The new licences for the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s competition are expected to be announced during the AFL celebration of football week, following an AFL Commission meeting. 

The week (August 28-September 3) will feature a NAB AFLW state of origin match on September 2 at Etihad Stadium. 

Eight clubs – Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Richmond and West Coast – applied for an AFLW licence to enter the competition in 2019. 

At least two teams will be added, with a possibility of more making the cut. 

Clubs made presentations to the AFL over the past few weeks, addressing matters including how their local regions could add to the AFLW, financial implications, future partnerships, the structure of proposed teams’ football operations, list creation and where clubs would source their talent bases. 

As reported last week, the AFL is looking at holding round one of the 2018 AFLW season during the final few days of the Australian Open tennis tournament (January 26-28).

This would enable the AFLW Grand Final to be held on the weekend between the end of the JLT Community Series and round one of the AFL competition.