The Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) is implementing a range of strategies designed to increase attendance and viewership as the league aims to tap into the growing popularity of women’s sports. Emma Moore, the newly appointed general manager of women’s football, emphasized the importance of leveraging what she termed the “Caitlin Clark effect,” named after the star athlete whose prominence has driven significant interest in women’s sports. The AFLW wants to build on this momentum to grow not only its spectator numbers but engagement with the competition too.
Laura Kane, the AFL’s executive general manager of football operations, says time is key. She’s said she thinks investing time is the key to improving the league’s product. Allison added that fixture lists are crucial in convincing supporters to attend matches. The league’s goal now is making sure that there is a consistent ritual for fans. They hope to do this by minimizing the geographical footprint and number of schedule windows needed to run games. Additionally, recent match rescheduling efforts, such as the Western Bulldogs’ round-two game being shifted to a double-header alongside a men’s elimination final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), illustrate the league’s commitment to maximizing attendance.
The AFLW’s current approach puts venue choice front and centre. Kane said any future matches at Docklands Stadium must draw a minimum average of 20,000 people to be considered economically viable for use. The inaugural clash between Essendon and Hawthorn was successfully moved to Docklands after selling out, demonstrating the potential for high attendance when interest is piqued.
The Impact of Scheduling on Attendance
When viewed through the lens of Kane’s scheduling insights, a daunting obstacle emerges for the AFLW. She stated, “We’re playing in too many different time slots, and we’re playing in too many different venues as well. And thus, as a sports fan, how do you create the space for ritual? This inconsistency can hinder fans’ ability to develop a habit of attending games, which is essential for building a loyal supporter base.
Kane pointed to the lessons learned from last year’s campaign as context. In addition, the team played all seven matches in Victoria, each match scheduled at a different time slot. “Take an example with Melbourne. They played seven matches here in Victoria [last season] and in seven different time slots … So it’s really hard as a fan to build that ritual,” she explained. While the need for more predictable scheduling is certainly apparent, the league seems to be responding by taking a look at its match formats.
Lee, an industry expert, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Even though there were 23,000 recorded [in attendance], the atmosphere at 23 percent utilization isn’t what we’re trying to project.” He noted that when attendance is even higher – around 30-40,000 — that electric energy is palpable. Such intrigue brings a game day atmosphere to the rest of the league that captivates fans.
Emphasizing Quality of Play and Entertainment Value
The other side of the coin of better attendance is quality on the field. Kane made it clear that part of creating a style of play—offensive, attacking, and attractive—is making the team’s play something that will attract fans to their seats. “I think Scott Gowans was interviewed last year and said it himself, like, we might lose by a big margin, but we’re committed to playing an offensive, attacking style,” she said.
Last year’s match between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs is perhaps best remembered for being “ugly.” Both fans and critics lambasted the game for its just plain boring turtle style. At The Surge, Kane was a strong advocate for players to practice and perfect their craft. He went on to emphasize that league officials need to build structures that promote exciting play on the field. “It’s a lot on the ability of the players to execute the skills, but it’s on us to help set up a framework that allows them to do that more easily,” she added.
He shared with us how he thinks harnessing the immense potential that lies within women’s football is key to fueling momentum and excitement. “The huge opportunity that we have in AFLW is the vast volume of players that we have to begin with, and the incredible skills, personalities and champions of themselves and the sport they play, what they bring,” she stated.
The Path Forward: Metrics and Goals
Great things planned for long-term vision of the AFLW! From their current 14 teams, by 2027 they envision further major league growth pending their ability to meet these and other vital performance metrics. To achieve this growth, the league needs to maintain an average attendance of 6,000 fans per match and secure at least 100,000 broadcast viewers per game. Total attendance has jumped by 52 percent since the start of the league, from 195,000 to 297,000. As more teams get in the game, this expansion is starting to seem like less of a game changer.
Kane pointed to recent home runs, like the 53,000 paid customers that poured into Adelaide Oval for the 2019 AFLW grand final. Since then every single grand final since has been a sell-out. The first Showdown in 2022 drew a full house of 20,652. Both of these examples illustrate that when the interest is there, large crowds can be mobilized.
Players have made no secret of their eagerness to add more category-one venues. They are anxious too for the double-header day-matching events that would artificially jack up attendance numbers. AFL Players’ Association chief Ben Smith has already confirmed that the union submitted these recommendations in direct response to player feedback highlighting these needs.
Kane summarized their approach by saying, “We know what people like watching because we have AFL every weekend to look at; what are the things that people enjoy?” That knowledge will inform the future direction of their decisions as they continue to seek out innovative ways to improve experiences for fans.
