AFL Barwon has drafted plans for Geelong’s first all-women’s senior footy league to start in 2018.

The governing body has rev­ealed its blueprint for the future of female football in the region, starting with the creation of an extra junior age group next season.

AFL Barwon will add an under-15 division to a junior program already featuring under-12 (junior girls) and under-18 (youth girls) competitions.

The youth girls age bracket will be lifted to under-19 for next year only to keep players in the game longer before the planned introduction of the senior competition in 2018.

Buoyed by overwhelming club support, AFL Barwon is bracing for a participation explosion next year, with club feedback indicating there could be up to 40 junior girls sides taking to the field in 2017, up from 17 this year.

The number of All-girls Auskick programs are also expected to double.

media_camera Geelong could have a women’s AFL side in two years’ time. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

By 2019, AFL Barwon hopes to have under-10, under-12, under-15 and under-18 junior girls age groups. “The big thing we said to clubs during the meetings was: ‘you getting your team up isn’t about the club’s team down the road falling over’,” AFL Barwon football development manager Katie Geerings said.

“We need new girls to play, it’s not about poaching from other clubs.

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“Because by doing that, we’re not growing the game, we’re just moving girls from one club to the other.

“We need clubs working together.”

AFL Barwon says it would need four clubs to make a senior competition worthwhile in its first year.

There is a possibility the league may look to join forces with the senior female league in Ballarat in the early years to form a joint competition.