"I asked the team yesterday and we can only really go on social stuff because it's not ticketed, and there's a feeling on social media that it's going to be as strong as last year," McLachlan told Fairfax Media. "I don't know what that means, but I'm confident there's going to be a really good crowd there. "I hope I'm not having to walk out again … OK, maybe (I am)!" With a capacity of 24,000 at the ground, the AFL has already made plans for anyone who misses out, with a live site to be set up outside the ground, including a big screen to watch the game. It won't be the only big turnout for the weekend, with a capacity crowd (approximately 12,000) also expected at Norwood Oval for the grand final rematch between Adelaide and Brisbane.

And next weekend, an astonishing 38,000 tickets have already been sold (at $2 each, which will be donated to a charity) for Fremantle's match against Collingwood at the brand-new Optus Stadium. McLachlan thinks they can do even better. "I'm confident we're going to push 50,000 for that game, which would be great. It would be great to break the record. "The record ever for a women's sport event of any kind outside an Olympics is 41,000, hopefully we beat that and that would be amazing – that was back in 1929." Speaking shortly after launching the league's second season in Footscray on Tuesday, McLachlan said the exponential growth of AFLW had been incredible.

The AFL chief refused to rule out expanding the league to an 18-team competition in the short- to medium-term future. The league announced late last year that North Melbourne and Geelong would join the competition in 2019 to take the total number of teams to 10. West Coast, Gold Coast, Richmond and St Kilda will then come on board in 2020, with only Sydney and Port Adelaide among AFL clubs having not applied for a women's team. "We know more now, last year we had no idea," McLachlan smiled. "I think we're going to see improved football, new players in the league … we'll know better about managing venues, game styles will change … if we sit here in five years' time I think it will look fundamentally different.