108-554: AFL Women's ( AFLW ) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players . The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 14 teams in 2020 and 18 teams in 2022. The league is run by the Australian Football League (AFL) and is contested by each of the clubs from that competition. The reigning premiers are
216-400: A Pride Match in 2020, and the first full AFLW Pride Round was held in 2021. An Indigenous Round was established in 2021. This round acknowledges the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to Australian football and the broader community. Each team wears a guernsey especially designed to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture , and
324-495: A few thousand left outside. Gillon McLachlan, the AFL's CEO, personally apologised to those who missed out. The game was also a great success on TV, attracting a national audience of 896,000, including 593,000 metropolitan free-to-air viewers, 180,000 regional free-to-air viewers, and 123,000 on Fox Footy. The Melbourne metropolitan audience of 424,000 was on par with that of Friday-night AFL men's matches. The inaugural season concluded with
432-554: A finals match qualified them for a semi-final to be played against the Geelong Cats at the MCG the following week. In a one-sided contest, the Dockers lost by 69 points. The 2011 season saw Fremantle lose just once in the first six rounds before ending the year in 11th position after losing their final seven games. Fremantle's collapse was considered a result of a heavy injury count that began in
540-407: A number of players with existing connections to the club, or with arrangements for club-sponsored work or study. This number varied for each club, in an attempt to equitably spread talent across the teams. In addition, clubs were required to recruit two "rookies" – people with no Australian rules football experience in the previous three-year period. The majority of players were later recruited through
648-560: A predominately purple home jumper, Fremantle wore the Starlight Foundation logo, a yellow star, above the highest chevron for their Purple Haze game. Since 2003, the AFL has hosted an annual Heritage Round . Until 2006, Fremantle wore a white guernsey with three red chevrons, to emulate the jumper worn by the original Fremantle Football Club in 1885. However, in 2007, the selected round had Fremantle playing Sydney, who also wear red and white. An alternative blue and white striped design
756-435: A preferred start date of 2017. Prior to this, the league had announced only aspirational plans to have the women's competition established by 2020. The already-planned 2016 exhibition series was expanded at this time, with a total of ten matches to be played in venues across the country and featuring a range of new temporary representative teams. In 2016, the AFL opened a process for existing clubs to tender applications to join
864-572: A promising start to the 2024 AFL season , winning their first three games, before two close losses in Adelaide and a shock loss in Western Derby 58 surrounded their season with uncertainty. The Dockers rebounded, losing just one of their next six games before the mid-season bye to sit inside the top eight. They were entrenched inside the top eight for much of the year and were in the top four as late as round 20, before losing their final four matches. This
972-509: A record for the competition. A further 307,181 attended NAB Cup pre-season matches and 117,552 attended Regional Challenge pre-season practice matches around the country. As of 2010, the AFL is one of only five professional sports leagues with an average attendance of over 30,000 per game. As well as the AFL attendances, strong semi-professional state and local competitions also draw crowds. The South Australian SANFL drew an attendance in 2008 of 362,209 with an average of 3,773 per game, while
1080-511: A semi-final at the MCG in front of a crowd of over 90,000, losing the game by 20 points. After losing their opening 2 games of the 2023 AFL season , Fremantle recorded their first win in the 56th Western Derby , beating the Eagles by 41 points. Despite a mid-season resurgence, beating both 2022 Grand Finalists in consecutive weeks, the Dockers would fade out to finish 14th on the ladder. Fremantle had
1188-485: A significant impact on popular culture in its native Australia , capturing the imagination of Australian film, art, music, television and literature. Football is the most highly attended spectator sport in Australia. Government figures show that more than 2.5 million people (16.8% of the population) attended games in 1999. In 2005, a cumulative 6,283,788 people attended Australian Football League (AFL) premiership matches,
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#17328520205661296-422: A significant television audience due to the ongoing recruitment of Irish Gaelic football stars. However, it was reported in mid-2023 that data revealed a significant drop in attendances for the seventh season of the women's league compared to the first season. In 2010, the AFL commissioned a report into the state of women's football around the country. Along with findings concerning grassroots and junior football,
1404-417: A strong Victorian bias . The AFL discontinued representative matches as it expanded nationally (with the exception of occasional matches featuring Victoria ). This was part of restructuring competitions across the country into a national junior pathway that would provide the league with access to the best junior talent via the Australian Football League draft . South Australia and Western Australia are
1512-646: Is named after the Fremantle Derby games between East and South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League , which for almost 100 years have been considered some of the most important games in the local league. The 1979 WANFL Grand Final holds the football attendance record for the now-closed Subiaco Oval of 52,781. The Dockers and the St Kilda Football Club have seen a number of controversial events between them, most notably
