Footy hall of famer and Western Bulldogs boss Debbie Lee on the full-time future of the AFLW

Debbie Lee is the first woman inducted to the AFL's prestigious Hall of Fame.

She played more than 300 games in the Victorian Women's Football League before transitioning to coaching and is currently the boss of the Western Bulldogs AFLW team.

Join Sam Lane and Sharni Norder as they talk all things AFLW in a podcast that is equal parts insight, raw honesty and general madness.

So when it comes to the future of the AFLW, Lee's voice is one of the loudest and most revered; informed not just by her time spent in management meetings but also the countless hours spent in the maw of an Aussie Rules midfield.

The 2022 AFLW season has highlighted many issues that Australia's top women athletes continue to face, particularly around the part-time nature of their competitions that forces them to juggle sport with other commitments.

While the AFL has been coy on their long-term plans for a full-time competition, Lee believes the transition can happen whenever its decision-makers choose.

«I think we can become full-time anytime we want,» Lee said on The W with Sharni and Sam podcast.

«I think it's just: how does it work and what's the decision?

»And how do we fund it?"

Lee admits the footy industry is still straining under the oppressive weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.

«The AFL, they do a really good job,» she says.

«They've been through a pretty hard time through this whole COVID [pandemic] and it's about treading water and how do we get games played.

»But I think it's also about how we set up the funding model so we can continue to grow."

Lee isn’t blind to the revenue disparity between the men's and women's leagues.

«Obviously, the men's game brings in a lot more revenue, it is what it is … that's just facts,» she says.

«We’ve got a new product