ADELAIDE premiership coach Bec Goddard several times has cautioned expansion of the NAB AFL Women’s competition must be slow and steady.

Rather than interpreting it as an effort to protect her patch, she actually wants the national competition to prosper.

Goddard, like those who covered this exciting new football venture this year, realise that, right now, the talent is spread too thinly on player lists of the founding eight AFLW clubs.

It's why the AFL's decision on Wednesday to add only two teams from 2019 and four more the following season is prudent.

Prospective recruits now have the the time and opportunities to develop and thrive in the various female academies and club competitions to be well-equipped players by the time they are draft-eligible.

With the rapidly expanding interest in the AFLW from female footballers, fans and sponsors, the temptation would be to take advantage of that groundswell and immediately admit a clutch of new teams.

So often, the AFL is accused of so-called knee-jerk reactions, with one eye on increasing revenue. The decisions to maintain the status quo in 2018 and then expand cautiously are realistic and responsible.

A virtual rerun of this year's eight-team competition early next year will allow time for administrators to address key issues, such as talent depth, congestion and low scoring.

None of the deficiencies are insurmountable, they simply require time. And that in turn will allow the development of current AFLW players and those aspiring to reach the semi-professional level.

It's little wonder the standard in some AFLW games this season fell away. Aside from the injury attrition rate of 27-player lists, several members of each squad were thrust into senior ranks with precious little actual playing experience.

The eight AFLW coaches had only 70 or so hours in total to work with their players in pre-season preparations before the opening home and away round in early February.

Imagine the improvement of so many of these players with another pre-season to adjust or eradicate any deficiencies that became evident during the inaugural season.

Take Melbourne teenager Jasmine Grierson, who had played just four games with VFLW club Cranbourne before being drafted by the Demons. Not only did she hold down a key defensive position, she was named among the 40 players for the Virgin Australia AFLW All Australian squad.

The talent is out there, and this systematic plan of stabilising the competition and then steadily expanding it will allow club player lists to be stronger and more sustainable in the future.