Collingwood skipper Steph Chiocci says the decision to block transgender athlete Hannah Mouncey from playing AFLW makes sense because of her physical advantage.
Mouncey was barred by the AFL from this year's draft less than 24 hours before it was held in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The 190cm, 100kg ruck was told she would instead be allowed to nominate for the 2018 draft.
A former member of the Australian men's handball team, Mouncey began a gender transition in 2015 and played for Ainslie in Canberra's women's football league this season.
It is understood an AFL sub-committee rejected her draft nomination based on an exception in the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission's guidelines.
The exception is to ensure players don't have an unfair competitive advantage in single-sex competitions where the strength, stamina or physique of players is relevant.
Chiocci said she believed Collingwood would have fully accepted Mouncey if she had been drafted. But the Magpies captain said she could see the logic in the AFL's decision.
"If you look at a lot of the girls drafted today, the 18-year-olds, they're still to put on that muscle bulk and actually develop themselves in the gym," Chiocci told AAP.
"It does make sense in that regard but there are some bigger girls out there anyway that are really strong athletes.
"I'm sure the AFL have made a decision based on really good reasoning and research behind it, and hopefully she gets a crack at it next year."
Melbourne women's coach Mick Stinear took a similar view, saying there was more work to be done in teaching players how to protect themselves from injury.
"I hope Hannah gets an opportunity in the years to come," he said.
"For me, one thing we're still working closely on is players' approach and attack at the footy ... how to best look after themselves and still get a good outcome of being able to win the footy.
"Once we get better at that - small or tall, like you see with the men - you should be able to compete against anyone."
But the coach of Mouncey's football club in Canberra said he was surprised by the AFL's decision.
"She certainly didn't tear the competition apart. I watched her a couple of times - yes, she is very big and strong, but she didn't bash anybody up or crash into anybody," Chris Rourke told SEN on Wednesday.
"When I first saw her run out, I thought 'jeez, she's big', but the opposition wasn't frightened of her.
"She went about her business and nobody seemed too afraid of her. She's not [Melbourne star] Daisy Pearce by any stretch of the imagination. She is big and strong, sometimes she can read the ball well and can catch it. She is an OK kick, so she has a bit of talent for sure.
"If she is allowed to play women's footy up here, I don't see her not being allowed to play in a better competition."
The AFLPA on Tuesday criticised the league for dragging its feet on the issue, having long been aware of Mouncey's intentions to nominate.