2023 AFLW Season Preview & Betting Tips
Season Format
-For the second season in a row the competition will see eighteen teams compete in ten home & away rounds before a four week finals series.
-There have been some rule changes with quarters extended to fifteen minutes plus time on and interchanges capped at 60 rotations per team.
-Boundary umpires will move 10 metres into the field of play when the ball goes out of bounds between the 50 metre arcs. Boundary throw-ins within the fifty metre arcs will be completed from the boundary line. The last touch out of bounds rule will still apply between the 50-metre arcs.
Premiership Market
Season 7 premiers Melbourne will be the team to beat once again, with Brisbane and Adelaide looking to take the crown off the reigning premiers. Richmond made their first finals appearance last season, and their young list will be looking to improve after a straight sets exit. North Melbourne made a run from eighth to the Preliminary Final, and the recruitment of Kate Shierlaw from St Kilda will be a major boost to the Roos forward line.
Despite losing some players throughout the off season, Brisbane looms as Melbourne's biggest threat to going back to back. The Lions have been the highest scoring team in the competition in each of the last two seasons, averaging 54 and 49 points per game respectively. Brisbane were just four points off winning back to back premierships themselves, and if they can keep their attacking brand of football in tact, they will be right amongst it once again.
Daisy Pearce’s retirement is a big loss, however Melbourne didn’t lose a single player to the AFLW priority signing period. Eden Zanker looks set to spend the season as a permanent forward which will add a new layer to the Demons forward line. Zanker kicked 9.1 after moving forward in Round 6 last season, and could cause a major impact with a full season up forward. Gab Colvin returns from an ACL injury to add to a star studded defence alongside Libby Birch and Tahlia Gillard. Melbourne were the number one ranked defence in Season 7, and will only be stronger in 2023. Melbourne have been the most well rounded side in the competition for multiple years now, and their depth will lead the Demons to back to back premierships.
Melbourne to Win the Premiership
$3.75
League Best & Fairest
Monique Conti had a stellar campaign in Season 7, leading Richmond to their first finals appearance as the Tigers finished inside the top four. Conti averaged 21 disposals, 4 clearances and 314 metres gained per game, as Conti finished runner up in the AFLW Best & Fairest. Richmond will be looking to continue their rise as they establish themselves as one of the best sides in the competition, and Conti will have a big role to play for the Tigers. Conti has got an excellent balance inside and outside the contest which has stood out from the moment she entered the competition, and Conti is set for another big season.
Tip: Monique Conti, Odds TBA.
