We are just hours away from the start of a new AFLW season.
Here’s everything you need to know to stay informed, including the premiership contenders and the big names who have switched clubs amid all the off-season changes.
Every match of the 2024 AFLW season will be live and commercial-free on Fox Sports and Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
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WHEN DOES IT START?
The season kicks off on Friday 30 August with a double header, starting with Sydney v Collingwood from North Sydney Oval at 7.15pm (all times EST), followed by West Coast v Richmond from Mineral Recourses Park at 9.15pm.
Other notable first-round clashes include a showdown between Port Adelaide and Adelaide in Alberton on Saturday evening, and the showdown between Brisbane and North Melbourne in a grand final replay in Ipswich on Sunday afternoon.
HOW CAN I WATCH?
All matches can be watched on Fox Footy and Kayo Sports.
HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS
You can buy tickets and memberships for any club via Ticketmaster here.
Bontempelli skips from All-Australians 2024 | 4:30 am
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THIS YEAR?
The ninth AFLW will once again feature 18 clubs and will consist of 11 home and away matches over 10 weeks, followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top eight teams.
It means that each club has one midweek match between weeks four and seven.
Following trials in the VFL, VFLW and AFLW test matches, ball tracking technology is also being introduced this year to generate scoring assessments, including alerts for when the ball crosses the goal line, if it hits the post or if it is touched along the way.
WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS?
Reigning Prime Minister Brisbane is the favorite to win the flag again, followed by North Melbourne, Adelaide and Melbourne.
While the first clubs have largely dominated the competition since its inception, Sydney Swans superstar Chloe Molloy is tipping a ‘smoky’ to win this year’s premiership as part of the competition’s evolution.
WHEN IS THE GRAND FINAL?
The 2024 AFL Grand Final will be held on November 30, 2024.
‘Thank the Tribunal’ Dempsey Rising Star | 03:51
WHO ARE THE BIG NAMES WHO MOVED CLUBS?
Melbourne has lost several big names including Libby Birch to Melbourne, Maddi Gay to Essendon plus Casey Sherriff and Eliza West to Hawthorn.
Although she has retired from the player ranks, it was perhaps the biggest move of the off-season with Demons legend Daisy Pearce taking over as West Coast coach.
Pearce’s Eagles will be without Aisling McCarthy following her move to Fremantle, while Collingwood’s Ash Brazill and the former Western Bulldogs No.1 have also moved to the Dockers.
It is one of several departures from Whitten Oval, including Kirsty Lamb’s detour to Port Adelaide and Katie Lynch’s move to Gold Coast, with ex-Sun Katie Lynch heading the other way to the Dogs.
Bontempelli named Players MVP! | 03:55
THE CHANGES OUT OF SEASON OF EACH CLUB
Adelaide
Ins: Brooke Boileau, Tamara Henry, Lily Tarlinton (draft), Amy Boyle-Carr (rookie)
Outputs: Montana McKinnon (Richmond), McKenzie Dowrick, Amber Ward, Hannah Button (deleted), Lisa Whiteley, Yvonne Bonner (retired)
Brisbane
Ins: Shanae Davison, Eleanor Hartill (West Coast), Evie Long, Sophie Peters, Indiana Williams, Rania Crozier, Jacinta Baldwick (draft), Kate Lutkins (inactive, pregnancy), Luka Yoshida-Martin (inactive, ACL)
