THE VFL Women’s competition gets underway on Saturday with a bumper seven-game slate, and history will be made before a ball is bounced. The Tasmania Devils take to the field at North Hobart Oval for the first time as a VFLW club – a landmark moment not just for the state, but for the game, with the side serving as the foundation for what is expected to become Tasmania’s first AFLW team within the next few years. It is the kind of occasion that only comes once, and it shapes as the emotional centrepiece of an opening round that has plenty to offer.

Beyond Hobart, large injury lists at Carlton, Collingwood, and Essendon will test squad depth from the outset, while a handful of exciting development-listed prospects are set to make their senior debuts. From Preston City Oval to Box Hill City Oval, here is everything you need to know about Round 1.

Saturday 16 May | 11:05am | Preston City Oval

Carlton arrives at Preston City Oval carrying one of the heaviest injury tolls in the competition — Jemma Stokes, Asha Turner-Funk, Roxy Maslin, and Scout Howden headline a long absentee list – but the Blues have the AFLW-listed depth to absorb those losses, with Hannah Bowey, Lucy Burke, Emma Horne, and Grace Matser expected to carry significant responsibility. Darebin have their own absentees – Bella Gray, Sabine Du Parquet, and Lucy Burgess among those sidelined — but remain well-stocked through Alyssa Mifsud, Caitlin Bunker, and Monique DeMatteo.

From a draft lens, this game has genuine intrigue on both sides. Darebin’s standout young prospect – who already has AFLW experience – is Lulu Beatty, an exciting ball-user who profiles as the Falcons’ most dynamic young talent and will be keen to make an impression against a Blue team she knows well. Joining her in the development conversation is Avaa Hishongwa-Gibb, who comes out of the Northern Knights as a key forward option and adds a physical dimension to Darebin’s attack that could cause Carlton’s backline problems from the first bounce.

For the Blues, three former Northern Knights teammates of Hishongwa-Gibb are set to line up against her. Phoebe Hargreaves, Katelyn Busuttil, and Tahlia Plunkett are all former Knights who will be key players at VFLW level this season, and the storyline of those shared pathways meeting on opposite sides of the ball adds a compelling subplot to what is already a fixture worth watching.

Saturday 16 May | 11:35am | ETU Stadium

Port Melbourne head into their home opener with Charley Ryan lost for the season to a knee injury, and further uncertainty around Athene McInerney, Meg Buchanan, and Emily Harley. North Melbourne-Werribee are without Ellie Pawlowski, Polly Conway, and Sarah Ingram, though their formidable past AFLW contingent makes the visitors a serious proposition regardless.

From a prospects perspective, Port’s development list has plenty of names worth following this season, and ETU Stadium is the place to start. Alex McBride-Loane and Isabelle Creaton in defence give the Borough an exciting young pairing, while Maya Crestani is a 185cm ruck prospect who will test herself against quality opposition without a VFLW game to her name yet. Kiara Bischa and Keely Fullerton, both former Suns, add further intrigue to a Borough development group that could turn heads this year.

North Werribee counter with their own compelling cast. Abby Favell has made the move from Geelong and, alongside Alana Barba, gives the Roos a pair of readymade options who can compete at this level right now. Jemima Douglas is another name to file away, as is Ava Seton, the former Port Melbourne product who will be looking to make the most of her move to a new program.

Saturday 16 May | 12:05pm | Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval

Essendon’s injury list heading into Round 1 is a concern – Lucy Thompson (knee, 11 weeks), Chloe Prpic (knee, 13 weeks), Scarlett Orritt (shoulder, 9 weeks), and Georgia Tyrrell (foot, 9-10 weeks) headline a brutal absentee list that runs eleven names deep. Sandringham, by contrast, are near full strength, with St Kilda players including Sophie Butterworth, Darcy Guttridge, and Rene Caris supplementing a settled primary-listed group.

The draft conversation around this game is rich on both sides. At Sandringham, Grace Hodder has been one of the competition’s more discussed names over the past twelve months, with the skipper having transformed her game significantly and shaping as a genuine mature-age contender. The tall Ava Bibby – a 187cm ruck from Bendigo Pioneers – is one of the most physically imposing over-agers in the competition this season and will attract attention immediately, while former National Academy member Mackenzie Williams is a rebounding defender who adds another dimension to what the Zebras can offer across half-back.

