But after failing to get the desired result following an AFL Commission meeting on Wednesday,Kennett teed off on Thursday.

“It’s a disgrace,” Kennett toldThe Age.

“The AFL is charged to administer the code equally across all 18 of its clubs.

“Four clubs are being denied an opportunity in the AFL’s fastest-growing market. We are now being told we need to re-apply. It is another example of where the AFL fail to make decisions and simply defer decision making into the future.”

Kennett said his anger was directed on behalf of the club’s female membership and “my ladies in the VFLW team”,saying the club had been treated as a “second-class citizen”.

“This decision flies in the face of good governance and common sense. We are being denied an opportunity for our women to compete and build.

“I have expressed that view in the strongest possible terms to the AFL chairman and to Gillon.”

Kennett said the Hawks would consider their legal options and added that he hoped the AFL would also reconsider.

With the uncertainty over the composition of the 2022-23 season,the AFL is yet to confirm a player movement period or rules for this off-season,despite clubs being well-advanced in their discussions with rival players.

AFL head of women’s Nicole Livingstone said there would be enough talent for 18 teams in the near future.

“You’ve got a lot of girls coming through that have now played right through from Auskick to AFLW,and there’s a lot of girls coming through the system,” Livingstone said.

“We’ve invested heavily in the talent pathways and those now look very equal to the boys’ pathways.

“We’re very proud of that piece of work that we’ve done to accelerate those girls coming through the system.”

North Melbourne AFLW star Jess Duffin,who also plays in the Women’s Big Bash League for the Melbourne Renegades,was optimistic that she would still be able to play both football and cricket,despite the season being brought forward.

“I actually don’t think they clash. I think it’s more the training obviously will clash,but in terms of actual games,I’m pretty sure the Big Bash is the 27th or 28th of November,[which] is the last game,” Duffin said.

“So I think all the finals and stuff are going to be done by December,which kind of helps me in terms of games.

“In terms of training though,obviously it’s going to clash,but I’ve had it clash before and both the Renegades and North have been really accommodating for that,so I can’t really see any issues with that.”

Duffin has retired from 50-over cricket so won’t play in the Women’s National Cricket League.