The Western Bulldogs will return to Whitten Oval during the AFLW season.
A 10 week regular season and four week finals series fixture was announced last week.
The Bulldogs kick off their 2023 campaign against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on September 2.
The Bulldogs will host Hawthorn at Mars Stadium in their first home match on September 10 before making their long-awaited return to Whitten Oval in round five.
The Bulldogs will host St Kilda on the grand final eve public holiday in their first game back at the Footscray headquarters, albeit with limited capacity due to the ongoing redevelopment.
The Dogs will play a further three games at VU Whitten Oval – round six against Carlton, round eight against Sydney and round 10 against North Melbourne.
Other highlights of the fixture include a meeting with the reigning premiers Melbourne in round three, and three interstate trips.
Indigenous Round will again be held over two weeks in round seven and eight,, while Pride Round will be celebrated in round 10.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said it was important to reach an agreement with the Players’ Association and not delay the fixture any further to provide certainty to players, clubs and fans.
“We thank the AFLPA, led by Paul Marsh and their delegates for their commitment and our aim now is to make 2023 the best season yet, while we collaborate on the sustainable growth of the competition, both in number of games, attendances and overall engagement.
“The AFL is incredibly proud of the growth in women’s football in the past seven years and remain committed to growing the competition in a sustainable way as we continue to invest heavily in driving attendance and viewership this season.”
Marsh said the players are deeply committed to the growth of the AFLW competition as partners in the game.
“It is with this objective at the forefront that player leaders have signed-off on the AFL’s release of a 10-game home and away fixture for 2023.
“This agreement has formed part of our CBA negotiations with the AFL and comes with a commitment from the AFL for growth in AFLW games from 2024 and beyond.
“Players believe the release of the fixture will provide fans and clubs with the certainty needed to deliver a successful and exciting 2023 season of AFLW.”
