Canberra AFLW star delisted weeks before childbirth, sparking 'discrimination' debate

Detailed summary

"There needs to be greater security."

Canberran AFLW star Georgia Clayden has found herself at the centre of a fierce debate about the league's pregnancy policies after she was delisted by the Gold Coast Suns weeks before childbirth.

The move was announced by the club on Tuesday and sparked outrage from other female athletes. Clayden spent all of the 2026 AFLW season on the Suns' inactive list while pregnant, but this week she was informed that she would not be contracted for next season.

It was a stunning turn for the Suns, with its social media page putting up a congratulatory post for Clayden just three weeks ago, noting that in her final trimester she was "still very much part of the team" and training "with modifications to her program", complete with photos of the 31-year-old and her baby bump.

Clayden, who is now almost 39 weeks pregnant, was contacted by The Canberra Times and while she indicated a strong desire to speak about her experience soon, at this time she was focused on the upcoming birth of her first child in Queensland.

Clayden's delisting and the subsequent discussion it has raised about AFLW's pregnancy policies comes ahead of the final year of the collective bargaining agreement in 2027, with negotiations for a new agreement starting soon.

The CBA in place now states that 12 months of paid parental leave is an entitlement for players six weeks before their due date, and there are financial protections in place regardless if a player remains contracted or not.

Clubs have the option to put pregnant players on an inactive list and request the AFL grant an extra list spot for a replacement player.

However, questions have been raised about the protections for AFLW players that are coming off contract or not re-signed by clubs while pregnant or close to childbirth, and whether clubs are afforded enough list management flexibility.

There is no guarantee that a pregnant player or new mum whose AFLW contract expires will be given a new contract.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Canberra Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.