Players celebrate during the round one AFLW match between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney at North Sydney Oval, September 3, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

BIG CROWDS and fun footy is what earned recent expansion side Sydney the 2024 NAB AFLW season opener.

The young team will host inaugurals Collingwood at North Sydney Oval to kick off the season in style.

It is the first time an AFLW season opener will be hosted outside of Victoria, with a second match that evening to follow in Western Australia where West Coast takes on Richmond at Mineral Resources Park.

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But it is just reward for the work the Swans have done to engage their local community since joining the League in 2022.

"It's a really big feather in our cap to do that, and in our third season," Sydney head coach Scott Gowans told AFL.com.au.

"A lot of that goes to the supporters and the great support that we have. I mean, it'll be packed out and it's going to be a great night of footy. We feel very privileged to be able to get that, we want to perform well and hopefully hold that going forward."

In 2023, the Swans averaged the highest crowds across the home and away season with 4,637, more than 2,000 higher than the League's average.

Fans at the round nine AFLW match between Sydney and Collingwood at Henson Park, October 29, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

The highest of those crowds came in round nine with their win over Gowans' old side Collingwood, with 5,722 turning out to Henson Park.

"Sydney fans really turned up last season – the atmosphere at AFLW games at Henson Park and North Sydney Oval were some of the best across the country," AFL head of broadcast operations and scheduling Josh Bowler said.

"Kicking off the NAB AFLW season opener under lights at North Sydney Oval is a great reward for the fans and the club and sure to be a cracking start to the season."

Such consistently strong turnouts have come from on-the-ground efforts made by Sydney to engage its local community, and those living close to both North Sydney Oval and Henson Park, the club's two home grounds.

Natalie Fagg, Sydney's executive general manager – customer, is the architect behind the strategy.

"We started with giving fans and the local community a bit of ownership around the team in and of itself," Fagg said.

"The great thing that AFLW has that is different to AFL footy is it happens at what you call 'heartland venues'. By doing that you're actually much closer to where people live, generally speaking. In our instance that's certainly true."

North Sydney Oval is, as the name suggests, in the middle of North Sydney, while Henson Park is in the heart of Marrickville in the city's inner west.

Swans celebrate after the round one AFLW match between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney at North Sydney Oval, September 3, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

"We made sure to engage with those people that had that access and so we did a lot of things on the ground to talk to people … to just let them know the games were coming and that they were going to be a part of it, and that elite women's sport was going to be played in their communities," Fagg said.

"Last year we spent a bit of time engaging people within their community doing things that they would normally do."

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Conscious that they would be bringing people into these areas on game day, it was important to establish a relationship with those communities. Shouting coffees from local cafes was just one method of reaching out.

But the reward comes for those fans who jumped on board, with a marquee game against a big side in Collingwood.

"No disrespect to GWS. I think if it had been against GWS, it probably takes away from the occasion because the derby will always be a big game, so why not have it on a different round to the opening round?"

The 2024 NAB AFLW season kicks off on Friday, August 30 at North Sydney Oval.