AFLW is back on Seven and 7plus Sport
Bruce McAvaney headlines opening night
The Seven Network’s AFL Women’s commentary team is ready and raring to call all the action for an elite 10th season of the AFLW competition, starting with the opening clash between Carlton and Collingwood, on Thursday, 14 August, live and free on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
The competition will feature 18 teams and 12 home and away rounds across 12 weeks, plus an additional four weeks of Finals culminating in the AFLW Grand Final on Saturday, 29 November on Seven and 7plus Sport.
In a major coup for Seven viewers, legendary sports commentator Bruce McAvaney will host the opening game at IKON Park, while fans will enjoy a more in-depth coverage on the screens of Seven with increased slow-motion cameras, drone usage, player interviews on the boundary and the use of ball chip technology for the first time in an AFLW broadcast.
Following her historic induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, Erin Phillips – arguably the women’s competition’s greatest player – returns to Seven’s AFLW coverage, following her first year as part of the commentary team in 2024.
A rising star of sports commentary, Jack Heverin will join the AFLW commentary team in 2025 following his successful contribution to the recent 7AFL Kids Call campaign and broader calling repertoire.
In addition to Phillips and Heverin, Seven also welcomes back a stellar line up of the game’s best callers and experts, including Jason Bennett, Nigel Carmody, Natalie Edwards, Melissa Hickey, Abbey Holmes, Akec Makur Chuot, Kate McCarthy, Alister Nicholson, Sarah Olle, Jo Wotton and current North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos AFLW star Libby Birch.
Rounding out the team are 7NEWS Melbourne sport reporters Theo Doropoulos and Kate Massey.
In celebration of her Hall of Fame honour, Phillips joins Seven’s Unfiltered this week for an unmissable sit-down with Hamish McLachlan. Reflecting on her extraordinary dual-sport career, Erin opens up about the highs, the heartbreaks and the moments that shaped her on and off the field.
The powerful episode of Unfiltered airs tomorrow night at 9.30pm on Seven and 7plus Sport, straight after The Front Bar.
Throughout Round One, some of the game’s most well-respected voices – Nick Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson and Cameron Ling – will also form part of Seven’s commentary.
On Friday night, straight after Carlton take on Collingwood, Seven will head to Western Australia when the Eagles host the Gold Coast SUNS at Mineral Resources Park from 9.10pm AEST on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
The following matches will round out Seven’s AFLW Round One coverage:
- Sydney Swans v Richmond, Friday 5.00pm AEST on 7mate and 7plus (NSW only)
- GWS GIANTS v Essendon, Saturday 5.30pm AEST on 7mate and 7plus (NSW only)
- Western Bulldogs v Melbourne, Saturday 7.30pm AEST on 7mate and 7plus
- Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn, Sunday 12.30pm AEST on Seven, 7mate and 7plus
- St Kilda v Adelaide Crows, Sunday 1.30pm AEST on Seven and 7plus (SA only)
- Port Adelaide v Fremantle, Sunday 3.30pm AEST (SA) and 2.00pm (WA) on Seven, 7mate and 7plus
Following Round One, footy fans will be treated to more women’s footy content when Seven brings back its weekly AFLW talk show, Talking W, starring expert panelists, 7AFL Commentator, Kate McCarthy and AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge.
Every Tuesday night, Kate and Riley will discuss all the biggest women’s footy headlines, while providing expert match analysis and takeaways from the previous round, live and free on 7plus Sport.
Seven’s Head of AFL and Sport Innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said: “It’s hard to believe we’re about to celebrate the 10th season of AFLW – a huge milestone for the competition, the players and the fans.
“This year, we’re taking our coverage to the next level with even more innovation, including enhanced slow-motion cameras, drone vision, and expanded use of ball chip technology – all live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.
“We’ve built a world-class commentary team that blends insight, experience and personality. Led by AFL Hall of Famer Erin Phillips and fan favourites Abbey Holmes and Kate McCarthy, and in Round One joined by Bruce McAvaney, Nick Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling and Alister Nicholson, fans will enjoy the most comprehensive and entertaining coverage of the AFLW to date,” he said.
