club for its inaugural AFLW season.
Madison Prespakis and Georgia Gee are set to join from Carlton, Bonnie Toogood is making the switch from the Western Bulldogs, Fremantle’s Stephanie Cain is making the move interstate and Sophie Alexander is coming across from Collingwood.
Georgia Nanscawen, Caitlin Sargent, Federica Frew, Joanne Doonan, Danielle Marshall and Jordan Zanchetta have all committed to the club as well.
