CARLTON star Darcy Vescio became the first player to kick 50 career goals in the NAB AFLW competition this weekend.

Their answer to getting more players to that milestone? A longer season, which would allow players to build form.

Currently, the AFLW runs for ten home-and-away rounds for a 14-team competition, up from seven rounds and eight teams in the first year of 2017.

Next season will mark the first time all 18 clubs will have an AFLW side, with the season length and starting date to be agreed upon by the AFL and AFLPA in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"It's a bit of a funny one, because it's built over a few years. It's something I was made aware of coming into this season – but if you think about kicking goals, you don't kick goals. I'm happy to get here, the goals haven't really flowed as easy this year, so happy to get here," Vescio told reporters.

"I hope [the 100-mark is achievable], hopefully it doesn't take another six seasons to get there. It might not be me, but the ultimate goal might be players kicking 100 goals in a season. I hope we get to the point where we get enough games and enough support around players to do that.

"With 18 teams coming in next year, I'd love to see a 17-round competition. Even playing 14 games is significant coming from 10, and 10 is more than seven. Fourteen would allow players to build form throughout the season, I think that's where you'd see bigger bags being kicked and higher scores."

The summer heat has been a big talking point this season, which started in the first week of January for the first time (originally scheduled for December, delayed due to the Omicron outbreak). Some games have had extended half-time breaks, while all AFLW matches have unlimited interchange and water carriers.

"Personally, I find playing in summer quite tough. The last couple of weeks, we've had cooler games, and it's just made a lot of difference, coming into games knowing you don't have to battle [the heat]," Vescio said.

"I'm all for working around summer and trying to avoid those hotter months – it's not great for the players, the officials and also the spectators are finding it quite tough. I'm not sure if it would be running alongside the men's competition, but we've all grown up playing in winter, so getting back to that would be great."

Vescio burst onto the scene in the very first AFLW game, with the former Darebin Falcon showing the wider football world their wares with a lively four-goal performance.

"Each year, I try to improve, and I like to think my best footy is ahead. I think, athletically, the last couple of years I've changed a lot. I'm excited to see where that heads in the next few years. You have to evolve as the league does," they said.

"The first couple of years – I've always been good at reading the play and I've had good skills, so it's always been about that fitness, because everyone else has good skills and can read the play really well now."

ALL-TIME AFLW LEADING GOALKICKERS

Darcy Vescio (Carlton) 50 goals, 47 games

Erin Phillips (Adelaide) 46 goals, 42 games

Tayla Harris (Melbourne) 44 goals, 45 games

Katie Brennan (Richmond) 42 goals, 34 games

Cora Staunton (GWS) 40 goals, 38 games

Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne) 39 goals, 46 games

Gemma Houghton (Fremantle) 37 goals, 42 games

Jess Wuetschner (Brisbane) 37 goals, 38 games

Phoebe McWilliams (Geelong) 34 goals, 43 games

Kate Hore (Melbourne) 32 goals, 39 games

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