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AAP
AAP
Sport
Roger Vaughan

AFLW have-nots receive league boost on grand final eve

The Giants and Collingwood have been given extra help after disappointing AFLW seasons. (Dylan Burns/AAP PHOTOS)

Help for three of the AFLW's worst-performing clubs has been announced on grand final eve, highlighting the yawning gap between the haves and have-nots in the competition.

GWS will have the No.3 pick in this month's national draft, along with the No.19 selection.

Collingwood and Gold Coast will also have extra list spots next year and for the 2027 season.

The AFLW announcement was made the day before reigning premiers North Melbourne and Brisbane play in the grand final for the third straight season.

The Kangaroos are on a 26-game winning streak, a record across the AFLW, AFL and VFL.

The Lions have won their past nine games, and the two-time premiers have played in six grand finals, easily the competition record.

Gold Coast Suns.
The Suns, who finished bottom of the ladder, will have two extra list spots for the next two seasons (AAP PHOTOS)

Meanwhile, the Suns have managed just three wins over the past two years.

The Giants similarly have a winning percentage of only 17 per cent over three seasons, and Collingwood have managed just four wins over two seasons.

The massive gap between the top and bottom of the ladder is one of the biggest problems facing the AFLW, which started in 2017.

The Western Bulldogs won the 2018 flag, but have since fallen off the pace, leaving North, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide as the competition pacesetters.

They are the only clubs so far to win premierships.

"We want these three clubs to return to being competitive after several years of consistent underperformance, and after extensive consultation with them, we believe this package is structured to support that goal," AFL/AFLW football operations manager Laura Kane said in a statement.

The Suns will have two extra list spots for the next two seasons, while Collingwood will receive two more spots next year and one more for 2027.

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