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All 18 AFL clubs will have an AFLW squad for the start of the 2022-2023 season after the league has licensed Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has confirmed that the women’s competition will be expanded to 18 teams in what he described as a “defining day in Australian football history”.
“The remaining four clubs, Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans will join AFLW competition in 2022, ready for season seven,” McLachlan told reporters Thursday. “Simply, the competition is now complete.
“Having 18 AFLW clubs is sending a message to all women who play soccer that they can play for one of our 18 teams. “
The league has taken a phased approach to expansion throughout its history, starting with an eight-team competition in 2017, which expanded to 10 teams by 2019 and 14 by 2020.
Plans for further expansions were announced in May and all four Hawks, Bombers, Swans and Power had to present their cases for an AFLW team.
Hawthorn and Essendon, who didn’t apply for a license until the inaugural season and then missed out on 2019 and 2020 promotions, have particularly expressed their desire for women’s teams in recent years.
The Bombers and Hawks are both field teams in the VFLW competition while the Swans and Power have academy programs.
The 2021-22 season, which has been brought forward to an early December, will be a 14-team competition with 10 round-trip rounds and finals.
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