1620-510: Is referred to simply as football or footy however in New South Wales and Queensland it is promoted under the acronym AFL by the local development bodies. The sport is played by more than half a million Australians. Players participate at an organised level in various forms from Auskick (age 5) through to school-based, underage (up to age 19), open age, to Masters (35+) competition. The season runs in most states and territories during
1728-399: Is sold through the AFL's stores and website, as well through the clubs and some retailers. Prior to the creation of the league, the AFL ran four years of exhibition matches between sides representing Melbourne and Western Bulldogs . In 2016, the series was expanded to multiple teams from around the country. Sydney The best and fairest award determined in the same way as
1836-403: Is the league's inaugural and (as of 2022) current naming-rights partner. All playing and training equipment, as well as all licensed apparel and hats for the league's clubs, are manufactured by Cotton On . Other 2017 league sponsors included Wolf Blass , Chemist Warehouse , and Kellogg's . The official ball supplier is Sherrin . Official match-day attire, together with other club merchandise,
1944-474: The 2016 AFL Women's draft . The remaining list spots were filled with free-agent signings in the week following the draft. In total, clubs have 27 active listed players in addition to injury replacements signed to take the spot of long-term injury-affected players. Player salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement with each club's total payments being determined by a salary cap. Players are split into four tiers as follows: The rules are mostly
2052-515: The AFL siren controversy at York Park in 2006. The match was sent into a state of confusion with Fremantle leading by one point when the siren (which had not been very loud all game) was not heard by the umpires who then allowed St Kilda tagger Steven Baker to score a point after time had elapsed and, as a result, the match ended in a draw. The outcome of the game was taken to the AFL Commission and it
2160-690: The Australian Capital Territory (2.4%). Unlike other football codes which are strongest in urban areas, Australian rules football has the highest participation in regional and remote areas. Nationally this rate is 5.7%, almost double that of any other code. It is also fast growing in New South Wales and in Queensland , though with participation rates there of 1.2% it is considered a minor sport, lagging behind soccer and rugby league in overall interest. These two states represent more than half of
2268-541: The Brownlow Medal for men, with umpires awarding three, two, and one votes to the best three players in each game, and suspended players are ineligible. The MVP award is voted on by the players' peers, in a similar method to the Leigh Matthews Trophy for men. Each week, the senior coach of each club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to
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#17328520205662376-502: The Colony of Victoria in 1858, followed by the Colony of New South Wales and Colony of Queensland (1866); Colony of South Australia (1877); Colony of Tasmania (1879); and, Colony of Western Australia (1881). The first intercolonial representative match was Victoria vs South Australia (1879) . Delegates representing the football associations of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland met in 1883 in order to standardise
2484-485: The Dockers brand of clothing, challenged the club's right to use the name "Fremantle Dockers", specifically on clothing. As a result, the club and the AFL discontinued the official use of the "Dockers" nickname in 1997. However, it remained in common usage both inside and outside the club, and continued to appear in the official team song "Freo Way to Go" and as the title of the official club magazine Docker . In October 2010,
2592-559: The Northern Territory are the only states or territories not to have AFLW teams. Notes Below are the venues that hosted during the 2023 season . The club's playing lists were constructed from scratch through the later stages of 2016 . All participants in the 2017 season were required to be over the age of 17. Initially, clubs were asked to nominate a list of desired players, with the AFL assigning two of these "marquee" players to each club. In addition, clubs were able to sign
2700-456: The Sydney Swans , by 25 points to advance to their maiden AFL Grand Final . In the 2013 grand final , the Dockers were defeated by Hawthorn by a margin of 15 points. In 2014, the club reached the finals for the third successive year with a top-four finish and 16 wins, but despite earning a double chance, they were knocked out after losses to Sydney away and Port Adelaide at home. Nat Fyfe
2808-480: The Sydney Swans . In 2006, against St Kilda at Aurora Stadium in Launceston , they played in a controversial Round 5 match (dubbed " Sirengate ") that initially ended in a draw. However, the AFL overturned the draw result the following Wednesday after the match; the controversy was due to an off-field error made by the timekeepers not sounding the siren for long enough to confirm that the umpires heard it, as well as
2916-532: The West Coast Eagles , who they play twice each year in the home and away season , in the fiercely contested " Western Derby " matches (Pronounced / ˈ d ɜːr b i / in Western Australia). West Coast were victorious in the first nine games, before Fremantle won in round 16, 1999, after which has prompted a fairly even Derby result with Fremantle at 25 and West Coast at 24 Derby wins. The term "derby"
3024-497: The 2021 season. It consistently ranks in the top three (alongside cricket and netball) most watched women's sporting competitions in Australia. The league receives international interest, particularly in Ireland where it has begun to attract a significant television audience due to the ongoing recruitment of Gaelic football stars. The official internet/mobile broadcast partner of the AFL is BigPond , part of Telstra . The company hosts
