REIGNING premier Melbourne will open the 2023 NAB AFLW season against Collingwood under lights in a blockbuster clash at Ikon Park on Friday, September 1.
After protracted Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations between the AFL and the AFLPA, the two bodies have finalised details of a 10-round home and away season with four weeks of finals, the same length as season seven in 2022.
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There is yet to be an agreement on the length of the competition going forward, with CBA negotiations between the two parties ongoing. However, AFLPA boss Paul Marsh says there is a "commitment from the AFL for growth in AFLW games from 2024 and beyond".
The season will begin in 46 days on Friday, September 1, during the pre-finals bye of the men's competition, with the Grand Final to be held on Sunday, December 3.
The re-jigged season opener between the Demons and Magpies means Carlton - which has played the Pies in four of the seven season-openers to date, including last August - has been pushed to Saturday afternoon in round one, against Gold Coast at home.
Round one will be a weekend of intrastate battles, with the Western Derby between Fremantle and West Coast (Fremantle Oval), the Showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide (Norwood Oval) and the Sydney Derby between the Swans and Giants (North Sydney Oval) all taking place.
The long-awaited clash between Geelong and Melbourne will finally occur for the first time in round five, which has been dubbed a 'festival of footy' that will coincide with the AFL men's Grand Final weekend.
The Demons and Cats, who have not faced each other in an official AFLW match since the latter joined the competition in 2019, will start the round at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night.
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Four games will be played on the Friday, which is a public holiday in Victoria, including a double-header at Ikon Park and one match at VU Whitten Oval.
Just one match will occur on Grand Final day itself, with Collingwood and Essendon locking horns at AIA Centre in the morning, with the Pies currently one of the hot favourites to feature in the men's decider across the road at the MCG later that afternoon.
Indigenous Round will be held across rounds seven and eight to give all teams an opportunity to celebrate it as a home game, with Pride Round to come in round 10.
The season will finish with a bang in round 10, with highlights including a Grand Final rematch between Melbourne and Brisbane, two battles between likely finals contenders (Collingwood v Richmond and Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne) and Geelong to face Hawthorn for the first time in the AFLW.
STATEMENT AFL confirms fixture for 2023 NAB AFLW season
Dates and times for round 10 will be locked in later in the season, a practice that runs across both men's and women's competitions to afford finalists a fairer break.
Ten rounds for an 18-team competition means sides will again play only 10 of 17 rival clubs, with the fixture appearing to be weighted depending on last season's finishing position, as is the case with the men's competition.
After a poor season last year, Carlton will not face any of the big three of Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne - the only side to dodge all three of that trio.
Expansion sides Essendon and Sydney have also avoided three of the four preliminary finalists from last season, with wooden spooners Swans arguably given the easiest draw as the only team to play four bottom-five teams.
Port Adelaide will face three top-four sides but only one additional finalist in Geelong, while elimination finalist Western Bulldogs have a noticeably tougher draw this season, with games against Adelaide, Melbourne and North Melbourne.
Preliminary finalists Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and North Melbourne play all three of their fellow top-four sides across a series of heavyweight clashes.
Unlike last season, when the potential Grand Final venues were not finalised until nine days before the decider, Grand Final venues have been locked in for all 18 teams, should they earn hosting rights by being the highest-placed finisher. The possible Grand Final venues are:
* Alberton Oval: Port Adelaide
* Norwood Oval: Adelaide
* Brighton Homes Arena: Brisbane and Gold Coast
* Fremantle Oval: Fremantle
* GMHBA Stadium: Geelong
* Henson Park: GWS and Sydney
* Leederville Oval: West Coast
* Ikon Park: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs
A number of tier-one stadiums around the country are unavailable in early December due to cricket.
There will also be a handful of new home venues this season, including:
* Essendon to play AFLW games at Windy Hill for the first time, while it will also host a game at Reid Oval, Warrnambool
* Richmond to be based at Ikon Park as redevelopment is scheduled at the Swinburne Centre
* Hawthorn to host Richmond in a one-off match at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns
* The remainder of the Hawks' home games to be played at Kinetic Stadium, Frankston, with Box Hill City Oval no longer in play
* Western Bulldogs will return to VU Whitten Oval in round five after its redevelopment, having hosted games at Ikon Park last season. The Dogs will play a number of away games in the opening month of the season, as well as a match at Mars Stadium, Ballarat
"While the 18 clubs have been working towards key dates, it was important to get reach an agreement with the Players’ Association and not delay the fixture any further to provide certainty to players, clubs and fans," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said.
