First period

Prior to the completion of the 2019 season, future expansion clubs Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast were permitted to pre-list up to 10 players from their women's academies or designated development zones. A maximum of seven of these players could be open-age signings who had nominated for the 2018 AFL Women's draft but not been selected. A final three spots were reserved for three junior players of minimum draft age (born in 2001) and who hailed from the clubs' designated development regions.^[1]

Second period

From 8 April expansion clubs Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast will have an 11-day window until 18 April to sign players who played for existing clubs during the 2019 season.^[23] These clubs can sign a maximum of 12 players each through this mechanism. All existing clubs other than Brisbane and Fremantle could lose no more than four players to the mechanism while Brisbane and Fremantle can each lose a maximum of eight due to the entry of Gold Coast and West Coast into their previously exclusive state-zones.^[23] No compensation will be offered to those clubs losing players under this process, but the player's existing club are permitted to negotiate to re-sign the player. Players can be signed under this mechanism to one or two year contracts.^[24]

Trades

Retirements and delistings

Free agency

A free agency period was held between the end of the trading and signing period on April 26 and until April 30 in which clubs were permitted to sign delisted or uncontracted players.^[49] At the conclusion of the period, clubs are permitted to have retained no more than 22 senior players and two rookies.^[74] Team lists matching those requirements must be submitted on May 3.^[49]

Rookie signings

In the absence of a rookie draft, each club was required to sign two rookie players, either new or retained from their rookie list the year prior. New players to this list must not have played Australian rules football within the previous three years or been involved in an AFLW high-performance program.^[81]

Undrafted free agency

A final free agency period opened after the conclusion of the draft, allowing clubs that passed on a draft selection to recruit from outside their state-based zone.

Train-on list

Before the opening round of the season, clubs were permitted to replace players who had suffered a long-term injury or for whom personal circumstances had ruled them out for playing in any match that year. The replacement players are signed to a train-on list and are considered semi-eligible for section. Though they are eligible to train with the club, they cannot be selected for match play until further injuries to player on the club's list mean a club has fewer than 23 players available for any single match.^[97]

Note: North Melbourne was given special permission to treat Saad as a full signing.^[97]