Why AFLW’s two 2022 seasons must stay separate

The evidence

Figures checked on 8 October 2026. Rates are rounded to two decimal places; later source corrections may change a result.

One year, two competition seasons

AFLW has two separate 2022 season identities: Season 6 and Season 7. Grouping records by the four-digit calendar year alone combines those competitions. That is appropriate for a question explicitly about the calendar year, but not for a comparison of individual seasons.

Jasmine Garner’s records provide a concrete example. The Season 6 selection contains 230 disposals in 11 appearances. Season 7 contains 296 in 13. Each season must keep its own label, total and appearance count.

Both the total and the rate changed

Season 7 has 66 more disposals and two more appearances. The rates are 230 ÷ 11 = 20.9090… and 296 ÷ 13 = 22.7692…. The increase in rate is about 1.86 disposals per game. More appearances alone therefore do not describe the whole numerical difference.

This is a comparison of recorded output, not a causal account of performance. It does not establish why the rate changed, how much time was spent on the ground or what tactical role was played. Those claims would need further evidence.

The correct way to combine the records

For an explicit calendar-year question, add the totals and appearances first: 230 + 296 = 526 disposals and 11 + 13 = 24 appearances. The combined rate is 526 ÷ 24 = 21.9166…, displayed as 21.92.

A simple average of the two season rates gives each season equal weight even though their game counts differ. The combined per-game rate instead weights each recorded appearance equally. The same principle applies when combining any two selections of unequal size.

A season record needs a season label

A 526-disposal calendar-year total must not enter a single-season leaderboard as though it came from one AFLW competition season. Likewise, an award, fixture or game-log filter should retain the Season 6 or Season 7 identity rather than silently selecting both.

The profile links below open the separate game logs and the season statistics. Read the competition label with the number, especially when comparing AFL and AFLW or when exporting a table where a short year heading might otherwise conceal the distinction.