AFL looking to schedule six AFL and AFLW double-headers in next year’s pre-season

THE AFL hopes to schedule as many as six double-headers featuring the same teams from the women’s competition and men’s pre-season games next year.

Bulldog Emma Kearney gets away from Melbourne’s Chelsea Randall.

THE AFL hopes to schedule as many as six double-headers featuring the same teams from the women’s competition and men’s pre-season next year.

The league is in advanced negotiations with a new naming-rights sponsor of the men’s competition after NAB moved its sponsorship to the women’s league.

AFL clubs have already been told which teams they will play in a pre-season competition with three official games over four weeks.

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But the delay over releasing that fixture is due to the league trying to maximise the amount of double-headers at grounds across the country.

AFL fixturing boss Travis Auld said the men’s competition would likely feature games in regional venues over weekends and metro venues on Thursday and Friday nights.

The prospect of double-headers featuring both the AFL and AFLW teams from Collingwood and Carlton, or the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne, holds massive appeal to the AFL.

AFLW Draft first-round selections (from left) Nicola Stevens (Collingwood), Bianca Jakobsson (Carlton), Emily Bates (Brisbane), Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide), Nicola Barr (GWS), Jaimee Lambert (Bulldogs), Hayley Miller (Fremantle) and Elise O'Dea (Melbourne). Picture: Tim Carrafa

But finding available venues and slotting those games into two separate fixtures is taking time.

Auld said there would be a sponsor for the men’s competition, but it might not be announced in concert with the fixture release.

“The pre-season fixture is pretty much locked away but we are just trying to maximise the opportunities in relation to how we align it with the women’s fixture,’’ he said.

“There are some challenges with venue availability and we are getting there. We should be able to get a few to work where we have double-headers.

“We don’t know the exact number, but I would like to think we could get five or six.”

The eight-week women’s competition will likely start on Saturday February 4, with the Grand Final set for Saturday March 25.

AFLW marquee players (back row from left) Ellie Blackburn, Moana Hope, Brianna Davey and Mel Hickey. (front row from left) Darcy Vescio, Emma King, Katie Brennan and Daisy Pearce. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The AFL has not scheduled an afternoon game in the men’s fixture on that day — the Saturday of Round 1 — so the women’s Grand Final will have prominent coverage.

It is understood Channel 7 intends to broadcast the women’s matches, having become the first free-to-air station to cover woman’s football during the exhibition match on September 3.

The AFL continues to negotiate on a higher base salary for the women’s competition after the Sunday Herald Sun revealed many women would be paid only $5000 in the inaugural season.

“It would be nice for a Melbourne supporter or Dogs supporter to come along and watch both teams play on the one day,’’ Auld said.

“The order might change, it might be the men’s game before the women’s or the men might follow the women. Our aim is to get as many as we can.”

Originally published as AFL looking to schedule six AFL and AFLW double-headers in next year’s pre-season