2017 AFL Women's season

The 2017 AFL Women's season was the inaugural season of the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, the highest-level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season ran from 3 February to 25 March, comprising a seven-round home-and-away season followed by a grand final contested by the top two clubs. Eight Australian Football League (AFL) clubs featured in the inaugural season: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.

Adelaide won the inaugural premiership, defeating Brisbane by six points in the 2017 AFL Women's Grand Final. Brisbane won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 6–0–1 win–loss–draw record. Adelaide's Erin Phillips won the AFL Women's best and fairest award as the league's best and fairest player, and Carlton's Darcy Vescio won the AFL Women's leading goalkicker award as the league's leading goalkicker.

Players contest the first ball-up at the inaugural AFLW match.

The full fixture was released on Friday 9 December 2016. Notable features of the draw include:

• Carlton and Collingwood featured in the league's first ever match, the match was initially scheduled to be held at Collingwood's home Olympic Park Oval, but was moved in January 2017 to the higher capacity Ikon Park due to higher than expected interest.
• Adelaide, Carlton, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs each had four home games, while all other clubs had three.
• Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney and Fremantle each hosted matches at grounds outside of their home metropolitan area with trips to Darwin, Canberra and Mandurah respectively. Fremantle played their home game against Carlton at Domain Stadium, the home ground of the men's team, as part of a double-header which also included an AFL pre-season match between the same two clubs.
• The Western Bulldogs featured in the most free-to-air televised matches (four), Collingwood and Melbourne had three each, Adelaide had two and all other clubs had only one.
• Many games were played in the late morning and late afternoon to avoid the summer heat, especially in Brisbane and Western Australia.
• All starting times are local.

• Numbers highlighted in green indicates the team finished the round inside the top 2.
• Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished in first place on the ladder in that round.
• Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round.

In the absence of a finals series, the two teams who finished the highest on the ladder at the end of the home and away season played in the AFL Women's Grand Final. Brisbane finished as the minor premiers and secured a spot in the grand final at the end of round six; Adelaide's round seven win over Collingwood saw them secure the second spot in the grand final over Melbourne due to a higher percentage. It was confirmed in February by AFL Chief Executive Officer, Gillon McLachlan, that the team finishing highest on the ladder at the end of the season would earn the right to host the grand final in their home state. The match was originally planned to be held at the Gabba, however due to its ground surface being in a dangerous state, the grand final was moved to Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast as a curtain raiser to the Gold Coast versus Brisbane Lions AFL match.

Bec Goddard coached Adelaide in 2017, winning the inaugural AFLW premiership.

Erin Phillips won the league's best and fairest award for the season

Darcy Vescio was the AFLW's leading goalkicker for 2017

Ebony Marinoff was named the inaugural AFL Women's Rising Star winner

• The league best and fairest was awarded to Erin Phillips of Adelaide, who polled fourteen votes.
• The leading goalkicker was awarded to Darcy Vescio of Carlton, who kicked fourteen goals during the home and away season.
• The Rising Star was awarded to Ebony Marinoff of Adelaide.
• The best on ground in the AFLW Grand Final was awarded to Erin Phillips of Adelaide.
• The goal of the year was awarded to Erin Phillips of Adelaide.
• The mark of the year was awarded to Darcy Vescio of Carlton.
• The minor premiership was awarded to Brisbane.
• The wooden spoon was "awarded" to Greater Western Sydney.
• AFLW Players Association awards
  • The most valuable player was awarded to Erin Phillips of Adelaide.
  • The most courageous player was awarded to Chelsea Randall of Adelaide.
  • The best captain was awarded to Daisy Pearce of Melbourne.

• Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the player led the season's goal kicking tally at the end of that round.

The final All-Australian team was announced on 28 March. Grand finalists Adelaide and Brisbane had the most representatives with five each, and every team had at least one representative. Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce was announced as the All-Australian captain and Adelaide co-captain Erin Phillips was announced as the vice-captain.

In mid-July the AFL announced a State of Origin representative match would be held for AFL Women's players during the AFL season pre-finals bye. A team of players born in Victoria would play a single exhibition match against a team of players from the rest of Australia at Etihad Stadium on the evening of Saturday 2 September. Initial squads for the match were announced on 25 July including that Melbourne AFLW football operations manager Debbie Lee would coach Victoria, while Adelaide premiership coach Bec Goddard, would coach the Allies.

• 2016 AFL Women's draft

• Official AFL Women's website