"We already provide a pathway for young female athletes through our Women's Academy and our Women's Aboriginal AFL Academy, which is the first of its kind in Australia," Power CEO Keith Thomas said.

"Port Adelaide is now looking forward to working with the SANFL to further our capabilities in this area with the view to ultimately entering the AFLW competition at the next available opportunity," he added.

Power has never previously applied to be part of the AFLW competition.

The club would have to wait until 2021, with Essendon and Hawthorn are at the front of the queue to be granted that year, while Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast will join the competition in 2020. 

The idea of a new competition came about as a way to retain local talent. 

Female participation in the state has seen a 240 percent increase from 2016-18 with junior teams in the Adelaide metro area rising from 16 in 2016 to 98 this year.

Despite the growth, players rarely stay in the state preferring to play their off-season in the VFL Women's competition with NT Thunder.

Currently, there are two top-level female competitions in South Australia: the Statewide Super Women's League (SANFLW), which runs at the same time as the AFLW, and the Adelaide Footy League (the SAAFLW), which runs from April to September.