First five rounds of 2023 Hostplus SANFLW League released

By ZAC MILBANK

SANFL has released the opening five rounds of the 2023 Hostplus SANFLW League season as it finalises the remaining fixtures in the New Year.

A SANFLW First Nations Round will be a key feature of next year’s schedule, which will be released in full with the entire Hostplus SANFL League fixture in late January.

After its introduction last season, the First Nations Round will be held in Round 4, with matches spread across three days from Friday March 17 to Sunday March 19.

The Hostplus SANFLW League Grand Final will be played on Sunday June 11 and will be broadcast live on Channel 7 and 7Plus.

SANFL Head of Football Operations Sean Toohey said having the Hostplus SANFL Women’s League broadcast on television for the second consecutive year underlines the growing interest in the competition.

‘’On the back of the 2022 Hostplus SANFLW League Grand Final attracting an average viewing audience of 56,000 people, we are excited to again showcase one of the leading State Leagues in the nation to a wider audience,’’ Toohey said.

Norwood and North Adelaide will kick off the 2023 campaign on Friday February 17 with a clash under lights at The Parade, before the remaining three Round 1 matches are played at a variety of venues on Saturday February 18.

Two ”Super Saturdays” will be held inside the opening five rounds, with all four SANFLW League matches across Rounds 2 (Saturday February 25) and 5 (Saturday March 25) played on the same day.

All SANFLW Development League matches will be played at the same venues alongside the corresponding Hostplus SANFLW League games, with the majority acting as curtain-raisers in the first five weeks.

SANFL Now will continue to livestream all SANFLW and SANFLW Development League matches in 2023.

The 2023 Hostplus SANFL League season will begin on the weekend of March 31-April 2, allowing for two rounds to be played before a League-wide bye for the AFL’s Gather Round on April 13-16.