VFL Women's (VFLW) is the major state-level women's Australian rules football league in Victoria and Tasmania. The league initially comprised the six Premier Division clubs and the top four Division 1 clubs from the now-defunct Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL), and has since evolved into what is also the second primary competition for AFL Women's (AFLW) clubs in Victoria.
Following the 2017 season, the VFL Women's was reconfigured to affiliate teams more closely with AFL clubs. Since 2021, twelve teams have appeared in the competition; nine of the ten Victorian AFL clubs either field their own women's team or have an affiliation of sorts with an existing club in the VFLW, with the other teams being the VFL-affiliated , and independent club . The reigning premiers are .
The competition was not held in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the grand final was also cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic, with no premiership being awarded.
History AFL Victoria launched the VFL Women's competition on 21 March 2016, with its inaugural season featuring twelve doubleheaders with the Victorian Football League (VFL). The league initially comprised the six Premier Division clubs (, , Eastern Devils, , St Kilda Sharks and ) and 2015's top four Division 1 clubs (, , and ) from the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL). Melbourne University already had an existing partnership with Australian Football League (AFL) club . Following the 2016 season, the Geelong Magpies were replaced with the AFL-aligned , and Knox's license was purchased by (then subsequently re-licensed to in 2018).
Following the inaugural AFL Women's (AFLW) season in 2017, the league made further changes to the competition to affiliate clubs more directly with AFL clubs and the AFL Women's competition. Five other foundation clubs departed, leaving Darebin, Melbourne University and Western Spurs as the only remaining foundation clubs. The departing clubs were replaced by the AFL-aligned , , , and Southern Saints, the VFL-aligned and , and the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL)-aligned ; Northern Territory aligned with 's AFLW team, giving Crows players an opportunity to play in the Victorian competition. The joined in 2018 under a shared license with the Western Spurs, with the senior Spurs team competing as the Western Bulldogs and wearing red, white and blue. The Western Spurs' license was handed over entirely to the Bulldogs ahead of the 2019 season, with the Spurs fielding teams solely in the Northern Football Netball League.
In 2019, 's AFLW team played five invitational matches in Victoria against teams having a bye. Following the 2019 season, AFL Northern Territory ended Northern Territory's involvement in the NEAFL and VFLW competitions, and Williamstown aligned with Adelaide in Northern Territory's place. Melbourne University's license was also taken over by , ending the clubs' ten-year partnership and allowing North Melbourne to field its own standalone team. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, AFL Victoria decided to cancel the 2020 VFL Women's season and instead hold a four-team Super Series in September to give 120 footballers the chance to push their case to be selected in the 2020 AFL Women's draft; this was later cancelled as well due to the increase of restrictions around COVID-19 in Victoria.
The Coburg Football Club, already competing in the VFL, formed a women's team in 2020 with a plan to join the VFLW in 2021. However, the plan did not eventuate.
In 2021, joined the league, replacing Richmond, which initially left the competition due to financial issues before entering into a formal alignment with the VFL club. The competition also shifted to a February commencement, running concurrently with the AFLW season and mirroring other second-tier leagues like the SANFL Women's and WAFL Women's. In 2023, the competition commenced in March, and Hawthorn transferred its license back to Box Hill.
In 2024, the home-and-away season included matches against New South Wales AFL Women's teams and ; the New South Wales teams were not premiership eligible, but there were premiership points available for the Victorian clubs in the matches. This arrangement did not continue in 2025. Ahead of the 2025 season, Port Melbourne became a stand-alone side as Richmond ended their second-tier alignment with the club and ceased any involvement in second-tier women's state football. Meanwhile reigning premiers North Melbourne entered into an affiliation with VFL club , becoming known as the North Melbourne Werribee Kangaroos and playing up to four games a season at Chirnside Park. The league announced that the Tasmania Football Club would enter the competition in 2026, as part of the club's eventual elevation to the AFL Women's at a later date.
Clubs Current clubs Club Colours Moniker Home GroundFormer League Years in VFLW Premierships Total Most recent Hawks Box Hill City Oval– 1936 2017– 0 — Blues Ikon Park– 1864 2018– 0 — Demons Casey Fields– 1902 2018– 0 — Magpies Victoria Park– 1892 2018– 1 2019 Falcons Genis Steel OvalVWFL 1990 2016– 2 2017 Bombers NEC Hangar– 1871 2018– 1 2022 Geelong Cats Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct– 1859 2017– 0 — Kangaroos Arden Street OvalChirnside Park– 1869 2021– 3 2026 Borough ETU Stadium– 1874 2021– 1 2023 Zebras Trevor Barker Beach Oval– 1929 2025– 0 —DevilsNinja StadiumNorth Hobart OvalUTAS StadiumDial Regional Sports Complex–20232026–0— Bulldogs Mision Whitten Oval– 1877 2018– 0 — Seagulls DSV Stadium– 1864 2018– 0 —
Former clubs Club Colours Moniker Home GroundFormer LeagueYears in VFLW Premierships Current leagueTotalMost recent EaglesFrenken Homes OvalVWFL18892016–2017 0 — SFNL Demons, CreekersC.T. Barling ReserveVWFL20022016–2017 0 — NFNL Eastern Devils DevilsMulgrave ReserveVWFL19992016–2017 0 — EFNL MagpiesOsborne ParkVWFL18762016 0 — GDFNL HawksBox Hill City Oval–19022018–2022 1 2018 AFLW FalconsKnox Gardens ReserveVWFL19802016 0 — EFNL Mugars University OvalVWFL19962016–2019 0 — VAFA Thunder Marrara Oval–20082018–2019 0 — Folded TigersPunt Road Oval–18852018–2019 0 — AFLW TigerettesRF Miles Recreation ReserveVWFL19212016–2017 0 — MPFNL Saints Trevor Barker Beach Oval– 2017 2018–2024 0 — Merged St Kilda Sharks SharksPeanut Farm ReserveVWFL19922016–2017 0 — In recess SpursHenry Turner Memorial ReserveVWFL19932016–2017 0 — WFNL
Honours
Premiers
2016: 2017: 2018: 2019: 2022: 2023: 2024: 2025: 2026:
Lambert–Pearce Medal
2016: Daisy Pearce () 2017: Katie Brennan () 2018: Jess Duffin () 2019: Lauren Pearce () 2021: Georgia Nanscawen () 2022: Georgia Nanscawen () 2023: Jordan Mifsud (), Akayla Peterson (), Charlotte Simpson () (tied) 2024: Dominique Carbone () 2025: Angelica Gogos () 2026: Emily Eaves ()
Rohenna Young Medal The Rohenna Young Medal is awarded to the leading goalkicker in the VFLW home-and-away season.
2016: Moana Hope ( – 104 goals) 2017: Katie Brennan (), Chloe Molloy ( – 32 goals each) 2018: Darcy Vescio ( – 26 goals) 2019: Jaimee Lambert ( – 21 goals) 2021: Imogen Barnett ( – 20 goals) 2022: Federica Frew ( – 29 goals) 2023: Sarah Cameron ( – 18 goals) 2024: Monique DeMatteo ( – 24 goals) 2025: Nyakoat Dojiok ( – 37 goals) 2026: Mia Zielinski ( – 32 goals)
See also AFL Women's Victorian Football League Victorian Women's Football League
References
External links