2022 AFL Women's season 6 was the sixth season of the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, the highest-level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season featured 14 clubs and ran from 7 January to 9 April, comprising a ten-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top six clubs. It was the first of two seasons to take place in the 2022 calendar year, with the competition's seventh season held from August to November.
won the premiership, defeating by 13 points in the 2022 AFL Women's season 6 Grand Final; it was Adelaide's third AFL Women's premiership. Adelaide also won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 9–1 win–loss record. 's Emily Bates won the AFL Women's best and fairest award as the league's best and fairest player, and Adelaide's Ashleigh Woodland won the AFL Women's leading goalkicker award as the league's leading goalkicker.
Format The season was formatted mostly the same as the previous season, with each of the fourteen clubs ranked on a single ladder and the top six teams qualifying for the three-week, single-elimination finals series. The only change was extension of the home-and-away season by an additional round, allowing each team to play 10 matches. The season was originally planned to start in December 2021, but in August 2021 it was decided to delay this to January 2022 in the hope of minimising COVID-19 pandemic interruptions. This was the last season to be contested by 14 teams, with the four remaining AFL clubs (, , and ) joining the AFLW competition in 2023.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic
The 2022 season was played during the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of the season, the roll-out of Australia's original two-dose vaccination program was almost complete with more than 90% uptake. Across all states except for Western Australia, most social and interstate travel restrictions which had been in place through the latter half of 2021 had been lifted; cases of the virus, particularly the omicron variant which became dominant in December 2021, were widespread in the community for the first time in the pandemic; and confirmed cases and their close contacts were still required to test and isolate, although for shorter periods than earlier in the pandemic. In contrast, Western Australia opened the season with very few virus cases in its community, and with its state borders closed to the rest of Australia, with a planned full reopening date of 5 February 2022 which was later changed to a restricted reopening, with the full reopening indefinitely delayed.
The main impacts of the pandemic to the AFLW season were: The league implemented a Vaccination Policy requiring all players and football department staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19; equivalent requirements were implemented by some state governments. and , following a Round 1 Western Derby in Fremantle, travelled to Victoria and were based there until the Western Australian borders had their restricted opening. Late season matches were brought forward into this window to try to minimize the impact of the border restrictions, while the league received permission for teams to travel into Western Australia for matches after the opening. A match Rescheduling Policy was put in place to allow for a match to be rescheduled, redrawn or cancelled if one of its clubs was unable to field at least 21 players – including at least 16 from its primary list with five train-on players – due to absences from the team.
Home-and-away season All starting times are local time. Source: Australian Football
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Ladder
Finals series
Qualifying finals
Preliminary finals
Grand final
Awards League awards The league best and fairest was awarded to Emily Bates of the Brisbane Lions, who polled 21 votes. The leading goalkicker was awarded to Ashleigh Woodland of , who kicked 19 goals during the home and away season. The Rising Star was awarded to Mimi Hill of . The best on ground medal in the AFL Women's Grand Final was won by Anne Hatchard of . The goal of the year was awarded to Ebony Antonio of . The mark of the year was awarded to Tahlia Randall of . AFLW Players Association awards: The most valuable player was awarded to Emily Bates of the Brisbane Lions. The most courageous player was awarded to Kirsty Lamb of the . The best captain was awarded to Daisy Pearce of . The best first year player was awarded to Charlie Rowbottom of . The AFLW Coaches Association awards: The champion player of the year was awarded to Emily Bates of the Brisbane Lions. The senior coach of the year was awarded to Mick Stinear of . Emma Kearney was named captain of the All-Australian team. Nine of the fourteen clubs had at least one representative in the 21-woman team. The minor premiership was won by . The wooden spoon was "won" by .
Best and fairests Club Award name Player(s) Ref. Club Champion Anne Hatchard Brisbane Lions Best and fairest Emily Bates Best and fairest Maddy Prespakis Best and fairest Jaimee Lambert Fairest and best Hayley Miller Best and fairest Amy McDonald Club Champion Alison Drennan Gabrielle Trainor Medal Alyce Parker Best and fairest Daisy Pearce Best and fairest Ashleigh Riddell Best and fairest Monique Conti Best and fairest Bianca Jakobsson Club Champion Emma Swanson Best and fairest Ellie Blackburn & Kirsty Lamb
Leading goalkickers Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the player led the season's goal kicking tally at the end of that round. Numbers underlined indicates the player did not play in that round. RankPlayerTeam12345678910Total1Ashleigh WoodlandAdelaide4448210010010212214115217219192Tayla HarrisMelbourne112336172921121321531801818Cora StauntonGreater Western Sydney22241516060606392113144184Katie BrennanRichmond222415271819211112214014145Tara BohannaGold Coast113404260617072931211301313Daisy PearceMelbourne00111224151606065112137Kate HoreMelbourne2224150505270718311011118Greta BodeyBrisbane Lions1101230314150516280821010Sophie ConwayBrisbane Lions00000000001112133628210Jasmine GarnerNorth Melbourne001112020203361718210Phoebe McWilliamsGeelong111202022426172909110Bonnie ToogoodWestern Bulldogs1101010112132527070729110 Source:
Coach changes Club Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Incoming coach Date of appointment Resigned 25 March 2022 Cameron Bernasconi 12 April 2022
Club leadership Club Coach Captain(s) Vice-captain(s) Leadership group Ref Matthew Clarke Chelsea Randall Sarah Allan, Eloise Jones, Stevie-Lee Thompson Brisbane Lions Craig Starcevich Breanna Koenen Emily Bates Ally Anderson, Shannon Campbell, Sophie Conway, Nat Grider, Kate Lutkins, Cathy Svarc Daniel Harford Kerryn Harrington Elise O'Dea, Darcy Vescio Stephen Symonds Steph Chiocci, Brianna Davey Brittany Bonnici, Stacey Livingstone, Ruby Schleicher Trent Cooper Hayley Miller Kiara Bowers, Angelique Stannett Stephanie Cain, Gabby O'Sullivan Daniel Lowther Meg McDonald Nina Morrison Julia Crockett-Grills, Chantel Emonson, Madeline Keryk, Georgie Rankin Cameron Joyce Hannah Dunn Bess Keaney Jamie Stanton, Serene Watson Alan McConnell Alicia Eva Nicola Barr, Chloe Dalton, Alyce Parker, Pepa Randall, Cora Staunton Mick Stinear Daisy Pearce Karen Paxman Libby Birch, Maddi Gay, Tyla Hanks, Kate Hore, Sarah Lampard, Lily Mithen, Lauren Pearce Darren Crocker Emma Kearney Emma King Nicole Bresnehan, Jasmine Garner, Danielle Hardiman, Ashleigh Riddell Ryan Ferguson Katie Brennan Harriet Cordner, Sarah Hosking Nick Dal Santo Hannah Priest Kate Shierlaw, Rhiannon Watt Bianca Jakobsson, Tilly Lucas-Rodd Michael Prior Emma Swanson Dana Hooker Parris Laurie, Aisling McCarthy Nathan Burke Ellie Blackburn Brooke Lochland Ashleigh Guest, Bailey Hunt, Isabel Huntington, Kirsty Lamb, Bonnie Toogood
References
External links Official AFL Women's website