Forward Sarah Perkins has signaled her intent to sign on with Adelaide for AFLW 2019, but will return to Victoria for the upcoming VFLW season.

Perkins, 24, will line up for Hawthorn in the VFLW competition, which runs in the winter months opposite to AFLW.

The premiership Crow, who relocated to Adelaide before the inaugural AFLW season, played six games for VFLW club Eastern Devils last year before the Devils announced their withdrawal from the league.

A Hawks supporter growing up, Perkins will also explore an off-field employment opportunity with the club while in Melbourne.

“Now that I’ll be doing some work with the Hawks, I see it as a really good opportunity to come home (to Melbourne) for six months during the offseason of AFLW,” Perkins said.

“And then, all going to plan, I’ll hopefully come back at the end of the VFLW season, to play AFLW season number three and continue my career with the Crows.”

Currently, AFLW clubs can only contract players on a season-by-season basis.

The re-signing period for 2019 is yet to open.

The League is yet to determine the format of next year’s competition, which will increase to 10 teams with the addition of Geelong and North Melbourne.

Another four clubs – Gold Coast, Richmond, West Coast and St Kilda – will be introduced in 2020.

Hawthorn and Essendon were unsuccessful in their most recent applications, but will be able to apply to enter the AFLW from 2021.