The inaugural AFLW competition kicks off in Melbourne tonight with an encounter between traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton at Princes Park.

All eight teams will be on display over the weekend with Adelaide meeting GWS on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs taking on Fremantle on Saturday night before the Lions and Melbourne draw the first round to a close on Sunday evening.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan (pictured), after a lot of hard work to get the competition up and running, says it’s a significant moment in the Australian sporting landscape.