Gold Coast AFLW player delisted just weeks out from giving birth

The AFLW pregnancy policy has been called into question as Gold Coast Suns player Georgia Clayden was delisted this week, just weeks before she is due to give birth.

Clayden spent this season on the inactive list with "injury (pregnancy)". The club announced on Tuesday that Clayden and fellow player Sienna McMullen were informed they would not be offered contracts for the 2027 season.

Former AFLW All-Australian-turned-commentator Kate McCarthy said more needed to be done to protect and support AFLW players and female athletes who choose to become mothers during their playing careers.

"A player should be able to make the incredible life decision to start a family without fearing it could come at the expense of their football career," McCarthy wrote on Instagram

"There needs to be greater security and a genuine opportunity for players to return to the game after giving birth."

North Melbourne premiership player Eilish Sheerin responded publicly to McCarthy's post: "So well said. In other industries this would be viewed as discrimination."

Last December, former Carlton captain Kerryn Peterson was told by Carlton that she would not be offered a contract for 2026, just months after she gave birth to her first child.

Peterson was placed on the inactive list for this season after welcoming her newborn son, Max, in August, and had planned to return to the Blues the following season.

Alternatively, Essendon's Bess Keaney rejoined her club's primary list this season after having a baby last year. She was placed on the club's inactive list with "injury" (pregnancy).

Rules within the Collective Bargaining Agreement allow for players returning from pregnancy to come off the inactive list at any point.

Replacement players signed in the meantime are then able to see out the entirety of their one-season contract, with the team in question allowed to have a squad of 31 for the remainder of that season.

In order for a player to return from the inactive list after pregnancy, they must be assessed as medically fit by the club doctor or an AFL medical officer.

McCarthy said it was not simply on clubs to offer this, as they needed greater support in this area too and called for policy change.

"With such limited spots in the AFLW, clubs are already forced to make incredibly difficult list management decisions. The current systems put both players and clubs in an unfair position," McCarthy said.

"Clubs should have the ability to retain a player returning from maternity leave without that player occupying one of their limited list spots. This would give the athlete the time and security to work towards returning to the level required, while allowing clubs the flexibility to manage their lists if that player isn't ready to return.

"Becoming a mother should not mean putting your football career at risk. And clubs shouldn't be forced into a position where supporting a player's return comes at the expense of another list spot. We should be creating a system that supports both. Right now, we're not."