In a recently announced five-year partnership with Animoca Brands, The AFL has confirmed an upcoming series of NFTs for both the AFL and AFLW, set to released in the coming weeks.

The release will come as part of the creation of the new AFL Mint brand, which promises an officially licensed marketplace to collect, trade and earn AFL NFTs.

The partnership with Animoca sees the AFL join some of the biggest sporting leagues in the world - including the NBA, ICC, MotoGP and UFC - who have also released their own NFT programs. The upcoming release also sets the AFL as the first major Australian sporting league to release a project in the Web3 space.

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said the partnership is an exciting new way for fans to engage in the sport they love.

"Our aim is to continue to bring fans new ways of engaging in Australian football and by partnering with Animoca," McLachlan said.

"We are officially entering the Web3 space and excited to immortalise moments in time across our AFL and AFLW competitions."

Footy fans will be able to purchase NFTs of their favourite sporting moments - both past and present - such as Lance Franklin's 1000th goal, Leo Barry's premiership-winning mark or David Zaharakis' ANZAC Day heroics in 2009.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 25: Lance Franklin of the Swans celebrates kicking his 1000th career goal during the round two AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Geelong Cats at Sydney Cricket Ground on March 25, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/AFL Photos)

AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial Kylie Rogers also stated her approval over the introduction of the new platform, explaining how the project will allow fans to experience the game in ways never before imagined.

"We know we have the most passionate fans in the world, and we want to ensure our audience can continue to experience the game in different ways," she said.

"We see the Animoca partnership as key to our next evolution in the digital fan engagement."

The introduction of AFL Mint provides fans with an opportunity to own their favourite footy moments from both past and present decades. The online marketplace will serve as a platform for footy fans to buy, earn and trade their AFL NFTs, with the brand promising to engage and enhance the fan's interaction with their favourite teams, players and specific moments.

Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands Yat Siu has expressed his pride in the partnership and how he feels the introduction of the AFL to the metaverse is a positive step towards opening other Australian sports to the world of NFTs.

"Australian rules football is a unique game and the AFL Mint is an opportunity to showcase it to the wider world while introducing existing fans to digital collectibles," Siu said.

"This is a special project for us given our roots as an Australian company and we are honoured to bring the AFL and AFLW to the open metaverse."

The exciting inclusion into the Web3 metaverse is said to develop over time, eventually going on to involve work utilising platforms such as virtual reality, digital art and gaming.

No specific timeframe for the first NFT drop has been confirmed as of yet.