AFLW 2025 Fixture

[Teen Wolf]

CONFIRMED DETAILS SO FAR

Start
Week beginning August 11 (leading into/coinciding with Round 23 of the men's season)

Grand Final
Saturday 29 November (time TBC)

H&A Length
12 rounds played over 12 weeks


RUMOUR & SPECULATION

Midweek games
Pretty much confirmed to be a feature again but the extent/execution remains to be seen, though we know teams won't be forced to play off consecutive 4-day breaks etc. If they want to have midweek games during school holidays again, that would mean R7 & R8 for Vic and Qld, and R8 & R9 for NSW, WA & SA.

AFLW Gather Round
Reports from 6+ months ago that the AFL was considering doing this in NT. There's also been murmurings about other places wanting to get involved, like Cairns and Geelong, without indication of the AFL's interest.


THINGS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN

Fixture fairness
Every team plays 6 home and 6 away games.
Every team plays 4 games against the top 6 from 2024.
Every team plays 4 games against the middle 6 from 2024.
Every team plays 4 games against the bottom 6 from 2024.

Matchups yet to occur
Essendon vs GWS Giants
Hawthorn vs North Melb.
Melbourne vs Port Adelaide
Melbourne vs Sydney

Matchups that haven't occurred since 2022 S6
Adelaide vs Carlton
Geelong vs GWS Giants
North Melb. vs West Coast
Richmond vs St Kilda
Richmond vs W. Bulldogs
St Kilda vs West Coast

Alleviate H&A matchups with disproportionate home team designation
Melbourne vs North Melb.: last 7 @ Melb
Carlton vs GWS Giants: last 6 in NSW/ACT
Collingwood vs W. Bulldogs: last 5 @ Coll
GWS Giants vs West Coast: last 5 in NSW
Adelaide vs North Melb: last 4 in SA
Brisbane vs Collingwood: last 4 in QLD
Collingwood vs GWS Giants: last 4 in VIC
Geelong vs Gold Coast: last 4 in QLD

Alleviate more H&A matchups with disproportionate home team designation
Adelaide vs Brisbane: last 3 in QLD
Brisbane vs St Kilda: last 3 in VIC
Carlton vs Fremantle: last 3 in WA
Fremantle vs Hawthorn: last 3 in WA
Gold Coast vs North Melb.: last 3 in VIC/TAS
GWS Giants vs North Melb.: last 3 in VIC/TAS
GWS Giants vs Sydney: last 3 @ Syd
Port Adelaide vs West Coast: last 3 in WA
Richmond vs West Coast: last 3 in WA
St Kilda vs W. Bulldogs: last 3 @ WB


100-GAME MILESTONES

Currently on 93 games
Ally Anderson (BL)
Ebony Marinoff (Adel)

Currently on 91 games
Libby Birch (NM)
Breanna Koenen (BL)

Currently on 90 games
Tahlia Randall (NM)

Currently on 89 games
Jasmine Garner (NM)

Currently on 88 games
Emily Bates (Haw)
Shannon Campbell (BL)
Anne Hatchard (Adel)
Emma King (NM)
Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adel)

Currently on 84-87 games
Nobody

 

[Teen Wolf]

Midweek games
Pretty much confirmed to be a feature again but the extent/execution remains to be seen, though we know teams won't be forced to play off consecutive 4-day breaks etc. If they want to have midweek games during school holidays again, that would mean R7 & R8 for Vic and Qld, and R8 & R9 for NSW, WA & SA.

I'm also expecting they will have midweek games to start the season, rather than squeezing in all 18 men's and women's matches into a 48-hour period on the weekend.

R1 could be something like:


Pretty dire from an attendance perspective, but it means never more than 2 games on at the same time, which is probably a non-negotiable.

 

[Liam Boy]

From a North perspective, it'd be nice not to have to play Adelaide and Brisbane away again, but mainly I'm hoping we don't have to go to stupid Casey Fields again. Surely both supporter bases would prefer Princes Park.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Strong chance Melb and NM won't play each other this year anyway.

But the Dees and Hawks should really be North's next opponents in Tassie, given who has/hasn't already been there:

2 - Carl, WB
1 - Adel, BL, Coll, Frem, Geel, GC, GWS, Rich, StK, Syd
0 - Ess, Haw, Melb, PA, WCE

 

[TimothyJ23]

RUMOUR & SPECULATION

Midweek games
Pretty much confirmed to be a feature again but the extent/execution remains to be seen, though we know teams won't be forced to play off consecutive 4-day breaks etc. If they want to have midweek games during school holidays again, that would mean R7 & R8 for Vic and Qld, and R8 & R9 for NSW, WA & SA.

2025 NAB AFLW Season Timing Confirmed

The AFL is pleased to confirm that the 2025 NAB AFLW Season will commence the week beginning August 11, 2025

www.afl.com.au

"What I will confirm is that there'll be no compression. That was a really worthwhile thing to investigate and understand what we could do and there were some good learnings out of that, but there were also some really clear learnings about a desire to not repeat that kind of approach again.

I don't think we're gonna see many midweek games apart from what I assume will be Thursday matches once AFLM enters Week 2 of finals.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I think we will.

"No compression" just means teams not having 3 games in 2 rounds.

Doesn't rule out teams having a 3-round run like this: August 14th (Thurs), August 19th (Tues), August 30th (Sat).

 

[CrowdedHouse]

The crappy thing for Anderson and Marinoff is that their 100 gane milestones will land in AFL Grand Final week, so publicity will be very light.

