THE AFL is exploring the prospect of building an AFLW-specific boutique stadium in Melbourne as it works to consolidate the number of venues used in the women's competition.

With the League focused on harnessing the unique crowd that the AFLW attracts, a purpose-built venue with a capacity of roughly 15,000 is under consideration as it focuses on growing attendances.

Another option being considered is whether one of the current boutique venues in Melbourne like Ikon Park, Mission Whitten Oval or RSEA Park could be redeveloped to become the home of the AFLW.

There is not yet a proposed location for a new venue, should the AFL choose to go down that path, with the League taking lessons from how women's sporting competitions operate across the globe.

Last month, the AFL purchased Waverley Park from the Hawthorn, which will be used for talent pathways programs, community footy, and umpire development.

This season, the AFLW's 117 home-and-away games will be played at 28 different venues, down one from the 29 used last year.

In contrast, the AFL men's season will use 18 venues for its 207 home-and-away games this year.

The discrepancy is reflected in the fact Bonnie Toogood's 64 career games have been played at 30 different venues. David Swallow, meanwhile, has played at 22 venues in his 246 AFL games, which is the most of any men's player.

Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury has played at just 11 different venues in his 418-game career.

The AFL wants to reach a point where there are just four dedicated AFLW venues in Victoria. There will be 10 Victorian grounds used in 2025 – Arden Street, Casey Fields, GMHBA Stadium, Ikon Park, Kinetic Stadium, Mars Stadium, Mission Whitten Oval, RSEA Park, Victoria Park and Windy Hill.

Punt Road will be out of action this season as it prepares for a long-awaited redevelopment, while Victoria Park is currently next in line for work on its facilities.

There has been no increase in the number of tier one venues used for the 2025 AFLW season, with no games at the likes of Marvel Stadium, the MCG and Adelaide Oval.

Instead, the AFL's focus is on filling the 5000-12,000 capacity venues and creating an atmospheric product for both those at the ground and fans viewing from home.

This focus also means there are no double-headers with the men's games, despite the first two rounds of the W season overlapping with the last two rounds of the men's campaign.

The 2025 AFLW season begins on Thursday, August 14.