Richmond among four clubs to be awarded new AFLW teams

IT’S official — AFLW will get extra teams, with Richmond headlining four new clubs to be introduced into the growing women’s competition in 2020.

Richmond women’s football department general manager Kate Sheahan is excited about the Tigers inclusion into the AFLW competition. Picture: Ian Currie

IT’S official — AFL Women’s will get its four new teams in 2020.

Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast and Gold Coast had last year been granted provisional licences to enter the expanding competition in its fourth season but the AFL Commission formally ticked off on the additions 10 days ago.

Tigers women’s football boss Kate Sheahan said the club had only benefited from its presence in the VFLW competition this year and was anticipating its entry to the burgeoning competition.

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Richmond is celebrating its entry into the AFLW competition in 2020. Picture: Garnsworthy Media

“We’re incredibly excited to be formally granted an AFLW license from 2020, and develop the next phase of female football at the Richmond Football Club,” she said.

“Already, we feel that we’ve unearthed and developed some great talent through our VFLW program, which gives us a really good platform to build our AFLW list.”

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan — who wrote to clubs this week to inform them of the news — said it presented opportunity, but not without a word of caution ahead of AFLW03 beginning in February.

“The AFL Commission has had to balance the aspiration of creating the best women’s competition in Australia while maximising engagement and opportunity through our clubs,” Mr McLachlan said.

“We congratulate the four successful clubs, but also caution all our industry that this league is still young and requires not just passion but continued hard work to build solid foundations.

“The success of women’s football is ultimately dependent on our whole industry working together.”

Richmond women’s football department general manager Kate Sheahan is excited about the Tigers inclusion into the AFLW competition. Picture: Ian Currie

Clubs had bid in September last year to be considered and will be allowed to prelist up to seven players from their academy until August 2019.

“Not only is this further opportunity for the next generation of talented women to play elite Australian Football, but also one for fans of the game as we welcome more AFLW teams wearing iconic club colours,” league head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said.

“I thank the AFL Commission for their vision for women’s football and for assisting women across the country with increased opportunity to turn their passion into talent, providing the solid foundations the women’s competition needs for the journey we are on.”

Originally published as Richmond among four clubs to be awarded new AFLW teams