The AFL has today announced that Laura Kane will lead the NAB AFLW competition under a strengthened structure as it approaches its eleventh season.
The new structure follows a thorough review of the AFLW competition’s resourcing and introduces dedicated executive-level ownership as well as increased investment across Growth and Operations.
Kane will lead the AFLW competition into the 2026 season and beyond as Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations.
Under her leadership, the AFLW team will be bolstered across two key high-impact streams – Growth and Operations.
Emma Moore will lead the Growth stream as General Manager of AFLW Growth, while Trish Squires will lead the Operations stream as Head of AFLW Operations. Both roles will report directly to Kane.
Moore will lead the elevation of AFLW with the ambition of establishing the competition as Australia’s leading women’s sport.
Moore will drive commercial innovation strategy, deepen brand advocacy and build a larger, loyal fanbase to ensure the AFLW’s sustainable future.
Squires’ appointment as Head of AFLW Operations follows her five-year tenure as Head of AFL Queensland and International and four years as CEO AFL Tasmania.
In her new role, Squires will hold overall operational accountability for the AFLW competition, leading season delivery and supporting clubs to deliver outstanding match-day experiences. Squires will remain based in Brisbane, Queensland.
Five additional roles across AFLW partnerships, fan development, internal and external stakeholder engagement and operations will also be created to support Moore and Squires.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the changes reflect the league’s ongoing commitment to the growth and success of AFLW.
“AFLW has evolved significantly over its first 10 seasons. The game is improving, women and girls’ participation is strong and the infrastructure continues to build. The competition both on and off the field is stronger than ever before, but there is still work to be done,” Dillon said.
“We want everyone to love and connect with Australia’s game, specifically, we want AFLW to become Australia’s leading women’s sport so we are investing in the right areas to support our clubs, our players and fans, as we continue to build a strong and sustainable future.
“This new leadership structure, alongside increased investment in Growth and Operations, will see the competition better positioned than ever to have more people engaged in AFLW.”
In the first announcement under Kane’s guidance, the league has confirmed a change to the AFLW payment structure which will see the competition’s current tiered model transition to an open Salary Cap model from 2027 onwards.
The introduction of the Salary Cap model will see the introduction of a number of new mechanisms including:
- Underspend and overspend capacity from 2028
- Ratchet clauses for contracts extending beyond the terms of the current CBA
- Incentives for Best and Fairest achievements
The transition away from a tiered system will include a change to the qualifications around Restricted Free Agency, and the ability of previously-listed AFLW players to nominate their own terms entering the AFLW Draft.
“With a view to supporting long-term competitive balance, this further evolution of the player movement ecosystem follows the introduction of the AFLW National Draft in 2024,” Kane said.
“The new player payment framework has been designed collaboratively by the AFL and AFLPA to provide greater contracting flexibility in the future for clubs and players alike.
“This is a positive step forward for the competition and I’d like to thank the AFLPA for their collaboration and support.”
Over the coming weeks, the competition will begin a stepped period of transition towards a Salary Cap model.
