The AFL may increase the number of teams in its new national women's competition, according to chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
He told AFL 360 that with clubs fighting fiercely for a team licence for 2017, officials may give 10 of them the right to form a side, rather than eight as previously floated.
McLachlan said he had been watching the national AFL Youth Girls' Championships this week and thought about 15 of the 17-year-olds participating were good enough to be considered among the best 50 in the country.
"We're looking at what's possible with age limits, if that's the right thing to do," he said.
McLauchlan said the AFL would most likely make an announcement at the end of May about which clubs would get licences for women's teams and outlining any changes to match rules.
"It's plausible we may come out with 10 teams, but it may be eight and I doubt it will be six," he said.
Administrators at Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Sydney and Gold Coast decided not to bid for a women's team for the first year of the competition.
But other teams have run aggressive public campaigns for the right to a inaugural team.
Fairfax Media last week reported that St Kilda chief executive Matt Finnis was encouraging the AFL to allow more than eight women's teams to form if submissions were strong enough.
It is widely thought that Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will get licences, because they have both been leaders in women's football and brought together sides for the highly popular demonstration games last year.
