AFLW fixture news: See the latest in the new 18 team competition

The full AFLW fixture is out for the historic 18-team competition. But there are concerns over a venue choice for a blockbuster.

There is set to be a host of blockbusters in the opening round. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

AFL Women’s premiership coach Bec Goddard has urged the league to consider moving Hawthorn’s first-ever AFLW match against Essendon to Marvel Stadium, declaring “no one rises to low expectations”.

The league revealed the fixture for the August season — the second for 2022 after the upcoming season was brought forward from summer — which includes:

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* a match on AFL men’s grand final day with Richmond to host Brisbane at Punt Road Oval at 11.10am.

*Richmond and Essendon TO face-off in the league’s first-ever Dreamtime game on September 18.

* the prospect of double-headers with men’s finals matches in Victoria or interstate thanks to the times of some matches being flexible.

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Bec Goddard . Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

But as the Hawks and Bombers both prepare to play in their first AFLW season, Goddard said she considered the league’s Docklands stadium more suitable than the slated venue of North Port Oval in Port Melbourne — where capacity is 10,000 people — for the August 27 meeting.

“It’s a really exciting clash. I think it’s very hard to find a black cat in a dark room if the black cat isn’t even in the room,” Goddard said.

“No one rises to low expectations. And we’ve got great expectations of our players. We’ve got great expectations of our fans.

“We know that Hawthorn and Essendon traditionally hate each other with the power of a thousand suns. And I’m so excited about the opportunity that we have to sell this game out.

“Huge numbers turned out (at the VFLW grand final on Sunday) and the ground was really creaking.

“If we sell it out, it’s going to have to get moved to Marvel. I would love to see it moved to Marvel and let our players and our inaugural teams and all of our fans be able to attend that game in a stadium for round 1.”

Goddard said it was “not a case of ‘rathers’”, but about the league having faith in the game and showing fans of both clubs that it believed in their capacity to turn out.

“There’s no men’s football on that weekend. We’ve got 75,000-plus members of traditional football clubs and a rivalry that goes unsurpassed,” the Hawthorn coach said.

“We want to be able to really promote that game and set our teams in the right direction. I checked – there doesn’t seem to be anything on at Marvel, so #MoveItToMarvel – the movement starts here.

“I don’t want to have to be in a circumstance where our fans miss out because we haven’t moved it.”

Thousands of supporters attended North Port Oval on Sunday as Essendon’s VFLW team claimed the premiership, with some fans reporting lengthy queues for food, drink and facilities.

The Bombers won the VFLW grand final at North Port Oval on Sunday. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Essendon counterpart Natalie Wood said that while the ground was “really quite unique”, the ability for families to attend had to be paramount.

“I think there’s a tipping point where if families can’t come along to watch the game because of the size, then perhaps that’s where we need to look at if there is a venue that best allows our families to come and attend,” Wood said.

“The women’s game is one for the community and one for families and friends. We just want everyone to be able to attend. (Playing) at the right ground allows everyone to come.”

AFL boss of finance, clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said that the league had been conscious of ensuring certainty for players as they continue to juggle employment, study and playing football.

The ticketing system remains the same as the earlier 2022 season, with all tickets to be pre-booked.

Adults can attend for $10 while under 18s are free.

Full fixture: Every game of historic AFLW season

The historic 18-team AFLW competition will open with a Carlton-Collingwood grudge match at the Ikon Park venue that heralded the start of professional women’s football.

The Herald Sun can reveal Carlton will host the Pies in a Thursday 7.10pm clash on August 25, with the fixture of the AFLW’s seventh to be released early this week.

The following night Adelaide host their vanquished Grand Final opponent Melbourne in a Norwood Oval Friday night clash.

The Pies will take on Carlton in round 1 of the AFLW season. Picture: Getty Images

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan famously calmed angry Blues and Pies fans who could not gain entry to the packed Ikon Park in 2017 as 24,500 fans witnessed the first game in the AFLW competition.

The game was a lock-out by quarter time as fans continued to queue anyway, with Carlton star Darcy Vescio saying of the occasion: “I think every girl who was out there tonight will just cherish that moment for the rest of their lives”.

Collingwood lost a preliminary final to Brisbane last year while Carlton finished eighth then lost four stars Maddi Prespakis and Georgia Gee to Essendon and Grace Egan to St Kilda.

But the two rivals can be expected to deliver a fierce battle given their rivalry and history as AFL clubs.

Adelaide held off Melbourne by 13 points to win their third premiership this year after flags in 2017 and 2019, but lost star Erin Phillips to cross-town rival Port Adelaide.

The Thursday and Friday night marquee clashes to start the season should provide plenty of fireworks in a competition that finally has all 18 teams in the league.

A grand final rematch is planned for round 1 of the AFLW season. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Wallabies play the Springboks at Adelaide Oval across the weekend of August 26-27 so the venue is not available.

It means Port Adelaide will start their AFLW adventure away to West Coast before a round 2 home clash.

The Herald Sun understands Port Adelaide will have to wait until round 6 to host Adelaide at Adelaide Oval where Phillips will take on the team where she won three premierships.

The AFLW season will begin on the weekend of the pre-finals bye in the men’s competition and then continue on until the finals in early November.

Clubs are worried about the standard of football with four new teams but believe in the long run it will turbocharge the competition despite any teething difficulties.

Originally published as AFLW fixture news: See the latest in the new 18 team competition