Ruling on AFLW expansion expected next month

ANY decision on an expanded AFLW competition will not be made until next month.

The AFL Commission met in Geelong yesterday and considered growth of the AFLW league from 2019 on.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the commitment of clubs seeking a licence had been commendable.

“All the submissions were extremely professional and considered,’’ McLachlan said.

“The eight clubs should be proud of their work.

“We understand that every club that made a submission are passionately committed to having a team in the AFLW, and want an outcome as soon as possible.”

“The 2019 expansion decision is a big investment in the future of the AFLW, and making the right decision for the clubs and the competition is an extremely important one for the growth of the women’s game — both at the elite and community level.”

A sub-committee of the AFL and the AFL Commission has spent the past four weeks considering the submissions, including one from the Geelong Football Club.

Geelong is hopeful of joining the AFLW competition and building on the popularity of women’s football locally and further afield.

The club has also pitched its credentials based on Simonds Stadium having some of the most modern facilities in the competition with the opening of the Players Stand earlier this season.

The commission discussed how the AFLW competition should evolve in 2019 and beyond, to ensure the league could build on the successes of 2017.