Football

Irish women’s Aussie Rules involvement could be curbed after calls to run AFLW alongside men’s season

Majority of female players favour March to September season which would overlap with All-Ireland LGFA Championship

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 31: Blaithin Mackin of the Demons runs with the ball under pressure from Zali Friswell of the Cats during the round one AFLW match between Geelong Cats and Melbourne Demons at GMHBA Stadium, on August 31, 2024, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
AFLW Rd 1 - Geelong v Melbourne Armagh's Blaithín Mackin is in her third season with the Melbourne Demons but has so far managed to combine her Aussie Rules career with his Gaelic football commitments as the seasons do not overlap (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
By AHMER KHOKHAR

The winds of change are sweeping through the AFLW season with the potential fallout posing a dilemma for GAA women with ambitions of playing in both sporting codes in 2025 and beyond.

There is currently a record number of 33 Irish women on the books of AFLW clubs this season including nine from Ulster.

Up until this year, GAA women were free to play in the All-Ireland Ladies ‘s Football Championship before travelling 10,000 miles across the other side of the world in time for the AFLW season kick off at the end of August.

However, the AFL has recently confirmed that the women’s season could start as early as July or even earlier which would inevitably lead to a cross-code clash with the All-Ireland Ladies Football finals scheduled for the first weekend in August.

Blaithin Bogue
Blaithin Bogue helped Fermanagh to an All-Ireland junior football title this season before traveling to Australia to hook up with her North Melbourne team-mates

Leading a chorus of voices demanding change to the AFLW season is well-connected broadcaster Kelli Underwood who today revealed that a majority of AFLW players would welcome the women’s season running concurrently alongside the men’s AFL season which runs from March to September.

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“It’s time for a rethink, a reset heading into Season 10 next year,” Underwood said.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the AFL saying: ‘We’ve experimented, and it didn’t work.’ That’s what they did in January and February, they started there, and it didn’t work.

“Now they’ve done this for a few years.

“There’s growing support – and I think it makes sense – for the AFLW to start at the men’s bye in mid-season (in June).

“It’s becoming more clear and obvious that October and November is just too hard.”

Last year AFLW players received a 29 per cent pay rise, which resulted in incomes of $AUD60,000 (£31,000) up from $AUD46,000 (£23,800).  AFLW players’ salaries will rise to $AUD82,000 (£42,400) by 2027.