AFLW boss Laura Kane has defended the league's commitment to struggling clubs and confirmed the competition is actively exploring whether the 2027 season could start earlier, potentially increasing its overlap with the men's AFL season. Kane spoke on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's AFLW finals, which open with a double-header at Ikon Park on Saturday.
Kane Backs Clubs Facing Disastrous Seasons
Three clubs, Collingwood, St Kilda and Essendon, endured particularly poor campaigns this season, each parting with their senior coaches. The Magpies and Saints each managed just one win for the year, while Essendon finished with two victories. Despite the results, Kane said she was satisfied clubs were responding to their challenges with the right attitude.
"There's a reality to the ladder. What we're pleased about is the clubs are saying exactly that, that people are facing into their challenges," Kane said. "I can't fault that transparency and honesty. To have clubs commissioning reviews, endeavouring to get better, that's what we want to see in the competition."
Collingwood's struggles have been compounded off the field, with captain Ruby Schleicher departing and senior players raising concerns about the program's direction and lack of improvement. The club announced last week that an independent external expert would be brought in to review its women's program, a reversal from a position stated by CEO Craig Kelly just a fortnight earlier.
Kane stopped short of addressing Kelly's specific public comments about the cost of the women's game but was direct in ruling out any pullback in investment or broadcast coverage. "There are no plans to take W off broadcast, there are no plans to cut the investment that we're making into W," she said. "The more fans that come, the more benefit there is to the game."
She also framed spending on the women's competition as an investment rather than a cost, pointing to the development of a generation of players who had come through an equitable talent pathway built over five or six years. "That's because we've invested time and money and effort," she said.
Earlier AFLW Season Start Under Consideration
One of the more significant confirmations from Kane was that the league is actively looking at shifting the AFLW season start date forward, which would increase the crossover period with the men's competition. The strategy appears tied to the success of men's and women's double-headers, which helped drive record attendance figures in 2026.
"We have an increased crossover anyway, given the timing of the men's season, and we're looking at whether that can be shifted even further. There's plenty of opportunities right now," Kane said.
The league is also exploring an AFLW equivalent of the AFL's popular Gather Round event held in Adelaide, and is continuing what Kane described as "positive discussions" with Ireland about another representative match against Australia.
Finals Picture: Big Names Miss Out, Gold Coast Shine
This weekend's finals schedule sees Geelong face Melbourne and reigning premiers North Melbourne take on Carlton in qualifying finals at Ikon Park on Saturday. On Sunday, Sydney host the Western Bulldogs at Henson Park, while Gold Coast, last year's wooden spooners, continue a remarkable turnaround with an elimination final against Hawthorn in Queensland.
The finals series also highlights some notable absences. Perennial contenders Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions both missed out on finals this season, joining Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle among the clubs that failed to progress.
For fans wanting broader context on AFL's broadcast and scheduling landscape, our recent coverage of the AFL's three-year State of Origin schedule is worth a read.
With the finals now underway and big structural questions about the competition's calendar on the table, the coming months are shaping as a significant period for the direction of the women's game in Australia.
