AFL Riverina, Wagga City Council hope to host further AFLW games in Wagga

With mayor Greg Conkey handing over the match ball, Wagga City Council coordinated much of the event's logistics alongside local football clubs, emergency services, volunteer groups and AFL Riverina.

Saturday saw AFLW's Giants and Tigers clash as the city hosted its first women's game, with a crowd of 3377.

The AFL's equivalent took place on Sunday for a preseason game where 6556 turned up to support the GWS Giants and Richmond Tigers.

AFL Riverina's game development manager Marc Geppert said the event was "fantastic" from start to end.

"It was a massive weekend not just for the code, but for Wagga and the broader southern region," he said.

Mr Geppert said the crowd for the women's game exceeded expectations.

"We were unsure with what sort of crowd we'd get for the women's game, but to get over 3000 for the first time was incredible, the whole atmosphere was just fantastic," he said.

The weekend saw more than just the two games played, with coaching and umpiring sessions and the premiership cup.

"Obviously we can always get more people through the gates but the grounds were packed already so you can't really ask for much more," he said.

Mr Geppert said the success of the AFLW game has sparked hope for seeing the event return in future.

"The girls from the Giants have been pumped and really excited to be able to play in Wagga, especially for some of the local girls who call the city home, so it's something we'd love to lock in year on year to showcase local female footy," he said.

Wagga City Council strategic asset planner Ben Creighton said the event's economic benefits "could not be understated".

"Council's Visitor Economy and Events team has reported that all motels in Wagga Wagga were booked out on Saturday night and the CBD's hotels and restaurants enjoyed more patronage during the weekend," he said.

The crowds demonstrated good behaviour with no major incidents to report, according to police. "We're very happy with the behaviour of the crowd, it was a really good local event and our police were there to monitor everything," Wagga Police Inspector Adrian Telfer said.

NSW Ambulance said paramedics attended a single incident on Sunday about 1.40pm at Robertson Oval, responding to reports of a man fainting.

"Paramedics treated an 80 year old man and transported him to Wagga Hospital in a stable condition," a spokesperson said.