PORT ADELAIDE has given its strongest indication yet that it intends to join the NAB AFL Women’s competition in the near future.
In a statement responding to a plan from the SANFL to introduce a new women's winter competition in 2019, Power CEO Keith Thomas said the club was looking forward to having its own AFLW side.
"We already provide a pathway for young female athletes through our Women's Academy and our Women's Aboriginal AFL Academy, which is the first of its kind in Australia," Thomas said.
"Port Adelaide is now looking forward to working with the SANFL to further our capabilities in this area with the view to ultimately entering the AFLW competition at the next available opportunity."
The Power have never applied to be part of the AFLW competition, instead focusing on its commitments in China.
Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast will join the competition in 2020, with Essendon and Hawthorn at the front of the queue to be granted a licence from 2021 onwards, after not being successful in their submissions. Port Adelaide will also have to wait until at least 2021 to join.
Female participation in football is steadily growing in South Australia, with a 240 per cent increase in numbers from 2016-18. The number of junior teams in the Adelaide metro area has risen from 16 in 2016 to 98 this year, a whopping increase of 616 per cent.
Despite this, the state's elite talent is looking elsewhere to play after the AFLW season, which runs in February and March.
Currently, there are two top-level female competitions in South Australia: the Statewide Super Women's League (the SANFLW) a three-month season running at the same time as the AFLW competition, and the Adelaide Footy League (the SAAFLW), which runs from April to September.
Eighteen of Adelaide's AFLW players from last season (as well as five former players) have chosen to bypass the Adelaide Footy League this winter, playing for the Northern Territory Thunder in the higher-standard VFL Women's competition.
In response, the South Australian Football Commission has given a go-ahead to the SANFL to look into introducing a second women's competition under its banner in a bid to retain local talent.
An extra two sides – Central District and Woodville-West Torrens – will join Glenelg, North Adelaide, Norwood, South Adelaide, Sturt and West Adelaide in the SANFLW next year.
"It was extremely important that we protected the integrity of the SANFLW competition whilst completing the talent pathway at SANFL clubs, through the inclusion of Central District and Woodville West-Torrens," SANFL CEO Jake Parkinson said.
"At the same time, we want a solution to retain talented players, including those who are AFLW-listed players, in South Australia in the winter.
"A series in winter will further challenge the elite end of the SANFLW talent, provide a local solution for AFLW-listed players and provide Port Adelaide with an opportunity to develop local talent whilst meeting its aspirations to provide an avenue to entry into the AFLW."
