The AFL's Women's National League has taken less than two years to form after its first announcement. Credit:Justin McManus A handful of the game's biggest female stars stood by along with women athletes who could only dream during their best playing years of such a moment as eight pairs of girls – introduced by AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick – wearing the colours of the eight foundation clubs ran onto the ground. Despite declaring the new national league an ambitious legacy of his leadership almost 18 months ago, bringing forward the launch and driving it from four to eight inaugural teams, McLachlan was strangely not permitted by his minders to give interviews. He was told this was not an occasion for men in suits. The presidents and chief executives of most of the successful bidders cheerfully milled around; Eddie McGuire calling "go Pies" as the Collingwood pair emerged. Suited in black velvet and matching gloves, women's football champion and Western Bulldogs director Sue Alberti stood beaming from the sidelines alongside VWFL champion Debbie Lee. "This is not a privilege for them," said Alberti of the league's foundation players, "It's their right."

Daisy Pearce: "I mean, I'm 28 and obviously my first love is playing the game but now I'm on the cusp of a career in football." Credit:Getty Images Back in 2008 when the VWFL was in danger of folding Alberti reduced the league president Lee to tears when she presented her with a $25,000 cheque. Now the new national competition is on the verge of announcing a lucrative long-term apparel sponsorship with Cotton On, deals with Toyota and NAB along with stand-alone sponsors at virtually all eight clubs along with broadcasting contracts. Alberti and Lee were among a majority of the Women's Football Advisory Group which resisted McLachlan's push for a 10-team league next season. The AFL was fearful that Fremantle would be too strong – a virtual state team not unlike its elder brother West Coast proved in the early 1990s – and wanted the Eagles and another Victorian side in the competition but key coaches and players have continued to insist the talent pool does not run deep enough. The clear impression from McLachlan on Wednesday was that he did not agree. Still this was a happy day, off the back of a meeting of the 18 club president's on Tuesday described by several as the most productive and positive since the misdeeds of recent years first started to strangle the competition and zap the AFL's initiative. Not one of the losing clubs was prepared to rain on the AFL's parade.

As disappointed as Richmond, St Kilda and North Melbourne in particular were to miss out, to air any sour grapes on such a day would have seemed churlish. With the non-Victorian teams virtually locked in for some time and Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood certainties to win licences the only true revelation amongst the eight teams announced on Wednesday was Carlton. Most clubs had poked fun at the Blues' schmaltzy filmed presentation of their bid which was delivered by the club's mascot but beneath the navy blue gift-wrapping was a detailed document overseen by consultants Price WaterhouseCoopers. According to the AFL it was the best of the Victorian presentations and second only to Fremantle's overall. For the Dockers, $1.40 favourite to win the first National Women's League premiership, comes the chance to arrive first in a market in which it has previously came second. Ditto the Giants which for now boast bigger and better quality training facilities than the Swans. For Brisbane, the birth of a women's team comes at a time the club is crying out for some good news. Collingwood reportedly tried unsuccessfully to poach the Lions' coach Craig Starcevich while Brisbane in turn will attempt to lure back hometown star Katie Brennan – currently captaining the Bulldogs' exhibition team.

For the Bulldogs and Melbourne comes the just reward for pushing the women's game and for Collingwood comes the opportunity to stamp its significant brand and drawing power on what remains in the minds of many tentative if excited stakeholders a bold experiment. It could be argued that the AFL's greatest achievement under McLachlan came last year when he and Fitzpatrick sat beside Rupert Murdoch Kerry Stokes and announced the game had sold its media rights for more than $2.5 billion over six years. But that August night only provided the opportunity for the game to do great things and the competition is still waiting to learn just how significant that bounty will prove and how tough it will be to carve it up. The birth of the national women's league is tangible evidence that the game truly recognises it must expand and diversify and change.