PLAYERS in the inaugural AFL Women's season appear set for a pay rise before the new competition even begins.
The League has revealed it's making progress in talks with the AFL Players' Association and hopes to make an announcement soon.
It came after the players' union rejected the AFL's first proposal of $25,000 for marquee players and between $5000 and $10,000 for the rest of the list.
The debut eight-week season of AFLW is set to begin in February, with pre-season training to officially begin this month.
"We're confident we'll announce something in the next few days, I think a really fair deal, a really rewarding deal, and a deal we've worked closely with the players and the AFLPA on to ensure it's a sustainable start to this comp," AFL game development executive Simon Lethlean said on Wednesday.
A collective bargaining agreement with men's players is being negotiated separately.
The AFL is yet to reveal the fixture for the first AFLW season or a venue for the inaugural Grand Final.
The League has left space in its round one men's fixture to play the game in a stand-alone Saturday afternoon timeslot, but several grounds remain options.
While the MCG seems obvious to many, a small crowd would dilute the potential atmosphere at what the AFL hopes will become a showpiece.
It's considering Collingwood's Olympic Park and the Western Bulldogs' Whitten Oval as other options to create a more family friendly carnival atmosphere.
Magpies marquee signing Moana Hope just wants to get to the Grand Final.
"That's probably the biggest goal rather than when we play," Hope said.
"At the end of the day we're playing AFL football and it doesn't matter what ground we play on."
"We don't need to back ourselves into a corner on that just yet," Lethlean added.
Hope and Lethlean were appearing at a clinic at a school in Melbourne's western suburbs to announce funding for new program to help children with disabilities access to sports.
Moose Toys have donated $1million to help launch the 'ALLPlay program'.
Hope's sister Lavinia has a rare neurological condition known as Möbius syndrome.
"For me if the AFL was a person and Deakin was a person and Moose was a person I'd hug 'em all but I'm going to have to stick with these guys today," Hope said.
"It's absolutely amazing."