AFL Women’s competition given huge boost for 2021 amid coronavirus crisis
Debate has raged in recent weeks about the AFLW’s long-term future amid extensive cuts at AFL clubs. But the league has given its strongest indication yet the women’s competition is here to stay for good.
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AFL Women’s will survive the coronavirus crisis relatively unscathed with the league commission approving a February start for the competition’s fifth season.
In its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, the commission ticked off on no change to the current women’s competition collective bargaining agreement and that the season should maintain its usual spot in the sporting calendar from February onwards.
Player pay is planned to increase in line with the CBA, which was agreed upon last year until the end of 2022 and is not planned to be altered, and the football department soft cap will not be reduced in a significant boon for the burgeoning competition.
As per the CBA, the 2021 season will consist of a nine-week home and away season before a three-week finals series.
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League boss Gillon McLachlan provided club presidents and chief executives with an update on the game’s financials on Tuesday and said that ensuring the structure of AFLW was “critical”.
“It is the commission’s view that it is critical at this juncture to provide clarity to the AFLW clubs and players by demonstrating our ongoing commitment to women’s football and the NAB AFLW competition,” McLachlan said.
All elements of the competition are naturally subject to how the COVID-19 crisis unfolds over coming months, but AFL commission chairman Richard Goyder maintained that the women’s competition was “a significant growth area for the game” and that it “should not be subject to any reductions for next season”.
The AFLW season was cut short as coronavirus gripped the league, resulting in the 2020 season being ended without a premier.
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