Richmond players line up ahead of week nine, 2024, and inset, Port Melbourne players run out onto the field for a semi-final in July, 2024. Pictures: AFL Photos

RICHMOND has ended its alignment with VFLW club Port Melbourne, leaving the club without a confirmed second-tier program for 2025.

Richmond joined forces with Port Melbourne in 2021 following the dissolution of its own VFLW program due to the "impact of the COVID pandemic".

For the past four seasons, Port Melbourne has been aligned with Richmond's AFLW program, with Richmond-listed players able to play for the Borough in the VFLW. Port Melbourne won the VFLW Premiership in 2023, but no Richmond AFLW-listed players took part.

The dissolution of the partnership leaves Richmond as the only Victorian AFLW side without a VFLW side or affiliate.

Ellie McKenzie (left) and Kodi Jacques celebrate a win during VFLW round 13, 2021. Picture: AFL Photos

The Tigers' women's football boss Kate Sheahan said the club was considering its options for a second-tier side.

The VFLW season - which previously ran from March to July - has been brought into better alignment with the AFLW competition this year, with the final three weeks of the VFLW finals series to overlap with the first three weeks of the AFLW season.

The AFL's head of state league competitions, Jennie Loughnan, said the new VFLW dates were designed to complement the AFLW season.

Sabrina Frederick gets a handball away during Richmond's VFLW round eight match against the Western Bulldogs on July 9, 2019. Picture: AFL Photos

"The decision to shift the rebel VFLW season dates followed a review of the women’s football calendar and creates more alignment with the updated NAB AFLW season timing," Loughnan said in December.

"The new rebel VFLW season dates will provide great benefits for clubs and players, with more opportunities now available for AFLW-listed players to compete in rebel VFLW matches as they prepare for the upcoming AFLW season."

However, the Tigers pointed towards the new start date of the 2025 AFLW season, which will start two weeks earlier in 2025 than in 2024, as the reason for the dissolution of the partnership.

"Because of the start date of the 2025 AFLW season being brought forward and the increasing demands of pre-season and the AFLW competition, we will not be having an alignment with Port Melbourne this year," Sheahan said in a statement on Friday.

Port Melbourne confirmed over the weekend it would be competing in the 2025 VFLW season as a standalone club.