Each of the AFLW's 14 current teams have been told by league headquarters that they risk losing a number of their uncontracted players ahead of the expanded 2023 season.
With the inductions of Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney set to complete the women's competition following the cessation of 2022, these expansion sides will be afforded the right to sign as many as 14 names currently residing at rival homes.
This planned poaching period is set to commence ahead of the sign and trade period that has taken place between April and August in previous years.
While these approved raids are sure to see many players trade colours next off-season, it is not the first occasion that such measures have been employed.
Prior to 2020 season in which Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast were added the 10 teams already on the fixture list, the non-Victorian Suns and Eagles were afforded the right to lure as many as eight names away from the Lions and Dockers respectively.
Given the congested Melbourne market, the Tigers and Saints were only able to land half as many.
Although this precedent has been set, NCA NewsWire has reported that AFL is yet to announce the maximum number of tested names that the Bombers, Hawks, Power and Swans will be able to acquire ahead of their debut campaigns.
This quartet have been alerted to the fact that they will have free rein over players that remain undrafted or connected to their Next Generation Academies.
The final additions to the soon-to-be 18 team competition will also be granted the first eight selections in their respective state-based drafts.
The order of these draft choices is yet to be determined and will reportedly be based upon chance rather than any specific metric.
Clubs selecting after each of their newest rivals will do so in reverse ladder order which will only be determined following the final siren of the 2022 AFLW Grand Final scheduled to take place in late March or early April.
