AFLW players have had their pay almost doubled under a new one-season deal struck with the AFL.
Announced on Thursday, the deal covers the seventh season of the AFLW competition, which has been brought forward to start in late August.
It will feature 10 home-and-away rounds plus an expanded four-week finals series, culminating in the grand final on the last weekend of November.
Top-tier players will be paid $71,935, while the minimum AFLW wage will increase from $20,239 to $39,184.
The average increase across the four pay brackets is 94 per cent.
Each of the 18 AFL clubs will be represented in the women’s competition next season with the addition of Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney.
The expansion signing period for those clubs will begin on May 24, while all clubs will commence pre-season training on June 13.
The AFLW draft will be held on June 29.
The second 2022 AFLW season will start during the bye week before the AFL men’s finals series in August, little more than four months since Adelaide were crowned premiers.
