THE AFL's preference is for the next AFLW trade period and draft to run through this December, after the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Even though it would be an incredibly quick turnaround for the finalists – with the Grand Final to be held on December 3 – the vast majority of clubs are keen to wrap up the player movement period before Christmas.
This would allow players to have certainty around work and study commitments ahead of the new year, and for staff to have a complete break, but needs to be agreed upon in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions before it can go ahead.
"There's no secret that we would like to have complete certainty for everybody in the industry before the end of the year," AFL general manager of women's football Nicole Livingstone told Credit to the Girls podcast.
"Even if we look at 2024 for example and we have agreement and everything is running smoothly, our desire is to have trade and a draft all wrapped up not too far off the season finishing.
"We continue to talk to our clubs, we know how they would like to do the mechanism of re-signing or not re-signing players. The clubs have 30 they need to re-sign, but we have 540 we need to do the contracts for, so there's a lot of work for a lot of people. We'll continue to work our way through it, we would like to get there. Let's hope we get there with this CBA."
A "heads of agreement" was reached to allow the current AFLW season to get underway while negotiations for a proposed combined men's and women's deal
Season length remains a key sticking point in the CBA negotiations, as has been the case for the past few deals. The AFLPA wants 17 rounds by 2026, while the AFL released its aspirational goal for players to have year-round contracts by 2030.
"It takes the time it takes, and hopefully out the other end, it's a longer-term deal, so that we don't have to do this year on year and wait for everything to be settled, but it is what it is. We'll play an incredible AFLW season, and if there's anything we need to back-pay or adhere to after the CBA has been adhered to, then we'll do that," Livingstone said.
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"It's difficult, because we know the players want to play more. Right now, as we build AFLW – and I hear the reasoning being you play more at state league or you play more at community – but there is a budget consideration that we do have to think about with this.
"In the seven years of AFLW, we've invested close to $300 million as an industry into AFLW. Most Olympic sports would kill for that kind of budget, most sporting organisations would kill for that sort of budget.
"So, when we are considering about more rounds, we have to consider about what's right for now – is it more rounds, or is it investing in club staff and allowing the clubs to have more full-time roles available for players who received a 94 per cent pay increase for last season, that clearly has raised expectations as to what elite looks like and what they need to prepare. So we have to weigh all those things up."
EPISODE GUIDE
0:45: The build-up to round one on Friday night
2:40: The reasoning behind front-ending the blockbusters to round one
4:00: Riding the wave of momentum from the success of the Matildas
5:40: Return to the Whitten Oval, using "tier 2" venues and getting more games in local venues/heartland
8:00: The interchange cap
10:20: CBA update
11:30: When will we see 17 rounds?
12:35: Trade period and draft being held in December
13:35: The McClelland Trophy
15:00: 2023 predictions – Premier, Best and Fairest, breakout team