Outputs: Zimmorlei Farquharson, Analea McKee (Western Bulldogs), Kiara Hillier (Sydney), Courtney Murphy, Mikayla Pauga (Greater Western Sydney), Bella Smith (Geelong), Ella Smith (Gold Coast), Phoebe Monahan, Sharni Webb (retired), Brooke Sheridan (deleted, then Essendon), Caitlin Wendland (deleted, then Port Adelaide)
Carlton
Notes: Tarni Brown (Collingwood), Yasmin Duursma (Port Adelaide), Celine Moody (Western Bulldogs), Lila Keck, Meg Robertson (draft), Lulu Beatty (inactive, leg), Maddy Guerin (inactive, ACL)
Outputs: Annie Lee (Collingwood), Paige Trudgeon (St Kilda), Phoebe McWilliams (retired), Imogen Milford, Chloe Wrigley (deleted), Daisy Walker (deleted, then Greater Western Sydney)
Collingwood
Notes: Kalinda Howarth (Gold Coast), Mikayla Hyde (Fremantle), Annie Lee (Carlton), Muireann Atkinson (rookie), Georgia Clark, Lucy Cronin, Amber Schutte (draft), Imogen Evans (injury replacement player)
Outputs: Ash Brazill (Fremantle), Tarni Brown (Carlton), Olivia Barber, Sophie Casey, Imogen Evans, Jo Lin, Emily Smith (cancelled)
Nick Daicos named 2024 coaching champion | 03:06
Essendon
Notes: Maddi Gay (Melbourne), Bess Keaney (Gold Coast), Amy Gaylor (pre-signing extension), Emily Gough, Chloe Adams (draft), Brooke Sheridan (replacement signing)
Outputs: Danielle Marshall, Cat Phillips, Jess Wuetschner (retired), Alana Barba, Leah Cutting, Jo Doonan, Renee Tierney (retired)
Fremantle
Notes: Ash Brazill (Collingwood), Aisling McCarthy (West Coast), Gab Newton (Western Bulldogs), Holly Ifould (draft), Mikayla Morrison (inactive, ACL), Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster, Tunisha Kikoak (replacement signings)
Outputs: Mikayla Hyde (Collingwood), Roxy Roux (West Coast), Emmelie Fielder, Sarah Wielstra, Nikki Nield (canceled)
Geelong
Notes: Bella Smith (Brisbane), Chantal Mason, Bryde O’Rourke (draft), Kate Kenny (rookie), Lilly Pearce, Caitlin Thorne (substitute players)
Outputs: Annabel Johnson (West Coast), Renee Garing, Erin Hoare (retired), Sam Gooden*, Ingrid Houtsma, Mia Skinner (deleted)
Harley Reid awarded as Best First Year | 02:31
Gold Coast
Notes: Katie Lynch (Western Bulldogs), Ella Smith (Brisbane), Charlotte Wilson (Melbourne), Keely Fullerton, Taya Oliver, Kiara Bischa, Sienna McMullen, Annabel Kievit (draft), Lauren McConville (injury replacement player)
Outputs: Lauren Ahrens, Jasmyn Smith (Western Bulldogs), Giselle Davies (Sydney), Alison Drennan (West Coast), Kalinda Howarth (Collingwood), Bess Keaney (Essendon), Kaylee Kimber, Tahlia Meyer, Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster (cancelled), Claire Ransom (deleted, then Greater Western Sydney)
GWS Giants
Notes: Courtney Murphy, Mikayla Pauga (Brisbane), Aliesha Newman (Sydney), Daisy Walker (Carlton), Claire Ransom (Gold Coast), Kaitlyn Srhoj, Indigo Linde (draft), Meghan Gaffney (inactive, ACL), Eilish O’Dowd ( rookie), Jemma Ramsdale (injury replacement player)
Outputs: Rene Caris (St Kilda), Ally Dallaway, Jodie Hicks (Richmond), Annalyse Lister (retired), Tess Cattle, Zara Hamilton, Tait Mackrill, Teagan Germech, Isadora McLeay (deleted), Grace Hill (deleted, then Melbourne)
Hawthorn
Notes: Casey Sherriff, Eliza West (Melbourne), Hayley McLaughlin, Laura Stone, Jess Vukic (expansion pre-signing), Sophie Butterworth, Mikayla Williamson (draft)
Outputs: Catherine Brown, Tegan Cunningham, Tamara Luke, Akec Makur Chuot (retired), Janet Baird, Zoe Barbakos, Sarah Perkins (retired)