Essendon’s depleted list forces their young players into larger roles than they might otherwise have expected in Round 1, which could cut both ways. Isobella Hishongwa-Gibb presents as a genuine ruck prospect at 182cm and will be tested immediately at this level. Amelie Gladman, the former AFLW Bomber, brings experience and readiness that the Bombers’ development group will lean on, while Eloise Chaston is a readymade forward-midfielder who profiles as one of the more complete players in the Essendon system at this level.

Saturday 16 May | 12:05pm | Deakin University

Geelong are close to full strength – Ari Schlink is out with a thumb injury and Simone Nalder is on an individual program – while Williamstown head to Deakin University without seven players, including Ellie McLinden and Georgia Smith (both ACL). It shapes as a demanding season opener for the Seagulls, who will need their experienced heads to steady the ship.

Geelong’s development crop is one of the more interesting in the competition this season. Mekah Morrissy arrives having been an injury replacement for Melbourne AFLW last season, giving her a profile that extends well beyond the typical development-listed player, and she will be a focal point for opposition scouts at Deakin University. The Crabtree sisters – Tyla and Bindi – return from Southport in Queensland and bring a readiness that makes them interesting mature-age options, while Bella Davies is set to play a key midfield role roving to Hayley Peck, a combination that could generate real impact through the middle of the ground.

Williamstown will lean on their more experienced players to stay competitive, but the development names are worth watching too. Emily Eaves and Georgia Howes are mature-age options who have been building through the program and should hold their own at this level. And in Lilu Hung, the Seagulls have a player with an interesting backstory – the former St Kilda listed player is looking for a second crack at AFLW level after spending time at the Saints, and a strong VFLW season could go a long way towards making that case.

Saturday 16 May | 2:35pm | North Hobart Oval

The occasion needs little introduction. The Tasmania Devils run out at North Hobart Oval for the first time as a VFLW club, and for a state that has waited years for this moment, the atmosphere figures to be something special. Ellie Hall, Emma Suckling, Meghan Gaffney, and Candice Belbin are all sidelined for the Devils, but the squad has the experience to absorb those absences. Georgia Nicholas, Sarah Skinner, and Jessie Williams – who between them have accumulated well over 150 VFLW games – anchor the group, while Perri King, Gabbi Featherston, and Libby Haines add genuine AFLW pedigree to what is a well-constructed debut list.

Among the younger Devils, Ava Read and Matilda Elbourne are two names that have been overlooked in recent drafts despite having real potential, and the VFLW stage could be the platform that changes that narrative. In a history-making match on home soil, both have the opportunity to announce themselves to a wider audience.

Casey will be a formidable opponent for a developmental Tasmanian side. Among the prospects in the Casey lineup, Lily Snow is a former Dandenong Stingrays mid-forward who brings athleticism and versatility to the Demons’ forward structure, while Bianca Lyne is a versatile option capable of playing multiple roles. It is also worth noting Casey’s unlisted player promotion this week – Bonnie Williams, a 2007-born Gippsland Power product from Pakenham Football Club, who has earned her place in the squad for the occasion.

Saturday 16 May | 4:05pm | Box Hill City Oval

The day closes with a twilight fixture that could be the most prospect-rich game of the round. Box Hill are without Lucy Page (ankle), Ashleigh Thatcher (shoulder), and Paige Price (personal reasons), while Collingwood carry a significant absentee list of their own – Mia Jones, Jorja Borg, Abbey McDonald, Lauren Szigeti, and Jordi Ivey among those unavailable. Despite the absentees on both sides, the game figures to be a genuine contest.

Box Hill’s development group is stacked with over-age players who were unlucky not to go last year, and this is the season to put their hands up. Zoe Vozzo, Bree Horne, Ella Stoddart, Evelyn Connolly, and Sienna Sharp all fit that bill — five prospects with a point to prove and a premium stage on which to prove it. Among the mature-age options, Stasia Stevenson and Matilda Van Berkel are established performers in the Box Hill system who should play significant roles across the season.

Collingwood’s list is similarly compelling. Zoe Wilkinson will face a number of her former teammates in this one, adding an extra edge to her debut, while top-agers Macy Watkins, Ella Jeffrey, and Stella Huxtable were all names attracting draft interest last year and enter 2026 with something to build on. In the mature-age bracket, Abbey Tregellis and Tahlia Sanger are among the Pies’ most experienced development-listed players and could be the ones who set the tone for the younger prospects around them.