THE AFLW'S first fully national draft will be held on Monday, December 16, with a seven-day trade period locked in for the week prior.
While last year's draft allowed prospects to nominate for a national pool, the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft will be the first time in the competition's history that all players will be eligible to be drafted to any club across the country.
Previous drafts were state-based, due to the part-time nature of the competition, but an average 20 per cent increase in remuneration for AFLW draftees as well as the recent introduction of relocation allowances have paved the way for a fully national draft.
With a handful of potential draftees vying to be the number one pick, the 2024 draft is set to be full of intrigue and excitement.
Before the draft, the 2024 AFLW trade period will commence just five days after the 2024 AFLW Grand Final and run from Thursday, December 5 until Wednesday, December 11.
With the introduction of multi-year player contracts this year, it's expected to be a less hectic trade period compared to last season which saw 41 players move clubs, including an unprecedented 11-player trade.
A restricted free agency period will run alongside the trade period from Wednesday, December 4 until Thursday, December 11. During this time, only certain players can move clubs. A player who has previously been signed on a one-year deal and is offered another one-year deal by the same club but at a lower payment tier than the previous contract is considered to be a restricted free agent. If another club offers this player a payment at or above their previous payment tier, the player is able to move to that club as a restricted free agent during this window.
Clubs can pick up players who have been delisted by other clubs via the delisted free agency (DFA) period which also runs from Wednesday, December 4 until Wednesday, December 11. A second DFA period will be open for just two days following the conclusion of the trade period.
Following the draft on December 16, there will be a supplementary signing period (SSP) in February where clubs that still have list spots can pick up players who nominated for the draft but were not selected.
The rookie signing period runs concurrently with the SSP, where players who have not played or been registered with an AFL program in the last three years can be recruited. Previously, this mechanism has been used to recruit Irish players or cross-code rookies, similar to a category B rookie in the AFL.
Draft nominations open on Wednesday, November 6 and close on Wednesday, November 27.
KEY AFLW PLAYER MOVEMENT DATES
- Monday, November 4: First Rookie Signing period opens
- Wednesday, November 6: AFLW Draft nominations open
- Wednesday, November 27: AFLW Draft nominations close
- Saturday, November 30: 2024 NAB AFLW Grand Final
- Wednesday, December 4: Restricted Free Agency and first Delisted Free Agency Period opens
- Thursday, December 5: AFLW Trade Period opens
- Wednesday, December 11: AFLW Trade, Restricted Free Agency and first Delisted Free Agency periods close
- Thursday, December 12: First Rookie Signing period closes; second Delisted Free Agency period opens
- Friday, December 13: Second Delisted Free Agency period closes; 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft order finalised
- Monday, December 16: 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft
- Monday, February 3, 2025: Supplementary Signing Period opens
- Friday, February 28, 2025: Supplementary Signing Period closes
