Fans will be forced to purchase tickets to some AFL Women’s games in 2020 as the league attempts to manage crowd numbers at some boutique venues.

The competition committee considered charging for all AFLW games this season, with the decision to hold off for at least a year made to ensure the fans of the four new teams had an opportunity to watch their team for free.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE FULL FIXTURE

media_camera Nicole Livingstone announced the new fixture at Moorabbin, with new Saints players Georgia Patrikios, Emma Mackie and Kate McCarthy. Picture: AAP

Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >

An entry fee for all AFLW matches could be brought in as soon as 2021.

Richmond will enter the competition for AFLW04 and with the focus on “bringing football home”, will play some games at Punt Road Oval which only holds 5000 people.

AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said “operational needs” at such grounds meant tickets would be necessary for some stand-alone AFLW matches, with the cost to be set at “a few dollars” to cover administration costs.

The season-opener between Richmond and Carlton at Ikon Park will not be a ticketed match.

“We look at 103,000 fans for Richmond and going to Ikon Park for that first game is really important for us to get as many Richmond fans as we can to see their women’s team as possible,” Livingstone said.

“But we will consider ticketing, operationally, Punt Road because only 5000 (people) fit in there.

“We want to make sure that people don’t miss out. We’ll keep them really minimal – they’ll only be a couple of dollars … but there are a couple of venues that we’ll have to ticket for operational purposes.”

media_camera The Crows kick off their premiership defence against Brisbane. Pic: Getty Images

MORE NEWS:

Cats, Giants in historic fixture first

Why Fox dumped star Neroli Meadows

Gary Buckenara analyses every club’s list

The Herald Sun can reveal that three historic women’s and men’s double-headers for premiership points are pencilled in for the first fortnight of the AFL season as the women’s competition prepares to hit the road.

The men’s 2020 fixture is set to be finalised tomorrow but at the time the women’s fixture was announced at Moorabbin on Tuesday, three AFL/AFLW double-headers were set for the first two weeks of the men’s competition.

Greater Western Sydney and Geelong will play at Giants Stadium – the first time AFL and AFLW games for premiership points will be on the same bill – in Round 7 of AFLW, with Carlton and Fremantle to face-off at Marvel Stadium in Round 8 before the men’s teams play in their Round 2 clash.

Brisbane will host the Kangaroos that evening at the Gabba before the men’s teams play.

AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said double-headers had been embraced by clubs, with many requests unfortunately left unfulfilled.

“We know that we run concurrent … having our female players considered, to make sure they’ve got ample room for changerooms and warm-up areas and those kind of considerations for athletic performance – that there were some opportunities to have some double-headers.

“It also gives us an opportunity to get to more fans.

“The fact that we were able to achieve some of those gives us an indication as to what that looks like. We always want to be – in this first building period – innovative … just to test and see what our audience is responding to.”

media_camera Identical twins Sarah (left) and Gemma Wright will cross paths in Round 6. Picture: Michael Klein

The 2020 AFL Women’s season will include;

FOUR new teams added with St Kilda, Gold Coast, West Coast and Richmond entering the competition.

THIRTEEN new venues across four states including Mackay, Bendigo and Wagga Wagga.

TWO double-headers between AFLW and AFL pre-season competition games.

Three weeks of finals, where the top team in each conference will have a bye in the first week.

A bumper weekend of football in Wagga Wagga with GWS and Richmond to play their Round 5 clash on Saturday March 7 before the two teams meet in the men’s Marsh Community Cup on Sunday March 8.

THE grand final played on Saturday, April 18 at a venue to be determined by ladder standing.

Matches that are double-headers with Marsh Community Cup games mean attendees will have to pay $15 for entry, with children and club members free.

