The AFL is delighted to announce the inaugural Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint will take place at the 2021 NAB AFLW Grand Final the weekend of April 17th/18th.

The Colgate AFL Grand Final Sprint has become a hotly contested annual tradition in the men's game and Colgate, the Official Smile of the AFLW and AFL, is pleased to be extending this to the highly anticipated 2021 NAB AFLW Grand Final.

In an exciting new twist, the inaugural Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint will see participants from all AFLW clubs take to the turf for a sprint run along the arc, the same shape as the iconic Colgate Smile.

Colgate Ambassador Tayla Harris and AFL General Manager of Women's Football, Nicole Livingstone were on hand to launch the Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint.

We cannot wait to see 14 of the fastest AFLW players line up and showcase their athletic talent on one of the biggest days in the Australian sporting calendar

- Nicole Livingstone

"The introduction of the Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint signifies the continued progression of the women's competition, and we are pleased to work alongside Colgate to bring this to life and make it an annual tradition," Ms Livingstone said.

"We are also excited to announce former track athlete and North Melbourne star Kaitlyn Ashmore as the first player who will line up in the Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint.

"We cannot wait to see 14 of the fastest AFLW players line up and showcase their athletic talent on one of the biggest days in the Australian sporting calendar."

Colgate became the Official Smile of the AFL and AFLW in 2020, with the partnership bringing optimism to the AFL community during the COVID-19 forced shutdown period. Both the AFL and Colgate share a vision to create a positive future for all Australians, and this year the NAB AFLW competition has returned to be stronger than ever.

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Anthony Crewes, Marketing Director of Colgate, said they are proud to extend their support of the women's competition and celebrate this special milestone.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the growth of AFLW and introduce the inaugural Colgate AFLW Grand Final Sprint, which is a momentous occasion in the women's game that gives hope for the AFLW community and girls across Australia who are striving to play professionally," Mr Crewes said.   

"The AFL continues to lay the foundations for women's football to grow each year, and we're proud to share positive stories with fans and give them a reason to Smile Strong."

Set to be announced shortly, the field will see a representative from each AFLW Club take to the turf where they will compete in a 100-metre sprint along the 50m arc to claim the title of the fastest AFLW player.

In honour of the winner, Colgate will be making a $5,000 donation to Ladder, an organisation providing young people mentoring and support through the Ladder Program.

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