Port Adelaide could know as soon as the end of August when it will be able to field an AFLW side

As the AFL’s Women’s Competition Committee has met to discuss the future expansion of the AFLW with Port Adelaide expressing its interest in fielding a women’s team.

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Port Adelaide could know in a matter of weeks if and when it will be able to field a team in the AFLW.

The AFL’s Women’s Competition Committee met in Melbourne on Monday and made recommendations on the further expansion of the league, but those recommendations must now go before the AFL Commission in late August for final approval.

An announcement is then expected in late August/early September.

In 2020 four new teams will join the AFLW — Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast — but Port Adelaide remains one of four AFL clubs without a licence to compete in the top-tier of women’s football.

While rumours in footy circles are that further expansion has been recommended for 2022 and then 2024, the AFL’s head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone is staying tight-lipped.

“I can’t tell you what the recommendations are because they need to go to executive … (but) it is fair to say that Port Adelaide is very, very interested in AFLW and having a licence,” she said.

“Again that’s a determination for the commission to make as to what’s best for AFLW with bringing in the last four clubs.”

Port Adelaide is keen to field a team in the AFLW and join cross-town rivals the Crows in having both a men’s and women’s side competing at the highest level. Picture: Getty Images

Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Essendon and Sydney are the last four clubs that remain without an AFLW team and their inclusion hinges on developing enough talent to fill the team lists.

Livingstone said while further expansion was important, the competition committee’s meeting this week also focused on determining the structure of the 2020 season.

She said the controversial conference system had already been endorsed by the committee for next season — meaning if that recommendation is approved by the AFL then next year’s 14 teams will be split into two conferences — but she couldn’t yet confirm whether the season would be expanded beyond its current seven minor rounds and two weeks of finals.

However, with four new teams joining in 2020 it’s widely expected that the competition’s length will be extended by at least one minor round.

The AFL’s head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone poses for a photo during a AFLW U18 Championships media opportunity at Metricon Stadium on July 8, 2019 on the Gold Coast. Picture: Getty Images

“We’re not far away from making a determination … people would like to know things as soon as possible, but this is a league that needs to take its time to make good decisions,” she said.

Livingstone said announcements would also be made on the start time for pre-season training and also the start date for the competition itself, while the fixture for next year would likely be announced in October.

She said the women’s competition committee also discussed talent pathways and how it could increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players playing at AFLW level.

Originally published as Port Adelaide could know as soon as the end of August when it will be able to field an AFLW side