"We would like the [CBA] package that we put together to the AFL to cover, obviously, the current male players, the current female players and past players," Marsh said. "Hopefully it's something that is reasonably simple for the industry to get its head around." Fairfax revealed on Sunday – the day of the first ever telecast of an AFL women's match, which proved a huge ratings success for Channel Seven – how the league is now convinced there is ample talent to support a six-team women's competition within two years. Marsh, who was instrumental in professionalising women's cricket and oversaw large gains in their payment, watched and was impressed by the weekend's women's AFL curtain raiser. The exhibition game featured the top 50 female footballers in Australia, none of whom is paid. As part of a four-day training and educational camp before Sunday's game – an initiative covered financially by the AFL, along with the travel and accommodation expenses of players – an AFLPA representative outlined to both teams a view that their interests would be well served by aligning with the association that has only ever represented male athletes.

"In my experience with cricket there are probably two key things that we would need. We'd obviously need our current members to agree to support a change of our rules to allow for female players to become members," Marsh said. "Secondly, we would need the AFL to recognise us as a representative body of female players. "We've already had a discussion with the AFL about desire to represent female players, to which they're very supportive. We've met with the female players [who were part of Sunday's AFL teams] and I think it's important that we bring female players into the AFLPA membership as soon as we can. And I think it fits in nicely to this next CBA deal. "The timing of the [women's AFL] league coincides with the timing of the next CBA. And certainly from our perspective, and my preliminary thinking, is that we should be factoring female payments into the overall percentage that we are pushing for. "I think a really key part of this journey is first of all making the female players feel as though they are valued by the sport. And that means properly representing them and making sure they've got the basic protections of entitlements in place. One of the first things we did in cricket was extend the education and training grants that were available to male players to female players. And the support services that we had. I think that's a starting point here. We moved, from there, into getting contracts in place for the females, and gradually the value of those contracts has gone up a point now where the Australian (female) players can pretty much be full time cricketers if they want to be."

One of the many women's football ideas being contemplated by the AFL, which has asked its 18 clubs to submit expressions of interests regarding female teams, is featuring female games in next year's finals series. Sunday's match between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, the fourth occasion women have played for the two AFL clubs, was roundly celebrated and drew more television viewers than Adelaide's clash with Essendon. "I thought the game was terrific. It was a terrific showcase," Marsh said. "I think it shows there is a significant level of talent, and I think everyone marvelled at the skills of the players, so I think the sooner that the AFL gets a women's league up and running the better. We're very excited to hear that it's flagged for 2017."