Nicole Livingstone has explained why the AFLW will continue to prioritise boutique ground fixtures over stadium games despite a growing push to play in front of the larger arenas.
Speaking on the ABC Sport's The W with Sharni and Sam podcast, the AFL's general manager of women's football said she was thrilled with crowd numbers after the opening round of the competition.
"We had 42,000 people come to the AFLW in round one, which is incredible," she said.
"That's the biggest round one crowd we've had since COVID hit.
"To have 42,000 fans come and see AFLW, it just makes my heart sing."
The AFLW has seen a huge number of developments occur during the off-season, not least that the start date of season seven was moved to August, meaning this latest campaign will be the second of the 2022 calendar year.
"We've been a summer sport offering for the first six years," she said.
"I think it was a bit of a shock for a lot of people at Carlton v Collingwood [the opening fixture at Princes Park].
"I was sitting in the outer ... and it was bloody freezing and raining."
The idea of starting the AFLW season during the men's bye week has been floating around for a while, but players were in the dark as recently as April this year about knowing exactly when season seven would kick off.
"It hasn't been easy, to go into a new time frame," Livingstone said.
"In most people's minds [the bye week] is a week off from football, or community football takes over.
"So for us to be able to muscle in — we think we've found the right time to play AFLW, and we think the men's bye round is the right time."
Livingstone said this way the opening AFLW round can also serve as a tonic for the crestfallen fans of the men's teams that missed the finals.
"Given that we have ten clubs that have finished [the season] in the men's competition, if they [the fans] can pick themselves up from the fetal position ... then their hopes and dreams are back up and around with AFLW.
"To be able to have men's football fans come across to AFLW is really important to us ... our audience now skews 53 per cent women, 47 per cent men."
Bigger stadiums can 'cost four times as much'
One of the highlight games of the opening round involved two of the four new teams in this year's competition, with Essendon beating Hawthorn at Docklands Stadium.
12,092 fans turned up to see an engrossing contest, and the success of the event has led many, including Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard, to call for more games to be held in the 53,000-seat stadium.
"It's not as easy as just saying 'let's play on the big stadiums,'" Livingstone said.
"In most cases they cost four times as much to even open the doors and go in.
"So where is the best spend of the budget that we have? Is it on trying to get every game at a big stadium? I don't think it is.
"We still have those boutique stadiums that really resonate with our audience; they love how close they can get.
"So there's a balance, between picking the marquee games that we want to go in big stadiums, and then also staying true to what we know our fans love.
"The one thing that I don't want to see is us go to big venues, and nobody be there."
A double header fixture, pairing a women's game with men's final, is being staged this week, with the Demons and Kangaroos AFLW teams playing on the MCG before Melbourne and Sydney's qualifying final on September 2.
These arrangements can cause some issues with ticketing, Livingstone said.
"People ask 'why can't we do double headers?'. Well, if we do a double header, there are some unintended consequences," she said.
"If we go to the MCG, we can't clear a crowd of 10,000 people, get them out the door, and then turn it back around for AFL finals."
Tickets for AFLW games usually cost $10, but double header fixtures obviously need to cost more.
"So [for September 2] the starting price point was $35," Livingstone said.
"$35 for AFLW and men's finals, I think is really reasonable, and if you want AFLW to be playing at these big stadiums, with men's finals, unfortunately — or fortunately — it's going to cost a little bit more.
"But that puts a value into women's football as well."
Livingstone 'comfortable' with no executive-level representation
Livingstone doesn't hold an executive level position in the AFL, and there remains no dedicated AFLW executive at the board level.
Livingstone said she's comfortable with the current leadership structure.
"The good news is, I am GM of women's football, and Laura Kane is GM of AFL competitions," she said.
"I report in to Andrew Dillon, who is the executive general manager of football operations.
"We are senior leaders in this business ... I'm more than comfortable with where we're at in terms of the leadership of AFLW and the stewardship of it.
"I don't need to be an executive general manager, and I'm sure Laura feels the same ... the way that we're structured right now, I'm really comfortable that women's football and the AFLW are being well-represented."
Back on the field, Livingstone thinks the Demons are the flag favourites, especially after beating Adelaide in the round one grand final rematch.
"I think Melbourne might [win the premiership] ... if they keep it together," she said.
An expansion year, a new season start time, a new collective bargaining agreement: so much has changed, and yet there's likely more upheaval to come.
"We're not at our final destination on this journey," Livingstone said.
"But isn't the journey amazing?"
