SYDNEY, Adelaide and Brisbane have combined forces to pull together a series of AFLW scratch matches over the next month.
As reported by AFL.com.au, varying plans have been pitched to the AFL, and it's understood a fixture has now been agreed upon after protracted discussions that left most anticipating the concept wouldn't come to life.
Non-Victorian clubs have been working out how to handle the long AFLW off-season, given they don't have access to affiliate state league clubs, with pre-season starting in mid-May.
Victorian teams – with the exception of Richmond – all have either direct VFLW teams under their rooves, or affiliations with independent Victorian clubs.
Sydney and Greater Western Sydney withdrew from the VFLW this year after a five-game stint last season, with concerns around the strength of opposition, the loading and de-loading of players before pre-season, the travel and expense.
The Swans will kick off the non-Vic festival with a match against Adelaide next week, with the following week seeing an all-Swans scratch match with Academy and top AFL Sydney talent.
Brisbane joins the party in a fortnight's time, combining forces with fierce on-field rival Adelaide to face the Swans in Sydney, then rounding out the month with an Adelaide/Brisbane side v Sydney in Adelaide.
Sydney will be able to field 12 AFLW players, with the rest made up of state league and top-age club Academy prospects.
The combined Crows/Lions team will be made up of a maximum of eight AFLW-listed players each, the two sides then taking turns to supply top-ups.
The mini-tournament will be funded by the clubs.
Both GWS and Gold Coast had previously indicated they would stick to their own internal voluntary training sessions in the off-season, but were keen to help lock in longer-term plans.
The SANFLW home and away season runs from mid-March to July, while the WAFLW (with a new side in Perth) has shifted back a month, now running from the end of March to the start of August.
The QAFLW (which has had two new teams in Moreton Bay and Morningside added) will be played from the start of April to mid-August.
South Australian, West Australian and Queensland AFLW clubs can release their players to these competitions if they choose, but given there are no direct affiliations between non-Victorian AFLW teams and state league sides, issues around load management, position choices and game styles come to the fore, as well as the level of competition.
Clubs are increasingly seeing greater value in the scrimmages held during the season – consisting of cobbled-together sides of unselected AFLW players – feeling it is a higher quality game than most state league matches.