Ideally, if their milestones landed the week after the AFL Grand Final, a Lions v Crows match would have been perfect for that weekend, as you know both sides have history and would have put on a cracker of a match.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I'm not sure the players would agree that playing a milestone game interstate would be the ideal scenario. Rather, they'd likely prefer to have it at home and make it easier for family members to attend.

A worthwhile priority would therefore be to ensure Adelaide and Brisbane both play at home in Round 7 (and thus not against each other).

 

[CrowdedHouse]

I'll take a stab and say fixture leaks/drips will begin next week.

 

[The Nostradamus]

north should get lions and crows at home this time

After playing both away in season last year

Should finally get hawks for the first time ever also

 

[CURVE]

north should get lions and crows at home this time

After playing both away in season last year

Should finally get hawks for the first time ever also

Perhaps we finally get the Dees at home having played them away every season since we joined.

 

[troybe]

Carlton and Collingwood to kick off the season mirroring 2017 on Thursday August 14

 

[CrowdedHouse]

I'll take a stab and say fixture leaks/drips will begin next week.

Told you all...

Famous rivalry to once again open AFLW season

One of footy's famous rivalries will kick off the AFLW season to mark the 10th season of the competition

www.afl.com.au

 

[Teen Wolf]

Carlton averaged <2k crowds at Ikon Park last year.

I wonder if this handout will help them at least get two-thirds of the rest of the league's numbers.

 

[jdeezy]

Good to see the AFL championing equality between the men and the women by having the first game of Round 1 be between 2 shithouse Victorian clubs.

Surely with a standalone game that week you would want to sell the product with the best match up possible. 14th v 18th ain't it.

 

[AussieNick1999]

Carlton vs Collingwood is a bizarre way to open the season, consider have poor both sides are (and will probably be this year.) With the AFLW still in a growth phase, it's more important to be putting one of your best possible matchups on to start the season than pay homage to two clubs who've done very little in the AFLW for the past few years.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Not only 14th v 18th from 2024, but also the 2 lowest-scoring teams, averaging 22 and 24 each. 2 lowest percentages too, with 44 and 50.

In a vacuum, I can understand the AFL's reluctance to go back to Sydney after their down year and long-term injury to Molloy (who probs won't be R1 ready).

But extrapolating that performance-based logic would mean you'd open the season in Brisbane instead. Hawthorn are yet to play there. Both teams averaged 55 points in 2024 and had good years. Weather in QLD will likely be much better than elsewhere. Brighton Homes Arena always pops on TV...

Bah. It may seem like much ado is placed on the opening match, until you consider the other games for the round will be hidden away at like Friday 4pm, Saturday 11am etc and overshadowed by 9 men's matches too.

 

[____]

North are the reigning premiers. They should be opening the season at home and having the flag unveiling before the game.

 

[AussieNick1999]

North are the reigning premiers. They should be opening the season at home and having the flag unveiling before the game.

North Melbourne vs Adelaide to open the season would be my pick.

 

[____]

North Melbourne vs Adelaide to open the season would be my pick.

I'd have to agree with you there. In both men's and women's footy it should always be the reigning premiers opening at home, but not a GF rematch.

 

[Teen Wolf]

That's difficult to do when home doesn't have floodlights. Sunday 1pm at Arden Street would work ok though.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

North are the reigning premiers. They should be opening the season at home and having the flag unveiling before the game.

Something to ponder.

2nd last round of the men's season, North host Richmond in Hobart.

And their AFLW team is the North Melbourne TASMANIAN Kangaroos.

The 'Roos to unfurl their Premiership Flag at Ninja Stadium as part of a double-header?

 

[AussieNick1999]

That's difficult to do when home doesn't have floodlights. Sunday 1pm at Arden Street would work ok though.

There are alternative grounds around Melbourne if you want to make it a night game.

Personally I think Arden St needs some serious upgrades if it's going to keep hosting AFLW games. I went there for a VFL match a couple years ago and the place was a wasteland. No food available, no toilets except for the indoor sports complex next to the oval, no seating or facilities of any kind for spectators. I know they bring in temporary facilities for AFLW games but it's not a great look in my opinion, and it'd put me off going to games there.

Moorabbin and Whitten Oval look like awesome places to watch footy now that they've been redone, and Punt Road's upgrades look exciting. Hopefully Arden St gets something because it's probably the most soulless ground in Melbourne.

 

[Teen Wolf]

There are alternative grounds around Melbourne if you want to make it a night game.

Personally I think Arden St needs some serious upgrades if it's going to keep hosting AFLW games. I went there for a VFL match a couple years ago and the place was a wasteland. No food available, no toilets except for the indoor sports complex next to the oval, no seating or facilities of any kind for spectators. I know they bring in temporary facilities for AFLW games but it's not a great look in my opinion, and it'd put me off going to games there.

Moorabbin and Whitten Oval look like awesome places to watch footy now that they've been redone, and Punt Road's upgrades look exciting. Hopefully Arden St gets something because it's probably the most soulless ground in Melbourne.

In other words, it's like Casey Fields but 100x better in terms of location.

And I don't think they want to unfurl the flag at somebody else's ground. It's possible the AFL offered that option, as they did to Melbourne for the 2023 opener.

 

[AussieNick1999]

In other words, it's like Casey Fields but 100x better in terms of location.

And I don't think they want to unfurl the flag at somebody else's ground. It's possible the AFL offered that option, as they did to Melbourne for the 2023 opener.

Casey Fields at least has seating, toilets, and a canteen. It's only soulless because it's main tenant is the decaying corpse of a VFL club that nobody supports anymore. Arden St is an office building with a training oval next to it.

If North Melbourne want to raise the flag at their spiritual home, maybe they should build it up to be more than a training and admin base.