The women are set to take centre stage when the AFL North West finals series kicks off this weekend.
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Not only will they be the feature game across the three weeks but the venues for Saturday's qualifying and elimination finals have been decided by the ladder order of the women's competition.
They will also drive where the subsequent preliminary, and grand, finals are played.
That will either be Gunnedah or Tamworth, depending on the outcome of the qualifying semi-final in Gunnedah between the table-topping Poochettes and Tamworth Swans.
Third-finishing Inverell will meanwhile host the Tamworth Kangaroos in the elimination final.
It's a milestone occasion for the league two years in the making.
They initially introduced the concept for the 2021 series, which after the first week had to be postponed the morning of, was eventually abandoned due to COVID.
But it was put in the league rules at the time that every odd-numbered year the finals hosting rights would be on the women's ladder and finals results, and that they would be the main game.
Community Football & Competition Manager for NNSW Brad Greenshields said it's about showing how important the women are to the North West AFL community.
In a quirk to the usual semi-finals set-up the two qualifying and two elimination finals will be played at different venues.
"In the AFL North West rules we're allowed to amend venues for finals matches for factors such as travel or if the involvement of multiple teams makes it prudent to do so," Greenshields explained.
As such men's minor premiers Inverell will take on the New England Nomads in Inverell for a spot in the grand final while the two Tamworth sides will match-up in Gunnedah with the victor kicking on to the next week.
It's the first time, at least in recent memory, that the semi-finals have been structured this way.
"No matter which way we went we were never going to get a perfect fit," Greenshields said.
"The reason why we went this way is it provides probably the greater advantage to the entire competition."
It means only the one club - the Kangaroos the unlucky one - will be split up as opposed to two under the traditional format. It is also less travel for a majority of the sides involved.
"And also with Inverell hosting a final and having their two teams together it allows them the opportunity to better resource the ground management and the match day management," he said.
The Inverell games will be played at the Inverell Sporting Complex with Varley Oval booked up for league games on Saturday.
The first bounce for the men's matches will be at 12pm with the women then following at 2.30pm.
AFL NORTH WEST SEMI-FINALS DRAW
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
Wolseley Oval, Gunnedah
Noon - Men: Tamworth Swans v Tamworth Kangaroos
2.30pm - Women: Gunnedah v Tamworth Swans
Inverell Sporting Complex
Noon - Men: Inverell v New England Nomads
2.30pm - Women: Inverell v Tamworth Kangaroos