3132-608: The 21 teams to have ever played in the VFL/AFL league. Because of this unimpressive win record, they are yet to win a premiership. This fact has earned them the nickname "Flagmantle", which is an optimistic joke used by fans. The Dockers' halcyon years took place between 2013 and 2015, where they earned three successive top-four finishes to go with their only grand final appearance ( 2013 ) and their only minor premiership ( 2015 ). Fremantle played its first drawn match in Round 8, 2013, against
3240-677: The Australian Capital Territory. Australia competed internationally at junior level. Australia's national teams remain undefeated. From 2007 to 2019 the underage men's team competed annually against international opponents as the AFL Academy most recently against New Zealand. Australia has also fielded amateur teams against South Africa, Papua New Guinea and the United States. Sides representing Indigenous Australia have competed against Papua New Guinea and South Africa. It began in
3348-646: The Australian population and this dichotomy of football culture is referred to as the Barassi Line . Australian rules football holds the match attendance record of any football code in Victoria (121,696), South Australia (66,987), Tasmania (24,968) and the Northern Territory (17,500). The national professional competitions are the men's Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW). Nationally these are
AFL Women's - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-463: The Brisbane Lions. The AFLW is the second most attended women's football competition in Australia (behind A-League Women ) and one of the most popular women's football competitions in the world. Its average attendance in 2019 of 6,262 per game made it the second-highest of any domestic women's football competition. Its record attendance of 53,034 for the 2019 AFL Women's Grand Final was until 2020
3564-605: The Crows in Adelaide the following week, ending their finals campaign. In 2013, Fremantle finished the home-and-away season in third position with a club-best 16 wins. In their qualifying final against the Cats in Geelong, the Dockers produced a first-round upset with a 15-point victory to advance through to a home preliminary final. In the preliminary final, the Dockers defeated the reigning premiers,
3672-541: The Dreamtime match is played between Richmond and Essendon . An AFLW Indigenous Round Honouree is announced for each season. These major individual awards and accolades are presented each season: The league peaked at an average attendance of 6,828 in its inaugural season and a record 53,034 attended the 2019 Grand Final. Admission was free prior to 2022, when the AFLW introduced reserved ticketing at $ 10 admission per match, which
3780-662: The Fremantle AFL team. Players recruited from the WAFL have remained with their original club, and players recruited from interstate have been allocated to teams via a draft system. Since the 2014 season, the Peel Thunder Football Club has served as the host club for the Fremantle Dockers, an arrangement which will see Fremantle's reserves players playing in the WAFL for Peel Thunder Football Club . An attempt to field
3888-492: The Fremantle Football Club would undergo a thorough review of all areas, including the club's team name, song, guernsey, and logo in a bid to boost its marketability. However he later confirmed that the purple colour will be maintained as it had become synonymous with Fremantle. Fremantle Football Club had its original training and administration facilities at Fremantle Oval from 1995 until 2017. On 21 February 2017
3996-478: The Grand Final held on Saturday, 25 March 2017. The Adelaide Crows were crowned the league's first premiers after defeating the minor premiers, the Brisbane Lions. The scoreline read Adelaide 4.11 (35) def. Brisbane 4.5 (29). Expansion of the competition occurred in two instalments, with two clubs added in 2019 and four added in 2020, resulting in 14 teams in total. The 10 AFL clubs not originally participating in
4104-486: The Volga Boatmen ", which was dropped in 2011, leaving only the original composition of Walther. Due to its unconventional style, the song is derided by many opposition supporters and defended with equally fierce loyalty by many fans. "Every other team song sounds like a ' Knees Up Mother Brown ' from previous eras. We've got a backbeat", boasted author and Fremantle fan Tim Winton . In 2021, in response to being named
4212-464: The WAFC $ 4 million. On 21 July 1994, the names "Fremantle Football Club", "Fremantle Dockers" and the club colours of purple, red, green and white were announced. A first training session for the inaugural squad was held on 31 October 1994 at Fremantle Oval . The team endured some tough years near the bottom of the premiership ladder, until they finished fifth after the home and away rounds in 2003 and made
4320-479: The WAFC. Prior to this, a two-tier arrangement was in place, with a Board of Management between the board of directors and the commission. The initial club chief executive officer was David Hatt , who had come from a hockey background, and the inaugural club chairman was Ross Kelly , who had played for West Perth . It was a deliberate act by the commission to avoid having administrators from either East Fremantle or South Fremantle in key roles, as they wanted
4428-656: The West Coast Eagles and the VFL, a second WA franchise was not legally possible until after the 1992 season. Moreover, the model of a joint venture between two WAFL clubs was opposed by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC). On 14 December 1993, the AFL announced that a new team, to be based in Fremantle, would enter the league in 1995, with the provisional name "Fremantle Sharks." The licence had cost
