The AFL has granted Collingwood, the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants special assistance packages after their continued underperformance in the AFLW across recent seasons.
The league confirmed the move on Friday morning for the trio of clubs, with the Giants receiving two first-round selection (No.3 and 19 currently) at next month’s draft.
The Magpies and Suns will each be awarded two additional list spots for the 2026 season. The latter will keep that quota for the 2027 season also, though the Pies’ will be lessened to one.
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In a statement, AFL Executive GM of Football Operations Laura Kane said the packages were designed to help the clubs improve their on-field performance.
“Gold Coast have had three wins over the past two years, resulting in a 15 per cent win rate, while GWS have recorded a 17 per cent win rate over the past three years. Collingwood sit at the same level after securing only four wins in the past two years,” Kane said.
“We want these three clubs to return to being competitive after several years of consistent underperformance, and after extensive consultation with them, we believe this package is structured to support that goal.”
Suns chief executive Mark Evans welcomed the AFL Commission’s decision, saying the package will allow the club to retain senior players while developing its young list.
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“We appreciate the opportunity to take the AFL through our long-term strategic plans and are thankful for the assistance provided for our AFLW program,” Evans said via a statement.
“We have a young and talented squad and these spots will allow us to hold a number of senior and experienced players to aid in our pursuit of success.”
Giants CEO David Matthews said in his own club’s statement: “We are grateful for the support and co-operation of the AFL as we have worked together on where our program has been, and where it needs to build to.
“The National Draft has been the biggest equaliser for the AFLW competition, but it has only been in existence for one year and the inherent challenges of operating a foundation club in a non-traditional football market has presented unique issues.
“We have made significant changes to our program to accelerate this progress and invest significantly in our program to ensure we have the appropriate resourcing to be successful.”