AFLW player delisted just weeks before she is due to give birth

Georgia Clayden, Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) player, who represents the Gold Coast Suns, has been delisted just weeks before she is due to give birth. She spent this season on the club’s inactive list with “injury (pregnancy),” and has now officially been delisted, meaning she will not be offered a contract for 2027. 

Former AFLW player, Kate McCarthy, posted on Instagram that: “A player should be able to make the incredible life decision to start a family without fearing it could come at the expense of their football career… 

There needs to be greater security and a genuine opportunity for players to return to the game after giving birth.” 

AFLW player who represents North Melbourne, Eilish Sheerin, agreed with McCarthy, stating: “So well said. In other industries this would be viewed as discrimination.” 

Last year, former captain of AFLW’s Carlton Football Club, Kerryn Paterson, was told that she would not receive a contract for 2026 shortly after she gave birth. 

These examples raise concerns about the AFLW’s pregnancy policy, but this was not the case for Bess Keaney who was able to rejoin the primary list for her club, Essendon, again after having a baby last year. The rules state that players returning from pregnancy are allowed to come off the inactive list at any point, as long as they are deemed medically fit by a professional, and their replacements are still allowed to complete the rest of their one-season contract. 

McCarthy elaborated: “With such limited spots in the AFLW, clubs are already forced to make incredibly difficult list management decisions. The current systems put both players and clubs in an unfair position…. 

Clubs should have the ability to retain a player returning from maternity leave without that player occupying one of their limited list spots. This would give the athlete the time and security to work towards returning to the level required, while allowing clubs the flexibility to manage their lists if that player isn't ready to return… 

Becoming a mother should not mean putting your football career at risk. And clubs shouldn't be forced into a position where supporting a player's return comes at the expense of another list spot. We should be creating a system that supports both. Right now, we're not,” as reported by ABC Sport.  

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