AFL Women's - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-548: The Western Australian WAFL drew an attendance of 219,205 with an average of 2,332 per game. According to OzTAM , in recent years, the AFL Grand Final has reached the top five programs across the five biggest cities in 2002 , 2003 , 2004 , 2005 and 2006 . Australian rules football has achieved a #1 rating in the sports category in both 2004 and 2005 . The most powerful organisation and competition within
4644-413: The anchor symbol as the basis for all of their guernseys . The home guernsey was purple, with a white anchor on the front separating the chest area into red and green panels, representing the traditional maritime port and starboard colours. The colours also acknowledged Fremantle's large Italian community , which historically has been associated with the city's fishing community. The away or clash guernsey
4752-535: The annual national Australian rules football championships for players aged 18 years or younger and includes teams from each Australian state or Territory. The competition is monitored by AFL recruiters and frequently seen as the second biggest pathway for junior players to the fully professional Australian Football League . The competition is currently sponsored by the National Australia Bank (NAB). The competition receives an increasing amount of coverage in
4860-520: The atmosphere of fuller smaller venues rather than emptier larger venues, particularly for its television broadcasting. The following are the most recent season attendances (record figures are bolded): In its inaugural 2017 season, all matches were televised live by affiliate partners the Seven Network and Fox Footy. As part of the initial broadcast deal, the free-to-air carrier Seven broadcast one Saturday-night game per week as standard, in addition to
4968-421: The branding of the league were released in the second half of 2016. On 15 September 2016, the AFL announced that the league would be named "AFL Women's" or AFLW for short, with the logo being unveiled on 19 September 2016. The logo is a stylised rendition of an Australian rules football ground goal square and goal posts, drawn from a perspective that resembles a "W". On 10 October 2016, the National Australia Bank
5076-421: The club moved its training and administration facilities to Cockburn ARC , a professional sports training facility and community recreation centre that was constructed in 2015–17 at a price of $ 109 million, located in the suburb of Cockburn Central . The team's home games are played at Optus Stadium , a 61,000 seat multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Burswood . The club began playing home matches at
5184-407: The club to be bigger than just representing Fremantle. Kelly resigned at the end of 1998, replaced by Ross McLean . Whilst he presided over some key financial decisions, including the building of the club's administrative and training centre at Fremantle Oval and the deferment of the licence fee to the AFL, it was Fremantle's lowest point onfield, culminating in a two-win season in 2001 which saw
5292-739: The club under both Ross Lyon and current head coach Justin Longmuir . Originally based at Fremantle Oval , the club's training and administrative facilities are now located nearby at Cockburn ARC in Cockburn Central , whilst its home ground is the 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium in Burswood . Fremantle has also fielded a women's team in the AFL Women's league since the competition's inception in 2017. They are currently coached by Lisa Webb and captained by Angelique Stannett . Their most successful season
5400-424: The club win its first finals game in the semi-final against Melbourne at Subiaco Oval. The club subsequently earned a trip to Sydney to play in its first ever preliminary final, where they lost by 35 points at ANZ Stadium to the Sydney Swans . In 2007, following Chris Connolly's resignation midway through the season, Mark Harvey , a three-time premiership player with Essendon , was appointed caretaker coach for
5508-400: The club's first Brownlow Medalist . Season 2016 marked Matthew Pavlich's final season in the AFL, as Fremantle missed the finals following a 10-game losing streak to start the year, finishing in 16th position with just four wins. Ross Lyon was sacked as coach on 20 August 2019 after the club failed to qualify for the finals. He was replaced by Justin Longmuir . Longmuir's first season
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#17328520205665616-450: The club's new number one ticket holder, Tame Impala frontman and Fremantle local Kevin Parker released a new Fremantle "pump-up" track to be played at home games. Bolstering the Fremantle connection, the song draws inspiration from AC/DC . The club is owned by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC). Since 2003, a board of directors controls the operation of the club, on behalf of
5724-482: The club. During his seven matches for 2007, Harvey coached the Dockers to four wins and three losses. The club came 11th that year, and Harvey was appointed full-time coach at the end of the season. The following year saw the club slump to 14th. In Round 15, 2009, Fremantle recorded the lowest score in its history and of the 2000s, scoring only 1.7 (13) to the Adelaide Crows' 19.16 (130). It scored just one point in
5832-437: The coach Damian Drum be sacked mid-year. McLean resigned following an inadvertent breach of the salary cap . In early 2001 Hatt accepted a government job and Cameron Schwab was appointed. After weathering the fallout from the disastrous 2001 season, Schwab and the new chairman, local West Australian retailing businessman Rick Hart , set about rebuilding the club. A former recruiting manager, Schwab focused on building up
5940-550: The commission's behalf. Despite having participated in and won several finals matches , Fremantle is one of only three active AFL clubs not to have won a premiership (the others being Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney ), though it did claim a minor premiership in 2015 and reached the 2013 Grand Final , losing to Hawthorn . High-profile players who forged careers at Fremantle include All-Australian Matthew Pavlich , Hall of Fame inductee Peter Bell , and dual Brownlow Medal winner Nat Fyfe , who previously captained
