- Blockbuster opening round: Traditional season opener between Carlton and Collingwood at Ikon Park, Grand Final rematch at Norwood Oval, and Essendon and Hawthorn playing their first AFLW game at the historic ETU Stadium.
- All 18 clubs will host an Indigenous Round clash, with celebrations spread across Rounds 3 and 4. There will be the first-ever AFLW Dreamtime Match between Essendon and Richmond in 2022.
- With expansion complete, fans from every state can attend local derbies at major stadiums including the SCG, the Gabba, Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval.
- AFLW games will be hosted in the regional towns of Ballarat, Warrnambool, Mildura, and Mackay.
- Toyota Good for Footy Round will take place in Round 6, celebrating the completion of a highlight successful year of community footy across the country.
- Pride Round to be held in Round 8, headlined with a Pride double-header on Saturday at Ikon Park.
- Friday Night Footy will see double-headers across women’s and men’s competitions, being played for the full 10 weeks.
- All Saturday games across September will be floating to maximise double-header opportunities throughout the 2022 Toyota AFL Finals Series.
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The AFL is pleased to announce the official 2022 NAB AFLW Season Seven fixture.
Season Seven will commence on Thursday, August 25 when traditional rivals Carlton and Collingwood Ikon Park, 7.10 pm AEST, in a Thursday night blockbuster.
Round 1 will see the four new clubs playing their first-ever AFLW games on Saturday 27 August, in another historic occasion for female football.
Port Adelaide will play the West Coast Eagles at 3.10 pm AEST, before hosting their first AFLW home game at Alberton in Round Two.
The Sydney Swans will host St Kilda in their inaugural AFLW match at North Sydney Oval, at 5.10 pm AEST, while Essendon and Hawthorn ignite one of the oldest rivalries in football at ETU Stadium at 7.10pm AEST.
The Season Six AFLW Grand Final rematch between Adelaide and Melbourne will take place at Norwood Oval, at 7 pm local time.
Key highlights of this season’s fixture include the third annual AFLW Indigenous Round across Rounds 3 and 4, featuring the first-ever AFLW Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond.
The Toyota Good For Footy Round will return in round 6, thanks to Toyota Australia, and the widely celebrated Pride Round will take over in round 8, headlined with a Pride double-header on Saturday at Ikon Park.
Friday Night Footy will see double-headers across both the women’s and men’s competitions played for the full 10 weeks of the season.
All Saturday games across September will be floating times to allow for double-header opportunities to coincide with the AFL Finals series.
Round 10 will also be a floating round, with timing to be confirmed closer to the round to optimise scheduling outcomes heading into the AFLW finals.
With the 18-team competition, the AFLW Finals series will increase from three to four weeks and will feature the top eight teams, and a single ladder will be in place for the season.
AFL General Manager Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone said that the expansion into an 18-team competition will be a showcase of remarkable progression for female football.
“Season Seven is shaping up to be a thrilling fourteen weeks of elite football. We have 540 athletes ready to do battle, with new and old rivalries ignited, the next generation of talent ready to shine, and our game’s superstars preparing for our biggest season yet.
“History will be made with Hawthorn, Sydney Swans, Port Adelaide, and Essendon entering the competition – and we’re challenging every footy fan and supporter of women’s sport to show up and support our athletes.
“With the 18-team competition now whole I want to acknowledge the role of every woman’s football pioneer – player, administrator, umpire, coach, volunteer, supporter – whose commitment and passion to women’s football has accelerated the development of the AFLW since its inception in 2017.”
AFL General Manager Competitions, Laura Kane, said the blend of blockbuster games and local stadiums will be a big win for women’s football fans.
“We’ve fixtured some of the biggest matches at metro stadiums, with the Gabba, SCG, Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval set to host local derbies in Season Seven.”
“We’re also playing at suburban grounds, bringing the game closer to even more fans, with matches in Ballarat, Warrnambool, Mildura, and Mackay,” said Kane.
AFL Executive General Manager Finance, Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld said the 2022 NAB AFLW Season Seven fixture was a major win for footy fans and supporters of women’s football.
“We’re introducing more double-headers, with back-to-back games across both women’s and men’s played on Friday nights throughout the season.
“The Saturday games throughout September will be floating times, enabling double-header fixtures during the AFL Final Series in the men’s competition.
“We’re doing everything we can to give AFLW fans the best experience and opportunity to support their favourite team,” said Auld.
All Season Seven matches will be broadcast live on the Seven Network, FOX FOOTY, Kayo, and streamed live via the Official AFL app and womens.afl and the Official AFLW App thanks to Telstra.
The AFL would like to acknowledge the naming rights partner for the AFLW Competition, the National Australia Bank (NAB), for providing outstanding support for all levels of women’s football.
NAB has supported the footy community since 2002, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick through to the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program all the way to the big time. In the fifth year as principal partner of the AFLW, NAB is proud to once again be supporting the competition in 2022, providing many women the opportunity of playing at the elite level and many girls across the country with something to aspire to.
