Fans divided over AFLW season opener double-header

The 2026 AFLW season kicked off with a double-header at Docklands Stadium, featuring Carlton against St Kilda. This event was part of a broader initiative by the AFL to host five double-headers between the men's and women's competitions this season, a move long advocated by players, clubs, and fans to boost the profile of women's football.

The primary goals of these double-headers are to enhance the visibility of the women's game, attract a wider fan base, cultivate a unified club identity under a "one club, two teams" approach, and provide the women's teams with better playing conditions to improve the overall quality of the match. By half-time on Sunday evening, the crowd had reached 11,000, surpassing the attendance of a recent sold-out Australia vs. Ireland game.

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I look at the idea of all of your teams playing on the same day and celebrating each other. To open the season at [Docklands] is a testament to every single AFLW supporter who has advocated for this sort of growth, and everyone who's been on board since the start. It's a celebration for all of us.

St Kilda veteran Hannah Priest viewed the double-headers positively, highlighting the "nice unity for an all-club approach" and the opportunity to celebrate all teams playing on the same day. She acknowledged the significant effort of club staff working across both men's and women's programs and described the season opener at Docklands as a testament to the advocacy of AFLW supporters.

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I've got a lot of mixed feelings about it, but I don't think that this showcases it as it should be. I think that it is presenting it as second to the men's game, and certainly for a season opener, W should be the focus.

However, not all attendees shared the same enthusiasm. While many fans enjoyed the atmosphere of the larger stadium and its amenities, some expressed a preference for the community feel of suburban grounds and felt the AFLW should be the primary focus, especially for a season opener. Carlton AFLW fan Asha Ziffer articulated these mixed feelings, stating that while the event showcased growth, she believed it presented the women's game as secondary to the men's. Her 14-year-old daughter likened the experience to a concert with a support act that only a portion of the audience attends before the main event.

Ziffer further noted that even though the attendance of 11,000 was strong for the women's game, the sheer size of Docklands Stadium made it feel less impactful. She suggested that the venue's scale might inadvertently diminish the perceived significance of the women's match, raising questions about how effectively the double-header format truly elevates the AFLW in the eyes of the broader community.

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it's like when you go to a concert and there's a support act that only half the people come to and then there's the main event