“We’re also excited to bring back Talking W, the go-to weekly wrap for all things AFLW. With Kate McCarthy and Riley Beveridge at the desk, fans will get sharp analysis, exclusive insights and all the major talking points from around the league.
“These are two of the most passionate and knowledgeable voices in AFLW – and they’ll be breaking down every big moment, every week right here on 7plus Sport,” Mr O’Keeffe said.
AFLW Commentator and Talking W panellist, Kate McCarthy, said: “We’re at an important moment in AFLW’s history and I suspect this season is going to be even bigger than the past nine. I cannot wait.”
“Looking at the Clubs and how they’ve handled the gruelling pre-season, it’s hard to go past the big three, Kangaroos, Brisbane and Adelaide. However, outside of those, I expect Melbourne to step up again and have a real impact on the competition.
“Hawthorn will be burning after the finals heartbreak last year and Fremantle also have some guns back and I think will be a real challenge,” she said.
“Ash Centra was pick number one for a reason and I cannot wait to see her burst out of the gates and have an unbelievable first season. Havana Harris has been ready for a long time and viewers should be excited about her potential impact this year.”
Footy fans in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland will also be able to tune into matches featuring teams from their home states, live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.
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If I’m not mistaken, the last time 7two aired a live sport event was Wimbledon 2019.
Good to see them in the mix again, even if just for one state.
Didn’t they air a bit during Tokyo 2020/1? They air the last hour of the horse racing most weeks as well.
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7Two air Seven’s overflow racing coverage most weekends.
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Looks like I was correct. Maybe he could join 7AFL in 2026 or could be like Nigel Carmody and do AFLW & VFL for 7 since he already does a lot of AFL for MMM
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On The Front Bar tonight, Andy Maher revealed that Mick Molloy would be part of Seven’s commentary team for the Legends Game on August 28. It was also announced this afternoon that Dave Hughes would play for Team Victoria.
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Who is commentating the match on Seven tonight?
Fox are taking the Seven feed with Seven’s graphics tonight.
How premium.
Reeks of DAZN in here
I heard Jo Wotton’s voice.
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Carlton v Collingwood - all ON SITE at IKON Park
Callers: Alister Nicholson and Jo Wotton
Specials: Erin Phillips
Boundary: Abbey Holmes
Hosts: Bruce McAvaney and Abbey Holmes
Out-of-play analysis: Nick Riewoldt and Erin Phillips
West Coast v Gold Coast - Bennett, Theo, Richo and KMac in Melbourne Collins St studio, Rhino and Dani ON SITE at Mineral Resources Park
Callers: Jason Bennett and Theo Doropoulos
Specials: Matthew Richardson and Kate McCarthy
Boundary: Ryan Daniels and Dani Shuey
Hosts: Jason Bennett
Out-of-play analysis: Matthew Richardson and Kate McCarthy
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Unlike Fox, 7 actually acknowledged that the commentators are in Melbourne for the game in Perth.
Al Nicholson said that 7 will return with Bruce & Erin for the post game of game 1 but went straight to Perth. No team song or anything.
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slightly off topic
I think this was one of Seven’s final broadcasts too after a decade, before Nine regained rights.
Recall that Jacqueline Felgate (when she was still at Seven) and Geoff Masters hosted the coverage, after the likes of Todd Woodbridge and Michael Felgate among several others defected to Nine and 10 respectively.
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Still appeared on Seven though as part of the world feed. Similarly, I think Woodbridge wasn’t officially part of Seven’s “domestic” coverage of Wimbledon in 2018, rather he was on the BBC/world feed.
It was on June 25, the day the 2018 Championships started, that Nine brought forward the commencement of the Australian Open broadcasting rights by twelve months (it was originally supposed to commence in 2020).
slightly?
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Friday Night afl in Perth
Late start at 6.35pm
Is 7WA doing their own call of Freo v Bris? & if so, is it also being carried on 7QLD?
Admittedly I don’t watch a lot of AFL, but how is it I’ve never seen that 7+ transition until tonight?