VFL Women's is the major state-level women's Australian rules football league in Victoria. The league initially comprised the six premier division clubs and the top four division 1 clubs from the now-defunct Victorian Women's Football League, and has since evolved into what is also the second primary competition for AFL Women's clubs in Victoria. The league runs from May to September, running concurrently with the Victorian Football League. Following the 2017 season, the competition was reconfigured to affiliate teams more closely with AFL clubs. From 2021, all ten Victorian AFL clubs will either field their own women's teams or have an affiliation of sorts with an existing club in the VFLW, with these teams making up ten of the twelve existing teams. The reigning premiers are. The competition will not be held in 2020 due to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a four-team Super Series being held in its place in September.
History
launched the VFL Women's competition on 21 March 2016, with its inaugural season featuring twelve doubleheaders with the Victorian Football League. The league initially comprised the six Premier Division clubs and 2015's top four Division 1 clubs from the Victorian Women's Football League. Melbourne University already had an existing partnership with Australian Football League club. Following the 2016 season, the Geelong Magpies were replaced with the AFL-aligned, and Knox's license was purchased by . Following the inaugural AFL Women's season in 2017, the league made further changes to the competition to affiliate clubs more directly with AFL clubs and the AFL Women's competition. Five other foundation clubs departed, leaving Darebin, Melbourne University and Western Spurs as the only remaining foundation clubs. The departing clubs were replaced by the AFL-aligned,,, and, the VFL-aligned and, and the North East Australian Football League -aligned ; Northern Territory aligned with 's AFLW team, giving Crows players an opportunity to play in the Victorian competition. In 2019, 's AFLW team played five invitational matches in Victoria against teams having a bye. Following the 2019 season, AFL Northern Territory ended Northern Territory's involvement in the NEAFL and VFLW competitions, and Williamstown aligned with Adelaide in Northern Territory's place. Melbourne University's license was also taken over by, ending the clubs' ten-year partnership and allowing North Melbourne to field its own standalone team. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, AFL Victoria decided to cancel the 2020 VFL Women's season and instead hold a four-team Super Series in September to give 120 footballers the chance to push their case to be selected in the 2020 AFL Women's draft.
