Fremantle coach Trent Cooper believes switching the next AFLW season to an August start will be tough on various fronts - but ultimately it will be good for the game.
The January start to the current season means teams have been forced to play in stifling conditions at times.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is keen to move the competition away from a summer season.
It's believed that the next AFLW season will kick off during the pre-finals bye week of the men's campaign in late August.
The short turnaround from this season to next will create all sorts of problems for clubs and players.
Given most AFLW players also have other jobs, many need to request leave from their work in order to play out the season.
The one-off short turnaround now about to confront them means many players won't have accrued enough leave by the time the next season rolls around.
The league and clubs are hopeful work places will be accommodating to players who don't have enough leave.
"You've got the leave from work factor, you've got the general fatigue of playing footy (from this season), and also the planning aspect of it," Cooper said of the problems of a short turnaround.
"I was really looking forward to my July holiday that I had booked with my family. They're the type of sacrifices you make when you're working in professional sport.
"We're willing to do them for the good of the competition. I do think it will be the best thing for the players long term to do it that way."
Cooper said although the switch to an August start would be inconvenient for the first season, it would serve a greater good.
"It's the right timeslot from listening to what the AFL have told us with things like ratings and all that," Cooper said.
"This year, it's probably not ideal to get there as quickly as we're going to be asked to do, but we've shown in AFLW we're pretty versatile, we can go with the flow.
"The earlier we do it, the better off we're going to be for that following season. It can be done."
Gold Coast coach Cameron Joyce was also supportive of the move, believing the cooler weather would lead to a better spectacle.
"I think clubs are up for that in terms of being able to get their resources and players organised. I think it would be great," he said.
The AFLW finals kick off this Saturday, with North Melbourne hosting Fremantle at Arden Street, and Brisbane playing Collingwood at the Gabba in the other qualifying final.
Minor premiers Adelaide and second-placed Melbourne get the week off before hosting preliminary finals.
