AFL FOOTBALL boss Laura Kane has backed the NAB AFLW's scheduling of midweek games and flagged double-headers with men's matches could be a possibility in future seasons.
The addition of an extra game per club this season has meant more games on weeknights and teams playing multiple games a week, a challenging task given each club has just 30 players on its list.
It has also meant players who suffer concussions or injuries miss more games than they would have in previous years. For example, Collingwood superstar captain Brianna Davey will miss two games, instead of one, due to being required to sit out 12 days after suffering a concussion last week.
Part of the move to include mid-week fixtures was to take advantage of school holidays, but the move has not led to a dramatic increase in crowd numbers.
North Melbourne beat Port Adelaide in front of a season-low crowd of 943 at Whitten Oval on Friday evening, prompting Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker to query the decision to play the game at 5pm ahead of the men's preliminary final in Sydney later that night.
But Kane backed the fixture crunch, which will include four back-to-back games this Friday in Melbourne on a public holiday.
"The compression has been really interesting," Kane said.
"I have personally loved watching football every single night. It feels like something like 27 of 32 nights or days there's AFLW footy on.
"I've loved the Tuesday night games, tuning in on the couch or going out if the games are local to me. We're really pleased with the game, and we know that there is so much growth ahead of us.
"I think there's a movement in women's sport that everyone's excited about, and that's something that we will continue to work on, push and get more people, more eyeballs.
"Growth is our next frontier. I love AFLW and I know it will continue to grow."
Double headers have been floated as an option.
The Western Bulldogs' round-two match was moved from a standalone fixture at Whitten Oval to a curtain raiser for the Dogs' AFL elimination final at the MCG.
"I mean, 23,000 people were in the stadium when the AFLW game was going on," Kane said.
"They might have been in functions, they might have been in their seats, but they're all watching it, so it's a really good thing for the game.
"I know the Bulldogs and the Port Adelaide girls absolutely loved it. I don't think the Port Adelaide girls believed their CEO when he said 'you're playing on the MCG'.
"That's something that we will always look at. It just has to be right. It has to be right for the comp, it has to be right for the teams, and it has to be right for the week.
"But those opportunities are ones we don't want to miss."
The AFLW season will expand to 12 games per club next season, up from 11 this year, which could lead to further changes in 2025.