6048-461: The competition was expected by the end of July 2017, but was delayed several times. On 27 September 2017, the AFL announced that Geelong and North Melbourne had been selected to enter the competition in 2019. North Melbourne retained its commitment to playing matches in Tasmania. The league then added four teams in 2020, with the AFL selecting Gold Coast , Richmond , St Kilda and West Coast to join
6156-592: The competition were invited to bid for inclusion, with priority given to the five clubs that had submitted unsuccessful bids to participate in the inaugural season. The deadline to lodge submissions was 16 June 2017. The only clubs not to bid were Port Adelaide and Sydney . North Melbourne worked with AFL Tasmania to craft its bid, with the club aiming to play home matches in Melbourne , Hobart , and Launceston , and also to select half of its playing list from Tasmania . A final decision on which clubs would be admitted to
6264-486: The competition, to commence in AFL Women's season seven . [REDACTED] The competition's 18 teams are based across five states of Australia. Ten are based in Victoria (nine in the Melbourne metropolitan area), and New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia and Western Australia have two teams each, while a team from Tasmania will enter the AFLW at a date to be confirmed. The Australian Capital Territory and
6372-538: The competition. The growth in clubs for the 2019 season was accompanied by the introduction of an American-style conference structure, which was abandoned after the 2020 season in favour of the traditional single ladder. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 season was curtailed and eventually cancelled without a premiership awarded. On 12 August 2021, the other four AFL clubs without AFLW licenses – Essendon , Hawthorn , Port Adelaide and Sydney – were granted entry into
6480-572: The conclusion of the home-and-away season qualified for the Grand Final match, in the absence of a longer finals series. With the addition of two extra teams in 2019, the AFL Women's home-and-away season introduced conferences , a concept not common in Australian sports . The top-two teams from the respective conferences qualified to the preliminary finals, with the first-ranked team in Conference A meeting
6588-421: The cooler seasons in Australia (from March to September), avoiding clashes with cricket, with the exception being the northern part of the Northern Territory where the season runs during the wet season (October to March). The highest participation rates (players per capita) can be found in the Northern Territory (5%), South Australia (4.8%), Victoria (4.3%), Western Australia (4.2%), Tasmania (3.3%) and
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#17328520205666696-443: The course of the 2022 season. In July 2023 The Age reported that AFLW viewer numbers were down 70% from the debut season, blaming a combination of scheduling, poor quality venues and broadcast quality, and "football fatigue". The AFLW has attracted an audience of more than 1 million attendees and 2 million viewers and has managed to maintain high interest despite moving to primarily ticketed and subscription broadcasting models from
6804-759: The early years of the West Australian Football League (WAFL), winning 24 of the first 34 premierships. Since 1897, Fremantle Oval has been the main venue for Australian rules football matches in the city. Until the opening of Perth Stadium in 2018, the record attendance for an Australian rules football game in Western Australia stood at 52,781 for the 1979 WANFL Grand Final between East Fremantle and South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval . Champion footballers who forged careers playing for Fremantle-based clubs include, among other Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees, Steve Marsh , Jack Sheedy , John Todd , George Doig , William Truscott and Bernie Naylor . Despite
6912-401: The finals for the first time. The elimination final against eighth-placed Essendon at Subiaco Oval was then the club's biggest ever game, but ended in disappointment for the home team, with the finals experience of Essendon proving too strong for the young team. They then missed making the finals in the following two seasons, finishing both years with 11 wins, 11 losses and only 1 game outside
7020-435: The finals series. The first round of the finals consisted of four knockout finals, with teams from opposite conferences playing against each other, first in Conference A versus fourth in Conference B, and so on. This left a final four of North Melbourne, Fremantle, Carlton, and Melbourne, with two rounds of finals to be played. At this point, the season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with no 2020 premier. In 2021,
7128-449: The first half and the only goal scored came in the third quarter. After finishing sixth in 2010, the club played in the finals for the first time since 2006. The team played Hawthorn at Subiaco Oval, and despite being considered underdogs, went on to win by 30 points. The win came from strong performances from Luke McPharlin and Adam McPhee who limited the impact of Lance Franklin and Luke Hodge, respectively. The team's second ever win in
7236-429: The first women's draft was held, establishing the playing lists for the two clubs in the forthcoming exhibition match. The match played on 29 June 2013 marked the first time two women's sides had competed under the banners of AFL clubs. A crowd of 7,518 watched the historic match, which Melbourne won by 35 points. The exhibition match became a series between the clubs, with another game played in 2014 and two played in 2015,
