The AFL has never shied away from experimenting with the AFLW competition, whether it's trialing conference systems, pushing from summer to spring season starts, smart ball technology, or mid-week fixturing. But here's a question worth seriously considering: why not embrace regular double-headers with the men's competition?
At the moment, AFLW games are largely played on community or suburban grounds such as Unley Oval in Adelaide, Arden Street, or Casey Fields. For some fans, there's a romance to it. Supporters of clubs like Collingwood, who once watched Peter Daicos deliver magic or John Greening kick seven goals in his 19th game at Victoria Park, are now returning to those same historic venues, this time to watch players like Ruby Schleicher lead out the next generation. It's a new chapter at the same venue.
There's no doubting there are pros and cons, and that balance between intimacy and scale is something the league continues to navigate.
"I love that we get to play on grounds that we have where the crowd is so close to the action as well," Fremantle skipper Ange Stannett tells ESPN. "I also know I can see the other side of it where it would be so exciting for a club to be able to have both games there, fans can engage with both teams."
Stannett isn't alone, with many players seeing the value of community grounds being able to build a strong family-friendly culture.
"I do think AFLW is a better product when it is a standalone," Sydney's Jas Grierson tells ESPN. "The local grounds that we do play at create atmosphere and it's so much better than it is at the large stadiums.
"I've played and have been at Alberton Oval, Whitten Oval, and it just brings such a family-friendly culture. I think it would be great to play at a stadium in the future and to strive to get there one day, maybe the finals or a grand final, but I just don't think it's probably suited right now."
While double-headers would undoubtedly boost visibility and integrate club identity across genders, they also come with trade-offs, particularly around scheduling, resourcing, and control over game day experience.
AFLW matches often shine in their own space. Playing at a standalone ground gives the competition its own headline and doesn't reduce it to a warm-up act. Smaller grounds bring fans right to the boundary line. They feel every tackle, every goal, every roar. It's intimate in a way an 80,000-seat stadium can't replicate unless it's full.
But there are limits to the charm.
"In saying that, the local grounds we play at now, we need to create the most fan-friendly experience in terms of accessibility, bathrooms, and also for players as well -- with change rooms and other facilities," Grierson adds.
Community grounds offer heart, they don't always offer quality. There have been reports of cockroaches in Henson Oval change rooms. At Ikon Park, players have been forced to cross the field in towels and sports bras just to reach private showers, something that just wouldn't happen at the MCG. These are not teething problems, more of a reflection of systemic underinvestment.
Double-headers offer a chance to fix that, or at the very least, raise standards. Sharing the stage with the AFL men means access to better venues, better change rooms, better coverage, and a broader audience -- a powerful tool in showing fans what the game is capable of when given the stage it deserves.
And for some, sharing that stage isn't a compromise, it's a chance.
"I thought we were starting this season earlier just to have two weeks of double-headers," GWS star Zarlie Goldsworthy tells ESPN. "I don't mind piggybacking off the men's competition while we find our feet. Especially for the Sydney teams like Giants, who don't really get a whole lot of fans at the ground, can definitely double up with the men and the women to help each other out."
So what's the solution?
It might not be about all games being double-headers, but strategic ones could go a long way. Marquee matchups. Rivalries. Season openers or finals. A chance for clubs to showcase both their teams on the biggest stage. Meanwhile, the community-based games can remain a vital and unique part of the AFLW identity just with more support, better facilities, and greater care.
The key isn't just copying what works in the men's game. It's choosing what works for the women's game, and, sometimes, that might mean doubling up. Other times, it means standing proudly on its own.