Debbie Lee is the first woman inducted to the AFL's prestigious Hall of Fame.
She played more than 300 games in the Victorian Women's Football League before transitioning to coaching and is currently the boss of the Western Bulldogs AFLW team.
So when it comes to the future of the AFLW, Lee's voice is one of the loudest and most revered; informed not just by her time spent in management meetings but also the countless hours spent in the maw of an Aussie Rules midfield.
The 2022 AFLW season has highlighted many issues that Australia's top women athletes continue to face, particularly around the part-time nature of their competitions that forces them to juggle sport with other commitments.
While the AFL has been coy on their long-term plans for a full-time competition, Lee believes the transition can happen whenever its decision-makers choose.
"I think we can become full-time anytime we want," Lee said on The W with Sharni and Sam podcast.
"I think it's just: how does it work and what's the decision?
"And how do we fund it?"
The pandemic not an insurmountable obstacle
Lee admits the footy industry is still straining under the oppressive weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The AFL, they do a really good job," she says.
"They've been through a pretty hard time through this whole COVID [pandemic] and it's about treading water and how do we get games played.
"But I think it's also about how we set up the funding model so we can continue to grow."
Lee isn’t blind to the revenue disparity between the men's and women's leagues.
"Obviously, the men's game brings in a lot more revenue, it is what it is … that's just facts," she says.
"We’ve got a new product … and it's six years in, and it’s had some great results in my view, in terms of brand, in terms of messaging, in terms of linking communities.
"As an industry … it's around how much are we willing to spend?"
'Have a minimum soft cap spend … but don't have a maximum'
Lee says the soft salary cap is limiting how much clubs can invest in the women's side of their operations and it needs to be increased.
"The model would be: have a minimum of soft cap spend for the women's game, but don't have a maximum," she says.
"Or have a maximum but make it higher, so those clubs that only want to spend, say, $450k, $550k, $600k … that's fine, but those that want to spend $1m, or $800k, allow them to do that."
More money would mean better wages for AFLW staff, something Lee thinks is vital.
"Essentially, for me, it's just all about being fair," she says.
"If you've got a [club] doctor, you've got to pay them what a doctor should be paid as a minimum standard in a pro-rata sense.
"I think we lean on people who are passionate and love it [the women's game] … but I come back to thinking … are we actually being fair in how we're looking after them?"
'We all want the same thing'
Lee has marvelled at how the women's side of the game has blossomed despite its multiple challenges.
"I think it’s come a long way, absolutely," she says.
"In my career, when we started, we had six teams in Victoria, full stop, that's it.
"So where it's come is absolutely phenomenal."
Lee also senses the path to further growth isn't one where the two sides of the sport are cast as adversaries.
"It’s about how do we continue to grow it, but grow it together," she says.
"I don't think we need to be combative … collectively, we all want the same thing, the AFL want the [women's] game to grow, we want the game to grow, the clubs want the game to grow.
"But how can we do it collectively? … because if we do it collectively, we're going to get a better outcome."
