HAWTHORN Football Club has officially submitted its application for an AFLW licence to enter the competition in 2019.

Hawthorn’s submission outlines the financial strength of the club and the power of its vast and engaged audience across three key areas: Melbourne and Victoria’s East, Tasmania and Katherine.

With strong talent pathways, already in place at a grassroots level, the application highlights Hawthorn’s readiness to establish a competitive playing list for the 2019 season and beyond.

Key highlights of the submission include:

• The strength of the club’s existing female talent pathways and its ability to develop home-grown talent – As part of the submission Hawthorn proposes that its AFLW team can pre-list talent from the club’s local talent pool, which includes Box Hill VFL, Eastern Ranges Youth Girls Academy, Next Generation Academies (Eastern, Katherine and Gippsland) and Tasmanian state pathways.

• Hawthorn’s ability to house its AFLW team at elite, purpose-built facilities that guarantee access to the best facilities regardless of gender – The Hawks’ AFLW team will have complete access to the Ricoh Centre. The club will upgrade its Waverley Park facility to include additional state-of-the-art female change rooms. In addition, the club’s vision is to develop Box Hill City Oval into an elite female-friendly facility. The club’s future home at Dingley will also give Hawthorn the opportunity to house a purpose-built, world class women’s sporting facility.

• Hawthorn will take AFLW into new and growing markets - Hawthorn will play its AFLW home games at three different locations; Ikon Park, UTAS stadium and regional Victoria. The club is committed to playing at least one home game in Launceston, with the aim of incorporating this into the club’s Australia Post AFL Community Camp. Hawthorn will also look to grow the game in its in heartland in Melbourne and Victoria’s east with one game to be held at a suitable venue in Gippsland.

• Hawthorn’s financial strength and ability to invest – The club is committed to significant investment in football and non-football AFLW resources to ensure Hawthorn’s environment of excellence is maintained on and off the field. Hawthorn genuinely believes in AFLW and the future of women’s football, and has the ability and the mandate, to invest.

• The power of Hawthorn’s footprint - With the highest membership figure in the AFL and over half a million social media followers, Hawthorn can substantially grow the overall AFLW audience and assist in driving increased female participation.

• A fully integrated football program and bespoke player welfare and development program - Through the integration of the Box Hill VFL Women’s team the club has developed a thorough understanding of the needs and requirements of females in an elite sporting environment. Hawthorn will leverage the club’s best in class men’s environment, and merge that with first-hand learnings from Box Hill’s VFLW team, to create a bespoke football program for female athletes.

Hawthorn CEO, Tracey Gaudry said the club’s submission demonstrates the long-term investment Hawthorn will, and has already begun to, make in AFLW.

“Hawthorn Football Club truly is the family club,” said Gaudry.

“We celebrate family and we commit to values that endure.

“Hawthorn has already established strong foundations with regards to women’s football and our commitment, dedication and desire to see women wearing the brown and gold in the AFLW is clearly on display.

“Our ambition to establish an AFLW team is a genuine and authentic extension of our club and our commitment to an environment of excellence and inclusion.

“Through the work we have done with women’s football at a grassroots level and the progressiveness highlighted by the impact women are making through our senior executive team and across the club, we are clearly ready to extend the family and we firmly believe our submission proves so.”

As part of the application process, the club called upon a core group of Hawthorn women to officially make their mark on its submission by placing a gold ink finger print inside the official document.

The women who placed their finger prints on the document represent the staff, members, fans, VFL players, directors and future generations of Hawthorn AFLW players who understand what it means to embrace Hawthorn, and have Hawthorn embrace you.

The club would like to thank the many women and men who contributed to Hawthorn’s AFLW submission.

It is expected the AFL will make a decision regarding AFLW submissions in the next month.

Thanks to the wonderful Hawthorn women who officially made their mark on the club's submission:

Lucinda Nolan, Director Hawthorn Football Club

Tracey Gaudry, CEO Hawthorn Football Club

Joyce Monk, 77-year Hawks Member

Teah Brennan, Junior Hawks Member

Dana deBondt, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Player

Monique Trusler, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Player

Sarah Goode, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Player

Jorja Borg, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Player

Ebony Nixon, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Player

Olivia Knowles, VFLW Box Hill Hawks Strength and Conditioning Coach

Emma Race, The Outer Sanctum (Number one ticket holders for VFLW Box Hill Hawks)

Lucy Race, The Outer Sanctum (Number one ticket holders for VFLW Box Hill Hawks)

Felicity Race, The Outer Sanctum (Number one ticket holders for VFLW Box Hill Hawks)

Kate Seear, The Outer Sanctum (Number one ticket holders for VFLW Box Hill Hawks)

Students from Worawa Girls College

Various Hawthorn administration and football staff