Craig Starcevich during the AFLW First Qualifying Final between Adelaide and Brisbane at Norwood Oval, November 11, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

CRAIG Starcevich says it's time for the AFLW to overlap more with the men's fixture, believing it's both the best way to lengthen the season and attract new fans.

The man that has coached Brisbane in all nine seasons since the competition's inception, says the chance to play double headers late in the men's season should be explored.

Starcevich loves November as "our month" for finals and says further lengthening of the current 11-game home and away season should work back from there.

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That would take the AFLW season start earlier into August and ultimately July for the dream result of 17 games that would allow every team to play each other once.

"If we have to overlap into men's season a little further than where we are at the moment, that's not such a bad thing," Starcevich said on Friday.

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"We haven't really explored too many double headers over the years. We've had a couple at the Gabba, which were pretty good. That kind of thing is exciting.

"We're looking to expose our players to the general supporter and a wider footy audience, and I think that's an opportunity we haven't looked at yet in great detail.

"If we go four weeks before the end of the boys' season, and we overlap and have a look at how many extra supporters have shown an interest in us and then stick with us through October and November, that could be good."

There is one more game this season than 2023, but with no extra weeks added the competition has just finished a condensed part of the fixture that saw each team playing four games over 14 to 16 days.

Starcevich said the standard of AFLW was "chalk and cheese" from the first three seasons, and good enough to convert casual observers to full-time fans.

"If we want a longer season, where are you going to play it? Are we going to be playing Christmas Eve or Boxing Day?

"I don't think anyone's got an appetite for that in our industry.

"Whatever way you look at it, there's going to be overlap and I just think as a sport we need to capitalise and try and find the best outcome to give as many football supporters as possible the chance to see our product."

Starcevich was hopeful the home and away season could reach 17 games over the next three to five years, by adding one or two games a year.