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September 4, 2026 — 3:47pm
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It’s taken 10 years of constantly asking the question. But three rounds into season 11, we finally have the answer. Double-headers.
Footy fans have voted with their feet over the first three rounds, with AFLW attendances up by more than 50 per cent compared with the same stage last season.
The growth has been driven largely by five double-headers, which have drawn crowds as big 20,000, in tier one stadiums.
There could be one more on the way. If reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions defeat Sydney in the men’s qualifying final at the SCG on Saturday, there’s every chance the AFL will scramble to squeeze in another double-header on preliminary final weekend.
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If the Lions win they’ll host a preliminary final in a fortnight.
Two of the women’s powerhouse teams, Brisbane and Adelaide, are scheduled to play at Brisbane’s home base in Ipswich the following day.
But the W game could be brought forward by 24 hours, to be played at the Gabba before the prelim.
Former Essendon president David Barham knows all about double-headers. He was the brains behind cricket’s Big Bash. As the head of sport at Network Ten, Barham introduced the concept in the early days of the women’s competition. And it worked. A decade ago, the WBBL was drawing record crowds and TV audiences.
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Barham says putting on games with no crowd in the background hurts the sport.
“I did two Commonwealth Games. One in India and one in Glasgow. The one in India was terrible because no one went. It didn’t rate. It didn’t work. The one in Glasgow rated its head off. Everyone loved it because the crowd was there. The crowd is such a factor in sport.”
Barham pushed for double headers when he sat on the AFLW competition committee, during his stint at Essendon.
“The crowd has got to be the most important thing. That’s where it will grow from. It won’t grow on TV if there’s no one sitting in the stands. It will just die,” he said.
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England’s booming domestic cricket competition, The Hundred, rolls out a similar fixture. Just about every game over two months takes place as back-to-back double-headers, at the same venue on the same day.
It’s been a huge success, with crowds and fandom for the women’s teams growing significantly, accelerating the profile and thus the earning potential of the women’s game. The competition has built a “one club, two teams” culture.
Not everyone agrees with the format. Some women’s sport advocates have argued that double-headers feel like coat-tail riding and say female athletes deserve their own place in the sun.
As I’ve argued recently, women’s sport is different to men’s. The AFLW deserves to stand on its own two feet. And, in time, I believe it will. But our game is not even a toddler, compared with the men’s competition. And if the men’s game can give leverage to a growing competition, then why not use it?
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There is intense competition for eyeballs. An average Australian processes between five and 30 pieces of content every minute they spend online. Content varies from live sport to social posts. Attention spans are shortening, too. If the AFL is going to adapt to shrinking attention spans, the decision makers need to look at shortening the time between games.
Of the five double headers, four featured the women first, a 50-minute break, and then the men’s game. The other one (GWS v West Coast Eagles in Sydney) saw the men play first, with just a 25-minute gap between the final siren and the women’s opening ball-up.
The turnaround was shorter because the AFLW teams agreed to a quicker on-ground warm-up. Imagine if the men were happy to oblige. Would anyone at the AFL be bold enough to ask the men to agree to a shorter warm-up to benefit of the women’s game?
The NRL players do it in Magic Round with a 20-minute window between games. And fellas, don’t tell us you need to stick to your usual routines because on grand final day that goes out the window. The on ground warm-up is shortened significantly because of the pre-match entertainment.
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Finally, a tick and a cross for the AFL.
Who on earth approved the Indigenous-round strips worn by North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs last weekend? It was the worst jumper clash in the history of the game. The players said they had to rely on facial recognition, forcing them to second guess decisions during the contest. I asked for bibs from the commentary box! It was a farce. Some claimed the game should have been stopped, as both teams were in blue shorts and blue-and-white socks.
But the game was played in Launceston. There were no back-up shorts or socks nearby. Plus, the women never wear white shorts. They were ditched long ago to ease the stress of playing through periods.
The league deserves a pat on the back, though, for shifting the AFLW grand final to Friday, November 27.
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The decider was due to be played the following night, but with Channel Seven set to broadcast the
state election on its main channel and Channel Ten broadcasting a Matildas friendly from Canberra, it made sense to bring it forward. The only clash now is a Harry Styles concert at Marvel Stadium. Maybe they could combine the two with Harry as the pre-match entertainment. One can only dream.
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Kelli Underwood is a Fox Footy host and commentator.AdvertisementAdvertisement