7344-713: The game is the elite professional Australian Football League (AFL). The AFL is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission as being the National Sporting Organisation for Australian rules football. There are also seven state/territory-based organisations in Australia, most of which are affiliated to the AFL. Most of these hold annual semi-professional club competitions while the others oversee more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are affiliated to their state leagues. The last senior national carnival
7452-517: The highest match attendance for women's sport in Australia. The AFLW has attracted an audience of more than 1 million attendees and 2 million viewers and has managed to maintain high interest while moving to primarily ticketed and subscription broadcasting models since the 2021 season. It consistently ranks in the top three (alongside cricket and netball) most watched women's sporting competitions in Australia. The league receives international interest, particularly in Ireland where it has begun to attract
7560-406: The last of which – on 16 August 2015 – was the first women's AFL game to be broadcast on free-to-air television. It attracted an average audience of 175,000, surpassing the 114,000 average audience for the AFL men's clash of the previous day, between Adelaide and Essendon. The success of these exhibition matches prompted the AFL to accelerate its plans for a nationwide women's competition, announcing
7668-418: The league reverted to a single 14-team ladder. Each team played 9 matches, with the top six qualifying for a three-week finals series. All finals are knockouts, with the top-two teams having a bye in the first round of the finals. Since 2022 (S7) the competition has been contested by 18 teams, and the finals series has expanded to eight teams and is played under the AFL final eight system that has been in use in
7776-426: The league website and those of each of the eight participation clubs. The AFL has retained digital broadcast rights to matches in the league's inaugural season and will stream all matches live and free on the league website and mobile app. Since 2021 Kayo Sports has streamed all AFLW matches live and on demand in Australia. Outside Australia, the inaugural season is available on Watch AFL. The National Australia Bank
7884-499: The league's opening match and Grand Final. Pay TV network Fox Footy televised all premiership season matches, including simulcasts of the Seven-hosted matches other than the Grand Final. The two television networks covered the costs of broadcasting these matches, with no licensing fee payable to the league in exchange. Fearless: The Inside Story of the AFLW debuted on Disney+ in 2022, the docu-series followed several AFLW clubs through
7992-450: The long history of Australian rules football in Fremantle, the expansion of the then-Victorian Football League into Western Australia, took the form of a state-wide club, with the creation of the West Coast Eagles, in 1987. Soon afterwards, there were negotiations between WAFL clubs East Fremantle and South Fremantle , regarding formation of a second WA-based VFL club, as a joint venture. Due to exclusive rights clauses in contracts between
8100-479: The match. Lyon became Fremantle's longest serving and most successful coach before being sacked in 2019. He later returned for a second coaching stint at St Kilda in 2023, and his first game back was against Fremantle. Head coach Assistant coaches Updated: 19 November 2024 Source(s): Players , Coaches For most of Fremantle's history, players have played for various West Australian Football League (WAFL) teams when not selected to play for
8208-472: The media, however still lags behind the TAC Cup in terms of interest in Victoria. AFL player states of origin based on junior participation. Fremantle Football Club#AFL Women's team The Fremantle Football Club , nicknamed the Dockers or colloquially Freo , is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team
8316-590: The men's competition since the 2000 season . On 21 August 2023, incoming AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon announced that the AFLW will receive equal prize money to the AFL. The prize money for AFLW players will almost double, going from $ 623,922 to $ 1.1 million to split between the top 8 teams. In 2018, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton women's teams held the first Pride game, to celebrate gender diversity , promote inclusion for LGBTIQA+ players, and to help stamp out homophobia . St Kilda and Melbourne held
8424-418: The most popular football competitions of any code, with millions of TV viewers across the country. The AFL governs the code nationally through the AFL Commission based in Melbourne . The AFL originated in Victoria and changed its name from Victorian Football League in 1990 after a successful program of national expansion and for these reasons the governing body is often seen by those from other states as having
8532-581: The new competition. The 18 clubs in the men's league had until 29 April 2016 to place a bid for a licence, with 13 clubs making bids: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast, and Western Bulldogs. The AFL's preferred distribution of clubs was four clubs from Victoria and one each from New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , and Western Australia . The inaugural teams were announced on 8 June 2016. Adelaide , Brisbane , and Greater Western Sydney were
8640-454: The on-field performance by recruiting high-profile players in Trent Croad , Peter Bell and Jeff Farmer , as well as coach Chris Connolly and with Hart then focused on enhancing the corporate and financial standing of the club. The club membership grew every year from 2002 until 2008 and the final licence payment was made to the AFL in 2005. Schwab chose to return to Melbourne in 2008 and
8748-560: The only states represented at the AFL Under 19 Championships , state representation is limited to players under 19, and open age players can only represent their state through interleague matches involving lower tier competitions. The Australian Football Hall of Fame names the greatest players of all time. Of the greatest 32 who are categorised as Legends: 20 are Victorian, 4 each are from South Australia and Tasmania, 3 from Western Australia, 2 from New South Wales and 1 each from Queensland and