Zak Butters named most courageous player | 2:30 am
Melbourne
Notes: Lily Johnson (Port Adelaide), Alyssia Pisano, Ryleigh Wotherspoon, Jacinta Hose, Jemma Rigoni, Delaney Madigan (draft), Grace Hill (replacement signing), Denby Taylor (replacement signing), Grace Beasley (rookie)
Out: Libby Birch (North Melbourne), Maddi Gay (Essendon), Casey Sherriff, Eliza West (Hawthorn), Charlotte Wilson (Gold Coast), Georgina Fowler (retired), Jordan Ivey, Samantha Johnson* (deleted)
North Melbourne
Notes: Libby Birch (Melbourne), Ella Slocombe, Georgia Stubs (draft), Zoe Savarirayan (inactive, ACL), Vikki Wall (inactive, rugby), Blaithin Bogue (rookie), Sophie Kavanagh (replacement signing)
Outputs: Ellie Gavalas (Western Bulldogs), Ailish Considine (retired), Hannah Bowey, Charli Granville, Cassidy Mailer, Sophia McCarthy (deleted)
Port Adelaide
Notes: Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs), Molly Brooksby, Shineah Goody, Lauren Young (expansion pre-signing), Alissa Brook, Piper Window (draft), Teagan Germech, Caitlin Wendland, Jo Miller (replacement signings)
Outputs: Yasmin Duursma (Carlton), Lily Johnson (Melbourne), Erin Phillips (retired), Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap, Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap, Jade de Melo, Jade Halfpenny, Maggie MacLachlan, Jacqui Yorston (deleted)
Bontempelli named Best Captain of 2024 | 01:24
Richmond
Notes: Ally Dallway, Jodie Hicks (Greater Western Sydney), Montana McKinnon (Adelaide), Isabel Bacon, Mackenzie Ford (draft), Tessa Lavey (inactive, toe), Tamara Luke (injury replacement player)
Outputs: Meagan Kiely (retired), Jess Hosking (deleted, then West Coast), Sarah D’Arcy, Meg Macdonald, Lilly Pearce, Stephanie Williams (deleted)
Saint Kilda
Notes: Rene Caris (Greater Western Sydney), Paige Trudgeon (Carlton), Kiera Whiley, Charlotte Simpson (draft), Emmelie Fiedler (injury replacement)
Outputs: Rosie Dillon, Deanna Jolliffe, Erin McKinnon, Renee Saulitis, Jayde Van Dyk (deleted)
Sydney Swans
Notes: Giselle Davies (Gold Coast), Kiara Hiller (Brisbane), Holly Cooper (expansion pre-signing), Sarah Grunden, Lara Hausegger (draft), Hayley Bullas, Maddy Collier (inactive, ACL)
Outputs: Aliesha Newman (Greater Western Sydney), Jaide Anthony, Kiara Beesley, Sarah Ford, Jennifer Higgins, Bridie Kennedy, Kate Reynolds (canceled)
Dees “does not comment” on the future of Petracca | 02:41
West Coast
Notes: Alison Drennan (Gold Coast), Annabel Johnson (Geelong), Roxy Roux (Fremantle), Jess Hosking (Richmond), Verity Simmons (rookie), Jess Rentsch, Kayley Kavanagh, Georgie Cleaver, Matilda Sergeant (concept), Sanne Bakker, Octavia Di Donato, Jayme Harken, Tess Lyons (replacement signings)
Outputs: Shanae Davison, Eleanor Hartill (Brisbane), Aisling McCarthy (Fremantle), Kate Bartlett, Emma Humphries, Aimee Schmidt, Jess Sedunary, Isabella Simmons (retired), Krstel Petrevski, Ella Smith (retired)
Western Bulldogs
Notes: Lauren Ahrens, Jasmyn Smith (Gold Coast), Zimmorlei Farquharson, Analea McKee (Brisbane), Ellie Gavalas (North Melbourne), Mua Laloifi (Carlton), Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Brooke Barwick, Elaine Grigg, Cleo Buttifant, Jorja Borg (draft), Kaylee Kimber (injury replacement player)
Outputs: Kirsty Lamb (Port Adelaide), Katie Lynch (Gold Coast), Celine Moody (Carlton), Gab Newton (Fremantle), Richelle Cranston, Kirsten McLeod (retired), Daisy Bateman, Bailey Hunt, Millie Brown, Gemma Lagioia (deleted)
