Hawthorn forgot about their women. Carlton showed what ‘one club’ actually means

August 12, 2026 — 3:30pm

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The AFLW season has started with momentum we haven’t seen since the first season in 2017.

Australia versus Ireland – tick.

Carlton versus St Kilda in a double header at Marvel Stadium – tick.

The next experiment is Thursday night’s AFLW stand-alone game between Hawthorn and Melbourne at Ikon Park.

Why the AFL has booted men’s footy from its most lucrative timeslot

That’s right. No men’s game for Thursday night footy. Instead, an opportunity for the women to see how many eyeballs they can attract on national television in a prime-time spot.

The Hawks’ AFLW team has been sprinting and sweating for the past three months at Dingley, ready for their moment. What a pity the club forgot about it.

Earlier this week, Hawthorn released a statement basking in the glow of a record membership – 90,000.

They went on to encourage all members to attend Saturday night’s men’s blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG. Hawthorn chief executive Ash Klein urged members to “paint the MCG stands brown and gold and make it an unforgettable evening. As a way of giving back … there will be several member giveaways during the week and at the match against Collingwood.”

Any........

© The Sydney Morning Herald