8856-442: The only teams to bid in their respective states and were granted licences to compete in 2017. Both Western Australian clubs made bids, with Fremantle 's bid chosen ahead of the bid from West Coast . Eight Victorian clubs made bids: Melbourne , Western Bulldogs , Carlton and Collingwood were successful, with Geelong , North Melbourne , Richmond and St Kilda being unsuccessful but granted provisional licences. Details about
8964-440: The pre-season. In September 2011, Mark Harvey was sensationally sacked by the club in favour of still-contracted St Kilda coach Ross Lyon . Fremantle qualified for the finals in 2012 after finishing in seventh position. In their elimination final against Geelong , the Dockers won their first ever finals game away from home with a 16-point victory at the MCG behind Matthew Pavlich 's six goals. Fremantle subsequently lost to
9072-629: The report recommended the AFL Commission begin working toward the establishment of a national women's league. While the option of new stand-alone clubs was considered, a model using the resources and branding of existing AFL clubs was to be the preferred model for the planned league. The first on-field step towards the competition took place in early 2013, when the AFL announced an exhibition match to be played between women's teams representing Melbourne and Western Bulldogs in June of that year. On 15 May 2013,
9180-552: The rules across the colonies. The earliest governing body, the Australasian Football Council (later Australian National Football Council) dates back to this time. Following a hiatus in Queensland (1892-1903) and New South Wales (1893-1903) it was revived after the Federation of Australia and expanded to the territories of the Australian Capital Territory (1911) and the Northern Territory (1916). The sport has had
9288-427: The same as those used in the AFL, with a few exceptions: Prior to the commencement of the home-and-away season teams are paired off to play an exhibition trial match. In 2017, these matches took place during varying weeks of January. For the first two seasons of competition, the home-and-away season was operated on a single table, and seven matches were played by each of the eight teams. The two highest-placed teams at
9396-504: The season before finishing fifth with fifteen wins, six losses, and one draw. Fremantle's return to finals saw them play the Western Bulldogs in an elimination final at Optus Stadium . Fremantle were dominated in the early stages of the game, with the Bulldogs holding a 42–1 lead at the nine-minute mark of the second term. Fremantle would go on to kick 11 of the last 13 goals to win the game by 13 points. Fremantle next faced Collingwood in
9504-559: The second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. Australian rules football in Australia In Australia , Australian rules football is the most popular spectator sport and the second most participated code of football . Since originating in Victoria in 1858 and spreading elsewhere from 1866, it has been played continuously in every Australian state since 1903 plus the two major territories since 1916. In most states it
9612-421: The second-ranked team in Conference B and the opposite employed for the other preliminary final. The winners of those matches then met in the Grand Final. The use of conferences was retained in 2020, along with the inclusion of four additional teams. The 14 teams were split into two conferences of seven, with teams playing each other team in their conference once. The top-four teams in each conference qualified for
9720-454: The siren not being loud enough for the field umpires to hear over the roar of the crowd in the first place, and Fremantle were eventually declared as one-point winners with no protest from St Kilda. It marked the first time a game result had later been overturned since 1900. The club is nicknamed the "Dockers" in reference to Fremantle's history as a port city. Shortly after the club was launched in 1994, Levi Strauss & Co. , which produces
9828-403: The strong association that members and fans have with the "Dockers" nickname led the club to form a new arrangement with Levi Strauss & Co which allows the club to officially use the nickname "Dockers" everywhere including on clothing and other brand elements. This name change was made in conjunction with changes to the club logo and playing strip. Until 2011 the Fremantle Football Club used
9936-400: The top eight. After an average first half to the 2006 AFL season , Fremantle finished the year with a club-record nine straight wins to earn themselves third position at the end of the home and away season with a club-best 15 wins. In the qualifying final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium , the Dockers led for the first three-quarters before being overrun by the Crows. The following week saw
10044-508: The venue in 2018, having previously played home matches at Subiaco Oval from 2001 onward and before that the WACA Ground from 1995 to 2000. The official song of Fremantle is " Freo Way to Go ", a truncated version of the club's original song, "Freo Heave Ho", written by Ken Walther . "Freo Way to Go" was adopted in 2011 following a poll on the Dockers' official website, beating out three other newly composed songs, including "Freo Freo", which
10152-404: The wealthiest clubs in the league and their surprise recruitment of Ross Lyon to replace Mark Harvey as coach at the end of the 2011 is seen as an example of their ruthless drive for sustained success. In 2014, Harris resigned as president and was replaced by the then vice president, Perth property developer Dale Alcock . Fremantle's biggest rivalry is with the other Western Australian team,
