The AFL wishes to advise the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Competition will be played in a newly introduced conference system.
The 10-team competition will play two conferences of five teams. Teams will play four conference games and three cross-over games.
The 2019 season will commence in the first weekend in February with a seven-week home and away matches and a two-week finals series.
The two top teams in each conference will contest preliminary finals on the weekend of March 23 -24. Teams that finish first in each conference will host.
The NAB AFLW Grand Final will be played between the two preliminary final winning teams, with the Grand Final host determined by team with greatest number of wins in the home and away season and percentage, if needed.
The AFL Commission confirmed the recommendation to alter the competition format to conferences following the AFLW Competition Meeting earlier this week.
AFL Head of Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone said the AFLW will again evolve next year with the Geelong Cats and North Melbourne joining the competition.
“The AFLW Competition has evolved quickly and we will continue to progress our competition by being innovative and unique and we see conferences as a part of this,” Ms Livingstone said.
“Conferences will create competitions within the competition as our teams strive for a place in the finals.
“Season three sees two new teams join our competition, and we are excited to firstly provide more opportunity for women to play in the AFLW, and welcome the passionate supporter bases from North Melbourne, Tasmania and Geelong.”
The conferences will be set during the fixture process.
The 2019 NAB AFLW Competition fixture will be released in October.