"We thank the AFLPA, led by Paul and their delegates for their commitment and our aim now is to make 2023 the best season yet, while we collaborate on the sustainable growth of the competition, both in number of games, attendances and overall engagement.
"The AFL is incredibly proud of the growth women’s football in the past seven years and remain committed to growing the competition in a sustainable way as we continue to invest heavily in driving attendance and viewership this season."
General manager of women's football Nicole Livingstone said the AFL was grateful for the support of players and clubs in their preparation for the season while the CBA was still being deliberated.
"The size and scale of the AFLW competition has grown significantly since its inception – we have all 18 clubs represented, 540 players and have increased the number of matches played by 241% over the history of the competition," Livingstone said.
AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh reiterated that CBA negotiations remain ongoing, and the organisation has stated on a number of occasions its goal is to have a 17-round competition by 2026.
"The AFLW players are deeply committed to the growth of the AFLW competition as partners in the game," Marsh said.
"It is with this objective at the forefront that player leaders have signed-off on the AFL’s release of a 10-game home and away fixture for 2023. This agreement has formed part of our CBA negotiations with the AFL and comes with a commitment from the AFL for growth in AFLW games from 2024 and beyond.
"Players believe the release of the fixture will provide fans and clubs with the certainty needed to deliver a successful and exciting 2023 season of AFLW.
"The CBA negotiations between the AFLPA and AFL remain ongoing. Progress has been made in recent weeks, however there is still much work to be done before a proposed deal can be considered by players."
Check the full fixture on womens.afl and the AFLW App, with AFLW fixtures also available in the AFL Live Official App and AFL.com.au via the Match Centre
2023 NAB AFLW fixture
ROUND ONE
Friday, September 1
Melbourne v Collingwood at IKON Park, 7:20pm AEST (Seven)
Saturday, September 2
Carlton v Gold Coast at IKON Park, 1:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Adelaide v Port Adelaide at Norwood Oval, 2:35pm ACST (Foxtel)
Geelong v Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Hawthorn v Essendon at Kinetic Stadium, 7:15pm AEST (Seven)
Sunday, September 3
North Melbourne v St Kilda at Blundstone Arena, 1:05pm AEST (Seven)
Sydney v Greater Western Sydney at North Sydney Oval, 3:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Brisbane v Richmond at Brighton Homes Arena, 3:05pm AEST (Seven)
Fremantle v West Coast at Fremantle Oval, 3:05pm AWST (Foxtel)
ROUND TWO
Friday, September 8
Richmond v Adelaide at IKON Park, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Saturday, September 9
Gold Coast v West Coast at Heritage Bank Stadium, 11:05am AEST (Foxtel)
Port Adelaide v Brisbane at Alberton Oval, 12:35pm ACST (Foxtel)
Sydney v Geelong at North Sydney Oval, 1:05pm AEST (Seven)
Sunday, September 10
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn at Mars Stadium, 1:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Collingwood v Fremantle at Victoria Park, 1:05pm AEST (Seven)
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Carlton at Arden Street, 3:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Essendon v St Kilda at Windy Hill, 3:05pm AEST (Seven)
Greater Western Sydney v Melbourne at Manuka Oval, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
ROUND THREE
Friday, September 15
Geelong v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at GMHBA Stadium, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Saturday, September 16
Greater Western Sydney v Richmond at Blacktown International Sports Park, 1:05pm (Foxtel)
Adelaide v Essendon at Unley Oval, 2:35pm ACST (Foxtel)
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs at Casey Fields, 3:05pm AEST (Seven)
Fremantle v Hawthorn at Fremantle Oval, 3:05pm AWST (Foxtel)
Sunday, September 17
St Kilda v Port Adelaide at RSEA Park, 1:05pm AEST (Seven)
Collingwood v Gold Coast at Victoria Park, 3:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
West Coast v Carlton at Mineral Resources Park, 1:05pm AWST (Seven)
Brisbane v Sydney at Brighton Homes Arena, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
ROUND FOUR
Friday, September 22
Hawthorn v Melbourne at Kinetic Stadium, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Saturday, September 23
Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide at Manuka Oval, 11:05am AEST (Foxtel)
Carlton v Richmond at IKON Park, 1:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Port Adelaide v Geelong at Alberton Oval, 12:35pm ACST (Seven)
Sunday, September 24
Sydney v West Coast at Henson Park, 1:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Brisbane at UTAS Stadium, 1:05pm AEST (Seven)
Essendon v Fremantle at Windy Hill, 3:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