10260-527: Was all white with a purple anchor. Since the end of the 2010 home and away season, the home jumper is purple with three white chevrons, and the away jumper is white with purple chevrons. One game each year is designated as the Purple Haze game, where an all-purple jumper with a white anchor is worn. This game is used to raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation . After the guernsey re-design to
10368-406: Was also met with widespread criticism and was accused of backstabbing St Kilda by many Saints supporters as the club was made aware that Fremantle had approached Lyon during St Kilda's lead-up to its finals campaign. The two clubs contested a highly anticipated Friday night match in Round 4 of the 2012 AFL season at Etihad Stadium , with Fremantle winning by 13 points and Lyon being booed throughout
10476-548: Was awarded the Leigh Matthews Trophy for winning the AFL Players' Association MVP award. In 2015, the club were crowned minor premiers for the first time in their history, earning their first piece of silverware with the McClelland Trophy . However, the club failed to convert this into a grand final appearance, losing to Hawthorn by 27 points in its home preliminary final. Fremantle ended their season with Nat Fyfe becoming
10584-504: Was catalysed by injuries to key position players, including captain Alex Pearce, leading goalkicker Josh Treacy, and starting ruckman Sean Darcy. The Dockers finished 10th with a record of 12 wins, 10 losses and one draw, just half a win behind Carlton in eighth place. After struggling in their early start-up years, Fremantle have continued to struggle over the years, with an overall win percentage of 45.52% as of July 2024, ranked 16th out of
10692-431: Was decided during the week that as the siren had gone Fremantle were judged to be the winners, disallowing Baker's point. During the 2011 off-season, Fremantle sacked coach Mark Harvey and replaced him with then-St Kilda coach Ross Lyon in controversial circumstances. The move was met with much criticism towards Fremantle's president, Steve Harris, and CEO, Steve Rosich, claiming that they had "backstabbed" Harvey. Lyon
10800-424: Was during the COVID-19 -affected 2020 AFL season , which was shortened from 22 matches to 17. Fremantle would lose their first four games before finding form and finishing 12th on the ladder with 7 wins and 10 losses. The 2022 AFL season would prove to be a breakout year for the Dockers, who qualified for finals for the first time since the 2015 AFL season and were in contention for a top-4 finish throughout
10908-407: Was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fremantle , a stronghold of Australian rules football in Western Australia . The Dockers were the second team from the state to be admitted to the competition, following the West Coast Eagles in 1987. Both Fremantle and the West Coast Eagles are owned by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC), with a board of directors operating Fremantle on
11016-407: Was held in 1993 and the last match between interstate senior sides was held under State of Origin rules in 1999. Senior state representation for Australian Football League players is no longer available except for Victoria whose players sometimes compete in one-off events against composite sides. However, state leagues continue to compete in inter-league matches. The AFL Under 18 Championships are
11124-520: Was later increased. In mid-2023, data revealed a significant drop in average attendances for the seventh season compared to the first season. Taking into account the greater number of games played, total attendance was still growing, just spread over three times as many matches. The league's choice of venues has been criticised, with many of the AFL's premium venues, such as Victoria's Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium , not used for blockbuster AFLW matches. The league has been cited as preferring
11232-435: Was named as the league's naming rights sponsor. The first premiership game was played at Ikon Park on Friday, 3 February 2017. The AFL had initially planned to host the game at Melbourne's Olympic Park Oval, with a capacity of just 7,000, but was forced to change to Ikon Park due to overwhelming interest and a need for more seating. The match was deemed a "lockout" with a capacity crowd of 24,568 in attendance, with estimates of
11340-431: Was replaced as CEO by Steve Rosich , who had previously worked for the West Coast Eagles . A year later Hart resigned as president and Steve Harris , who runs The Brand Agency and had produced advertising for Fremantle since 2002, took over at the end of 2009. Harris had been on the board since November 2008, the first club chairman or president to have previously served on the board. The club has developed into one of
11448-577: Was the 2020 season , in which the team was undefeated, but was ultimately cancelled without a premiership awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The port city of Fremantle , Western Australia has a rich footballing history, hosting the state's first organised game of Australian rules in 1881. Fremantle's first teams, the Fremantle Football Club , the Union/Fremantle Football Club and East Fremantle Football Club , dominated
11556-564: Was used, based on the jumper worn by the East Fremantle Football Club in their 1979 WAFL Grand Final win over the South Fremantle Football Club . This Fremantle Derby held the record, prior to the opening of Optus Stadium , for the highest attendance at a football game of any code in Western Australia, with 52,781 attending at Subiaco Oval . In September 2008, newly appointed CEO Steve Rosich confirmed that
11664-423: Was written by Fremantle-based indie rock group and the Dockers' then-number one ticket holder, Eskimo Joe . The poll took place around the same time that the club's guernsey and logo were also updated. Unlike other AFL team songs , "Freo Way to Go" is played to a contemporary rock tune. "Freo Heave Ho" also had a section based on Igor Stravinsky 's arrangement of the traditional Russian folk song, " Song of
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