By Ant Wingard
Three double-headers have now been locked in for the NAB AFL Women’s games in February and March in Brisbane’s Northern suburbs.
Brisbane Lions games at Hickey Park will now coincide with Wilston Grange home games in the Bond University QAFLW at the same venue; with the latter games featuring either as curtain-raisers or curtain-closers.
It was announced late last year that there was potential for up to four AFL Women’s double-headers in Queensland’s South East, with three all but confirmed for the second-half the 2020 AFLW season.
The scheduling of both AFLW and Bond University QAFLW games is to encourage fans to witness the premier senior women’s competition in Queensland and provide players a greater platform in front of potential coaches and recruiters.
Cathy Svarc (left) was drafted to the Lions from Wilston Grange. Image: David Layden
Brisbane’s Round 4 conference A showdown with the GWS GIANTS on Sunday March 1, will now be preceded by the Round 1 QAFLW game between Wilston Grange and University of Queensland at 1pm.
Similarly, when the Lions host Collingwood in Round 6 (Saturday, March 14), Wilston Grange will host Bond University in a twilight curtain-closer at 5pm.
The third confirmed double-header between the national and state competitions will take place before the commencement of the QAFLW season in a preseason contest between Wilston Grange and Aspley at 7pm to follow Brisbane’s opening round contest against reigning premiers Adelaide.
The three confirmed double-headers come as a result of a shift in the QAFLW fixture, which saw the competition move ahead in the calendar year to align with the national competition.
With the changes, AFLW players not selected in a match-day squad are eligible to play in their aligned QAFLW team on that respective weekend.
The likelihood of one more QAFLW-AFLW double-headers on the Gold Coast also remains possible.
