At the AFLW recruitment table, getting the right balance of age, skills and high performance experience will be critical to success.
Never before have the 218 AFLW players carried the weight of such unmatched investment in front of the watchful eye of an adoring but demanding AFL public.
With hopes of little girls resting on their shoulders, players' abilities to cope and perform well under such pressure will go a long way to determining the type of reception future women in their position will receive, and justify the AFL's implementation of such a game-changing initiative.
With club lists now settled ahead to the league's debut season, ESPN has taken a look to 2017, and what to expect from each side.
Adelaide, balancing speed and endurance, expect to be a contender at every contest. But the Crows boast few players with exhibition match experience, making them vulnerable under expected AFLW pressure. The injection of Western Australian stars Chelsea Randall and Kellie Gibson will bolster their homegrown talents. Adelaide's exciting youngsters such as Ebony Marinoff and emerging ruck Sarah Allan are promising but will need support if the team is have a chance at the flag.
With few players older than 25, fearless forward Tayla Harris, agile small Shaleise Law, versatile tall Tahlia Randall and reliable defender Emily Bates will form Brisbane's nucleus for many years. Imports Katelyn Ashmore (Victoria) and Jess Wueschtner (WA) add speed and skill, and Sabrina Frederick Traub (WA) will stretch opposition defences in size and strength. Victorian defender Nicole Hildebrand might be the star pick with her courageous ball-winning ability. The performances of older Queensland stateswomen such as Emma Zielke and Leah Kaslar will be vital if the Lions are to be in the premiership hunt.
There is no pattern to Carlton's list other than they've got depth everywhere and have a little of everything needed to cope with any situation. Darcy Vescio and Brianna Davey, Australia's most versatile players, will smash you on the scoreboard then intercept across half back on the next play. And the rest of the squad? Talls. Smalls. Insiders. Outsiders. Attackers. Shut down players. Carlton will be able to cover whatever their rivals throw at them, making them a likely contender for the AFLW premiership.
Collingwood boast five of AFLW's most dangerous forwards - Moana Hope, Sarah D'Arcy, Jessica Cameron, Jasmine Garner and Lauren Tesorerio, who can debilitate the best defender. Their defence runs just as deep, with none better than Nicola Stevens, AFLW's best defensive pressure kick and a rare contested mark. Defenders Steph Chiocci and Penny Cula Reid's execution will hurt teams on the rebound. The Pies' shallow inside midfield depth will see them scrap at stoppages but their outside runners are quality and ruck Emma King is brilliant. If offence wins games and defence wins championships, then Collingwood could be two thirds of their way to the premiership.
If stemming the talent flow to other states was Fremantle's first challenge, enticing coach Michelle Cowan from the Demons was their first win. The Dockers will be dangerous by foot through Kara Donnellan and the sublime Kirby Bentley, who fans will adore. Their young defence featuring Ebony Antonio and Hayley Miller is elite, but losing key forwards interstate has left them vulnerable. Goal kicker Amy Lavell's return to the game is a positive while forward Kira Phillips' rare talent will need consistency. Balancing elite athleticism and skill make Fremantle one of the competition's most hunted teams.
Greater Western Sydney plugged their experience gap by recruiting nine interstate players. Emma Swanson (WA) and Jessica Dal Pos (Victoria) will support midfielders Nicola Barr and Maddie Collier. Victorians Phoebe McWilliams and Louise Stephenson will add much-needed height and forward strength. The Giants harvested the ample junior NSW talent now flowing upwards. Erin McKinnon, 18 in December and the AFLW's youngest player, will shoulder the Giants' ruck work. Forward Kate Stanton, 18, will also impress. The Giants need their local senior talent to stand up if they are going to be in the mix.
Pre-signing the experienced Daisy Pearce, Karen Paxman, Elise O'Dea and Melissa Hickey bode well for Melbourne. On draft day they deviated from experience however, recruiting 18 players who have played no more than one year of VFL football. All-Australian 18-year-olds Deanna Berry, Katherine Smith, Lily Mithen, and their junior state team peer, Jasmine Grierson, will be stars of the future, as will Jess Anderson. But have Melbourne gone too young, too soon? The Demons' coach, former TAC Cup premiership coach Michael Stinear, whose ability to get immediate results with young players is revered, may be the key ingredient to their AFLW success.
The Western Bulldogs might be a premiership contender due to their long list of midfielders. With stoppages the critical feature of coach Paul Groves' success, it was no surprise they made emerging midfielder Jamie Lambert their first draft pick. Add hard-hitting Hayley Wildes and Hannah Scott to elite runners, Ellie Blackburn and Emma Kearney, and the Dogs should own the inside football. Katie Brennan will play a greater running role than her previous forward days too, while the recruitment of four genuine rucks in Tiarna Ernst, Lauren Spark, Courtney Clarkson and Aasta O'Connor will well serve Groves' game plan.
AFLW teams started their five-month training programs on November 21.