Double-headers in the men’s season proper will also be charged at the premiership season rate, which in 2019 started at $27 for adults and $6 for kids.

media_camera Tayla Harris and Darcy Vescio will open the AFLW season at Ikon Park. Picture: AAP

2020 AFLW FIXTURE

ROUND 1

Friday Feb 7

Richmond v Carlton (Ikon Park, 7.40pm)

Saturday Feb 8

GWS v Gold Coast (Blacktown, 1.10pm)

Melbourne v Kangaroos (Casey Fields, 3.10pm)

Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Crows (Hickey Park, 5.10pm)

Sunday Feb 9

Collingwood v West Coast (Victoria Park, 1.10pm)

St Kilda v Western Bulldogs (RSEA Park, 3.10pm)

Fremantle v Geelong (Fremantle Oval, 5.10pm)

ROUND 2

Friday Feb 14

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne (Whitten Oval, 7.40pm)

Saturday Feb 15

Kangaroos v GWS (Uni of Tas Stadium, 3.10pm)

Gold Coast v Richmond (Metricon Stadium, 5.10pm)

West Coast v Fremantle (Optus Stadium, 7.10pm)

Sunday Feb 16

Geelong v Brisbane (GMHBA Stadium, 1.10pm)

Carlton v Collingwood (Ikon Park, 3.10pm)

Adelaide v St Kilda (Richmond Oval, 5.10pm)

ROUND 3

Friday Feb 21

St Kilda v Melbourne (RSEA Park, 7.10pm)

Saturday Feb 22

Western Bulldogs v Carlton (Whitten Oval, 3.10pm)

Gold Coast v Brisbane (Metricon Stadium, 5.10pm)

Fremantle v Collingwood (Fremantle Oval, 7.40pm)

Sunday Feb 23

GWS v West Coast (Blacktown, 1.10pm)

Richmond v Kangaroos (Punt Road, 3.10pm)

Geelong v Adelaide (GMHBA, 5.10pm)

ROUND 4

Friday Feb 28

Collingwood v Melbourne (Victoria Park, 7.10pm)

Saturday Feb 29

Richmond v Geelong (Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo, 3.10pm)

Kangaroos v Gold Coast (Arden St, 5.10pm)

West Coast v Western Bulldogs (Leederville Oval, 7.40pm)

Sunday Mar 1

Adelaide v Carlton (Richmond Oval, 1.10pm)

St Kilda v Fremantle (RSEA Park, 3.10pm)

Brisbane v GWS (Hickey Park, 5.10pm)

ROUND 5

Friday, March 6

Gold Coast v Geelong (Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay 7.10pm)

Saturday, March 7

Kangaroos v Adelaide Crows (North Hobart Oval, 3.10pm)

GWS v Richmond (Robertson Oval, Wagga, 5.10pm)

Carlton v St Kilda (Ikon Park, 7.10pm)

Sunday, March 8

Collingwood v Western Bulldogs (Morwell Recreation Reserve, 1.10pm)

Melbourne v West Coast (Casey Fields, 3.10pm)

Fremantle v Brisbane Lions (Fremantle Oval, 5.10pm)

ROUND 6

Friday, March 13

Geelong v Kangaroos (GMHBA Stadium, 7.10pm)

Saturday, March 14

Brisbane v Collingwood (Hickey Park, 3.10pm)

St Kilda v Richmond (RSEA Park, 5.10pm)

Melbourne v Carlton (TIO Traeger Park, 7.40pm)

Sunday, March 15

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle (Victoria University Whitten Oval, 1.10pm)

Adelaide Crows v GWS (Richmond Oval, 3.10pm)

West Coast v Gold Coast (Mineral Resources Park, 5.10pm)

ROUND 7

Friday March 20

Richmond v Brisbane (Punt Road Oval, 5.45pm)

Saturday March 21

Carlton v West Coast (Ikon Park, 1.10pm)

Kangaroos v Western Bulldogs (Arden St, 3.10pm)

GWS v Geelong (GIANTS Stadium, 5.10pm)

Sunday March 22

Gold Coast v Adelaide (Fankhauser Reserve, 1.10pm)

Fremantle v Melbourne (Fremantle Oval, 4.10pm)

Collingwood v St Kilda (Victoria Park, 6.10pm)

ROUND 8

Friday March 27

Western Bulldogs v GWS (Whitten Oval, 5.45pm)

Saturday March 28

Carlton v Fremantle (Marvel Stadium, 1.10pm)

Geelong v Collingwood (GMHBA, 3.10pm)

Brisbane v Kangaroos (Gabba, 5.10pm)

Sunday March 29

Adelaide v Richmond (Unley Oval, 1.10pm)

Melbourne v Gold Coast (Casey Fields, 4.10pm)

West Coast v St Kilda (Mineral Resources Park, 6.10pm)

FINALS:

Semi Finals: April 4-5

Preliminary Finals: April 11-12

Grand Final: April 18