Bulldogs and Eagles join state women’s league

THE SANFL state women’s league will grow next season after two more clubs were successful in their bid for a team.

Triumphant South Adelaide team.

CENTRAL District and Woodville-West Torrens have been successful in their bids to join the women’s state league.

They will join reigning champion South Adelaide, Glenelg, North Adelaide, Norwood, Sturt and West Adelaide next season when the competition kicks off in February.

The SANFL will also explore the introduction of a women’s super series in 2019 which will involve AFLW players and the best of SANFLW talent and could include Adelaide and Port Adelaide. It would be played in winter to provide a further elite pathway to AFLW for South Australia’s most talented female players.

SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson said female participation had grown at such a significant rate over the past 12 months and it was now viable to introduce two more teams to the women’s competition.

“The rapid growth of women’s football presented many varied demands from all stakeholders and we believe the new proposed structure can deliver on many of those,” Parkinson said.