The 2024 VFL Women's season was the eighth season of the VFL Women's (VFLW), the state level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season ran from 22 March to 21 July, comprising a home-and-away season, followed by a finals series featuring the top six clubs.
The season was contested by 12 clubs. It also included matches against New South Wales AFL Women's teams Greater Western Sydney and Sydney; the New South Wales teams were not premiership eligible, but there were premiership points available for the Victorian clubs in the matches.[1] The NSW clubs each played five matches featuring many of their AFL Women's contracted players,[2] with the two clubs using the VFLW competition to gain experience ahead of the 2024 AFL Women's season which began in August. The presence of the NSW clubs playing their AFLW-listed players differed from the Victorian clubs who chose not to play their AFLW-listed players in their VFLW programs citing the risk of injury.[3] This resulted in some lop-sided results between the NSW teams and their opponents, with only Collingwood able to defeat Sydney, while the GWS Giants were undefeated in their matches.
Prior to the start of the season, there was speculation that Collingwood would affiliate with Williamstown for the 2024 VFLW season "as part of broader reviews from the AFL and the club into the direction of the VFLW". However, no affiliation agreement resulted from the reviews.[4]
North Melbourne defeated Western Bulldogs in the Grand Final played at ETU Stadium, scoring a record high score of 10.8 (68) points against the Bulldogs 7.6 (48) to claim the club's first VFL Women's premiership.[5]
Source: AFL.com.au Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. (E) Club playing a limited number of exhibition matches, ineligible for progression to finals series; (P) Premiers
Progression by round
Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 6.
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round.
Underlined numbers indicate that the team had a bye during that round.
Umpires: G Devenish, A Bailes, N Walsh[12] Lisa Hardeman Medal: Nyakoat Dojiok (North Melbourne) Television broadcast:Seven Network
N. Dojiok 4 E. Paterno 2 A. Barba, M. Di Cosmo, G. Nicholas, A. Rhodes
Goals
M. Clifford, R. Saulitis, M. McLeod, I. Milford, T. Pulcino, J. Tabb, K. Hardingham
N. Dojiok, A. Rhodes, A. Barba, M. Di Cosmo, M. McSweeney, K. Reynolds, N. Hales
Best
D. Carbone, K. Hardingham, T. Hurst, C. Ugle, T. Pulcino, J. Tabb
North Melbourne won their first VFL Women's premiership, scoring a record high score in a VFLW Grand Final.[13] North Melbourne had led by 32 points before the Western Bulldogs levelled the scores in the third quarter.[14][15][16]
Nyakoat Dojiok (North Melbourne) won the Lisa Hardeman Medal as best-on-ground, kicking three goals in the first half, adding a fourth in the final quarter.[14][17]
Grand Final gallery
Captain Jess Jones (L) and coach Brett Gourley (R) celebrate with the premiership cup
Lisa Hardeman (R) presented Nyakoat Dojiok (L) with the Lisa Hardeman Medal for best on field
^McKirdy, Lachlan (6 April 2024). "Stars align for Giants and Swans in VFLW". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. p. 79.
^Vinall, Marnie (4 June 2024). "AFLW players look for lower-league game time". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria: Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. p. 37.
