It’s been hard to miss the seismic global momentum happening in Women’s sport of late.

The Matildas have been playing to record sell-out crowds across Australia and ‘Mary Fowler is God’ is chalked onto footpaths everywhere.

WNBA basketball rookie sensation Caitlin Clark has almost single-handedly elevated her Indiana Fever team to unprecedented viewership, attendances and playoffs in the USA.  

Our female Aussie Paris 2024 Olympians won 13 out of Australia’s all-time record 18 gold medals.   

Jess Fox, Nina Kennedy, and Kaylee McKeown are now generational sporting superheroes.  

After a period of stagnation, will AFLW cash in on this tangible enthusiasm for women’s sport?  

Well, newly minted AFLW General Manager, Emma Moore, will surely be hoping so.   

The 2024 AFLW season kicks off 7:15pm this Friday night at the picturesque North Sydney Oval. 

Taking battle are two of the higher supported teams with superstar Chloe Molloy’s Sydney Swans taking on skipper Bri Davey’s Collingwood Magpies.  

This season promises to be closer than ever before with more teams realistically having a chance of finals. Encouragingly for spectators, the practice matches noticeably displayed higher levels of skills, speed and scoring.  

New rules and stuff

The games are now 15 minutes plus time on, so expect quarters go for around 19-20 minutes.

For the first time in AFLW there will be score reviews with the bunker’s ‘tools’ to include broadcast vision and new smart ball technology, ‘Score Assist’.  

The AFLW draft in December 2024 will transition to a fully national model.

The AFL and players’ union have struck an increased AFLW pay agreement. The 5-year deal includes adding extra rounds to upcoming seasons, subject to attainment of key audience metrics.  

The Fixture

Season 9 is an 11-round season squeezed into ten weeks.  

In order to create a fixture which produces more even matches, the league handicaps the better teams.  

The shorter season means teams don’t play 6 of the other 17 teams during the season.  

The top 8 teams make finals.  

For the third year, all 18 AFL teams are represented, with Tasmania to enter in 2028.  

Dees fixture perspective

Melbourne has been given a very tough draw.

The Dees campaign opens with tough games against three of Season 8’s preliminary finalists: Geelong (at Kardinia Park), Brisbane (Premiers) and North (at Casey Fields). We meet Adelaide in Round 7 (at Norwood).  

The Dees miss games against Port Adelaide (who looked very impressive in our practice match), Sydney, Gold Coast, Carlton, Western Bulldogs and West Coast Eagles.

However, we play away games against Dockers, Bombers (playing for the first time ever) at Windy Hill, the Saints at Moorabbin and the fast-improving Hawks in Cairns.

Demons list changes – 9 new players

Departures

At trade time, the Dees jettisoned four regulars plus a backup defender. Eliza West and Casey Sherriff were traded to Hawthorn, Maddi Gay to Essendon, Libby Birch to North and Charlotte Wilson to Gold Coast.  Sammie Johnson and Jordie Ivey were delisted. Georgina Fowler retired without a debut.

Trades

Grace Beasley comes to the Dees from a successful US college basketball background. Very professional, with toughness and spatial awareness. Expect Grace to play midfield.

Lily Johnson from Port Adelaide was injured during preseason, but she could slot in nicely as a small defender with her excellent kicking skills. She impressed during her VFLW matches.  

Tall defender Grace Hill via GWS Giants and utility Denby Taylor via Geelong’s VFLW team are the other additions.

Draft

Pick 5: Alyssia Pisano, is a 162cm crafty small forward who kicked 38 goals from 11 games in the Talent League Girls using her dynamite left foot.

Pick 12: Ryleigh Wotherspoon, is a 170cm powerful, athletic utility who has a cricket, soccer and softball background. Ryleigh impressed in both practice games so pencil her name in for Round 1.

Pick 24: Jacinta Hose is a 185cm agile tall.  She has done ACLs in both knees and will rehab in 2024.

Pick 29: Jemma Rigoni, is a father-daughter selection.She is 172cm and lightning quick. The talented left-footer will proudly wear her father Guy’s No. 43.

Pick 55: Delany Madigan, is a 174cm tall defender with strong marking and kicking skills.

Rehab

Exciting Gaelic star Aimee Mackin has done her ACL and is out for season 2024.

Unfortunately, courageous midfielder Olivia Purcell suffered nasty facial fractures and concussion in the Port Adelaide practice game.  Liv will be sidelined for some time.  

Season 9 predictions

Premiers: North Melbourne - The last 3 AFLW premierships have been won by the preceding season’s runners-up.  If the trend continues, North will be premiers.  Expect Brisbane, Adelaide and Geelong to be thereabouts.

League leading goal kicker: Eden Zanker to go back-to-back.

League Best and Fairest:  Jasmine Garner finally wins. Kate Hore the best Dee.

Most improved team:  Hawthorn.  Their practice match form looked hot. Finals bound.

Meggs will be back with a preview of Melbourne’s Round 1 Season 9 opening match starting 7.15pm on Saturday 31 August at GMHBA Stadium.  

Yesterday’s Herald Sun had a supplement on the AFLW season start.  These are the Demons in Lauren Woods’ Top 50 ~

6 Kate Hore

Shared top goalkicker of the league honours with teammate Eden Zanker and was named All-Australian captain after stepping into the role in the wake of Daisy Pearce’s exit. Big shoes to fill but Hore has made them her own with an ability to work over defenders.

16 Eden Zanker

The sports turf specialist made grounds her own last season, forming a key pairing with skipper Kate Hore as the Demons' spearheads. So threatening aerially.

28 Tyla Hanks 

Has quietly become a dangerous midfielder. Wins the ball at the clearance, then punishes opposition sides with her use.

42 Tayla Harris 

When in full flight, her aerial marking ability up forward is the best in the game. Has battled shoulder and quad issues in recent weeks. After training as a defender in the pre-season, she could be remodelling her game.

46 Paxy Paxman

One of the game's hardest-at-it players. Paxman's longevity as one of the best is seriously impressive.

Also from the supplement -

The end of last season was worrying and I reckon we'll miss Casey Sherriff a lot. But the team we've named against Geelong still looks pretty good and Beasley and Wotherspoon looked good in the praccy match against Port. 

Interesting to see how we go on the weekend.