St Kilda v Collingwood at RSEA Park, 3:05pm AEST (Seven)
Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs at Heritage Bank Stadium, 5:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
ROUND FIVE
Thursday, September 28
Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium, 6:15pm AEST (Foxtel)
Friday, September 29
Richmond v Fremantle at IKON Park, 1:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Carlton v Sydney at IKON Park, 4:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda at Whitten Oval, 7:15pm AEST (Seven)
West Coast v Port Adelaide at Mineral Resources Park, 7:15pm AWST (Foxtel)
Saturday, September 30
Collingwood v Essendon at AIA Centre, 11:05am AEST (Seven)
Sunday, October 1
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Greater Western Sydney at Arden Street, 1:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Hawthorn v Brisbane at Kinetic Stadium, 3:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Adelaide v Gold Coast at Unley Oval, 4:35pm ACDT (Foxtel)
ROUND SIX
Friday, October 6
Western Bulldogs v Carlton at Whitten Oval, 7:15pm AEDT (Seven)
Saturday, October 7
Greater Western Sydney v West Coast at Blacktown International Sports Park, 1:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Melbourne v Adelaide at Casey Fields, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
St Kilda v Hawthorn at RSEA Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Port Adelaide v Sydney at Alberton Oval, 4:35pm ACDT (Foxtel)
Brisbane v Collingwood at Brighton Homes Arena, 6:15pm AEST (Seven)
Sunday, October 8
Essendon v Geelong at Reid Oval (Warrnambool), 1:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Richmond v Gold Coast at IKON Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Fremantle v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at Fremantle Oval, 2:05pm AWST (Foxtel)
ROUND SEVEN
Friday, October 13
Adelaide v Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval, 6:45pm ACDT (Seven)
Saturday, October 14
St Kilda v Greater Western Sydney at RSEA Park, 1:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Geelong v Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Sydney v Hawthorn at Henson Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Gold Coast v Brisbane at Heritage Bank Stadium, 4:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Richmond v Essendon at IKON Park, 7:20pm AEDT (Seven)
Sunday, October 15
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Port Adelaide at Arden Street, 1:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Carlton v Collingwood at IKON Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Seven)
West Coast v Melbourne at Mineral Resources Park, 2:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
ROUND EIGHT
Friday, October 20
Hawthorn v Richmond at Cazaly's Stadium (Cairns), 6:45pm AEST (Seven)
Saturday, October 21
Western Bulldogs v Sydney at Whitten Oval, 1:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Brisbane v Adelaide at Brighton Homes Arena, 2:05pm AEST (Foxtel)
Greater Western Sydney v Carlton at Henson Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Port Adelaide v Gold Coast at Alberton Oval, 4:35pm ACDT (Foxtel)
Melbourne v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at IKON Park, 7:15pm AEDT (Seven)
Sunday, October 22
Collingwood v Geelong at Victoria Park, 1:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Fremantle v St Kilda at Fremantle Oval, 12:05pm AWST (Seven)
Essendon v West Coast at Windy Hill, 5:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
ROUND NINE
Friday, October 27
Gold Coast v Greater Western Sydney at Heritage Bank Stadium, 6:45pm AEST (Foxtel)
Saturday, October 28
Melbourne v Fremantle at Casey Fields, 1:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
St Kilda v Brisbane at RSEA Park, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
Essendon v Carlton at Windy Hill, 3:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
West Coast v Western Bulldogs at Mineral Resources Park, 2:05pm AWST (Foxtel)
Richmond v Geelong at IKON Park, 7:15pm AEDT (Seven)
Sunday, October 29
Sydney v Collingwood at Henson Park, 1:05pm AEDT (Seven)
Adelaide v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at Unley Oval, 2:35pm ACDT (Seven)
Hawthorn v Port Adelaide at Kinetic Stadium, 5:05pm AEDT (Foxtel)
ROUND 10
Friday, November 3 - Sunday, November 5
Brisbane v Melbourne at Brighton Homes Arena, date and time TBC
Carlton v St Kilda at Ikon Park, date and time TBC
Collingwood v Richmond, Victoria Park, date and time TBC
Fremantle v Sydney at Fremantle Oval, date and time TBC
Geelong v Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium, date and time TBC
Gold Coast v Essendon at Great Barrier Reef Arena (Mackay), date and time TBC
Port Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney at Alberton Oval, date and time TBC
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at Whitten Oval, date and time TBC
West Coast v Adelaide at Mineral Resources Park, date and time TBC
