AFLW Chief Executive Nicole Livingstone has defended the decision to play the 2019 grand final on Sunday afternoon, in a timeslot that will clash with North Melbourne’s round two match against Brisbane.

The governing body raised eyebrows after they overlooked an empty Saturday afternoon slot for Adelaide and Carlton's series decider. But the jam-packed AFL fixture hasn't given the women's competition much room to manoeuvre.

With Port Adelaide set to host Carlton at the same venue in the early evening, a joint fixture at Adelaide Oval presented it's own problems for AFLW fans.

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“I think the Saturday would’ve been more disastrous for us,” Livingstone told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

"We did investigate having a double header with the Crows and Hawthorn game (last week), but to get our fans in a full house of Adelaide Crows men’s supporters was very difficult. It is a different audience.

“But to not have a family friendly timeslot that allowed families and kids to come and see the inspiration of the AFLW would have been a disservice to our players.

“The other thing I’ll say is that if we had have been able to manage a Saturday (grand final) it would have pushed us to a time zone of about 10.30 in the morning, Adelaide time.

“To be able to clear a venue and for Port Adelaide to be able to set up with signage all over Adelaide Oval meant that we would have had to play at 10.30 in the morning. That would have been a disservice to the AFLW."

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Unlike the AFL who traditionally hold their grand final on the last Saturday of September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the AFLW schedule their battle for the silverware based on which team takes the top spot.

The start time and location for this series grand final was only confirmed last Saturday, after the preliminary final between Carlton and Fremantle had concluded.

The Crows earned the right to host the grand final in Adelaide after finishing the regular season as minor premiers.

“It is unique," Livingstone admitted.

"We do it differently to the AFL. You know exactly when the men’s competition Grand Final is and the venue it’s at.

“We don’t do that. With AFLW we like the difference that we don’t set that grand final location until we’ve locked in finalists and the hosting goes to the top spot.”

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While football fans will have to flick between the AFLW grand final and North Melbourne's clash with Brisbane in the AFL, Livingstone reasoned that in the end the decision was the lesser of two evils.

"Trying to find it’s right place in a sporting schedule that is jam-packed, I feel more confident with us being able to schedule with the AFL and the AFLW fixture," she said.

"If we were trying to fit in with other sports that we can no control over or say in, that puts us in a much worse position.

"Our endgame is to have our competition commercially sustainable."

Adelaide will host Carlton in the third grand final of AFLW, on Sunday, March 31 at Adelaide Oval.