Hawthorn's Jenna Richardson Advocates for AFLW Expansion and Improved Support Staff Pay

Inaugural Hawthorn defender Jenna Richardson has called for further growth in the AFLW, advocating for an extended regular season and increased compensation for support staff and assistant coaches. Richardson, who joined Hawthorn as an expansion player in 2022 and was recently named to the 2026 AFLW All-Australian squad, highlighted areas for structural improvement even as the league experiences rising fan engagement and record attendance figures.

Growth and Attendance Achievements

The AFLW set a new overall home-and-away attendance record in round 10 of the current season. High-capacity double-header fixtures at Docklands drew crowds of 20,455 and 14,573 spectators. Outside of matches paired with men's games, standalone AFLW fixtures maintained an average attendance of 2,500 per game, consistent with figures from 2025. Richardson noted that media visibility is also expanding, with growing coverage and fan analysis across social media platforms like TikTok.

Fixturing Challenges and Proposals

Richardson believes the league should expand beyond its current 12-round regular season to ensure every club plays each other at least once. Under the existing system, team schedules are determined by their finishing position from the previous year. Richardson suggested this structure can lead to an uneven standings ladder. She emphasized that playing top-tier opponents improves competitive standards, pointing to Hawthorn's achievement as the only team to defeat North Melbourne over a three-year period.

Calls for Staff Compensation and Position Recognition

Richardson also raised concerns regarding the financial compensation for line coaches and support staff in women's football programs. She explained that many assistant coaches accept reduced pay relative to their outside employment while managing substantial workloads, including reviewing match footage and conducting individual player evaluations. Additionally, Richardson suggested introducing a dedicated award for defenders ahead of the league's end-of-season awards, noting that existing honors primarily recognize midfielders and leading goalscorers.

Hawthorn's Historic Finals Campaign

The developments come as Hawthorn competes in its first semi-final in AFLW history. After securing their inaugural finals victory against the Gold Coast Suns, the Hawks are set to face Carlton in a semi-final match at Princes Park on Saturday. Princes Park previously hosted 5,000 spectators during qualifying finals matches.

Recent AFLW Match Results

Recent fixtures produced the following final scores across the league: Geelong Cats defeated Western Bulldogs 88-20; Port Adelaide Power beat St Kilda Saints 51-45; North Melbourne Kangaroos defeated Richmond Tigers 101-33; Carlton Blues edged Brisbane Lions 40-35; Hawthorn Hawks defeated West Coast Eagles 94-39; Gold Coast Suns beat GWS Giants 62-53; Essendon Bombers defeated Collingwood Magpies 38-31; Melbourne Demons beat Adelaide Crows 47-29; and Sydney Swans narrowly defeated Fremantle Dockers 37-36.