About

The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and, from 2018 until 2022, the VFL Women's (VFLW). The team is associated with the Hawthorn men's team. In 2016, The AFL announced the creation of the AFL Women's league with all 18 clubs asked to submit a bid to become one of the inaugural clubs. Hawthorn would be one of five clubs who chose not to submit a bid. In 2017, following a successful debut season the AFL would announce the league would expand from the 2019 season. Unlike 2016, Hawthorn would this time submit a bid to join the league. They would ultimately be unsuccessful. On 12 August 2021, Hawthorn along with Essendon, Port Adelaide, and Sydney were granted licences to join the AFL Women's from 2022 season 7. Bec Goddard who was in charge of the club's VFL Women's side was appointed as Hawthorns inaugural AFLW coach immediately following the announcement.