Traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton are among the eight clubs awarded a licence in the new AFL women's league, as the national competition takes another step towards its groundbreaking first season.

The Western Bulldogs and Melbourne, both seen as trailblazers for the competition after staging a series of exhibition games in past seasons, including AFL curtain-raisers, made up the two other Victorian-based clubs.

In what the league dubbed a "revolution", Adelaide, Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney were also confirmed as starters after being the only clubs to nominate from their respective states.

Fremantle beat out West Coast in Western Australia, rounding out the eight-team competition to begin next year.

AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said it was "a truly defining moment" in the history Australian football that would inspire girls to "reach for the stars".

"Our game is on the cusp of changing forever, and for the better," he said at the announcement at the MCG.

"The concept of a national competition has been put together in a short space of time, but this day has been a long time coming.

"The number of women and girls playing club football has doubled over the past five years. Female participation [has reached] 25 per cent of the total number of Australians playing our indigenous game."

'Women at their most powerful' to star in new league

Thirteen of the 18 AFL clubs bid for a team in the women's competition. ( ABC News )

One the most high-profile female players, Daisy Pearce, said it was great opportunity to play elite sport and a chance she never thought she would have.

"To look around today and see those little girls who are going to grow up knowing that's something they can achieve is amazing," she said.

She said the game would be groundbreaking for women in general, not just footballers.

"We've seen on so many levels that sport is such a powerful vehicle ... for that sort of change," she said.

"To see women out there playing a really physical sport and at our most powerful will be pretty changing across all of society, not just AFL footy."

Pearce currently works for Melbourne and played in the early exhibition matches for the Demons but said there had been no signings locked away.

"But it would be hard to get me to play anywhere else," she grinned.

Pearce said players would be paid but given the limited number of games, most would see it as a "bonus" on top of their day jobs.

Provisional licences granted for five other clubs

Each club will be able to sign two marquee players and fill out the rest of the playing list via a national draft.

A season of six matches, followed by finals for the top four, will begin in February.

Adelaide made a joint submission for a team with AFLNT, meaning players from the Northern Territory would have a pathway into the competition through the Crows.

The competition between clubs, particularly in Victoria, was fierce, with eight teams vying for the four available spots in that state.

Five other clubs who bid for a side but missed out — Geelong, Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda and North Melbourne — were granted provisional licenses to compete in later seasons, possibly as soon as 2018.