Melrose mentor Adam Waters has called for changes to be made to encourage more women in the region to stay involved in the sport they love.

A final draw for the AWFA senior women's competition was only received by some clubs less than a week out from the season, which starts on Sunday.

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"The girls feel let down, disappointed and that it's unfair. They have every right to feel this way," Waters said.

"The girls play with the same drive and determination as the men do and they deserve the same as the men.

"I don't think it's one club's fault, nor is it AWFA's fault. I feel it's everyone's fault, from 10 years or more ago up until now.

"Everyone wants to win and be the best, but for a lot of women it's not about that, it's getting out and having fun with friends. Some have lost sight of this.

"The women don't and probably won't ever have numbers like the boys do at the younger ages, but the ones that do play we need to keep around and promote.

"Bringing in new players is awesome, but keeping current players should be the main focus for us all.

"Something needs to change to promote the women in this region playing a sport they love just like all the men, otherwise next year there won't be a league in my opinion."

For the third season running, just six teams will contest AWFA's senior women's competition.

Albury City officially pulled the pin on its division one side for the year, but will press on with reserves.

It's a huge fall from grace for City who finished the 2018 campaign as unbeaten league and cup champions.

Last year's reserve women's cup finalists Albury Hotspurs have stepped up to the top grade, but with City's departure, the senior ladies will again find themselves separated from the rest of their clubs on a different draw.

Albury United, Boomers, Melrose, St Pats and Wangaratta are the other outfits to field senior women's sides.

The competition has experienced a steady decline since the end of the 2017 campaign, which featured all 12 clubs except for Twin City and Wodonga Heart.

After winning the cup final that season, Boomers headlined the departures by dropping back to reserves, with Myrtleford, Hotspurs and Cobram following suit.

Boomers returned for the 2019 campaign, only for Wodonga Diamonds to drop out and the same has happened this year with Hotspurs taking City's place.

"It's a shame, I'm a great advocate for women's football and worked hard back in the early 2000s to help build what we had, so to see it all wiped out is tough," Albury City president Garry Brew said.

The AWFA and Albury City life member believes there's a host of factors that have impacted women's soccer.

"This year I believe has been the most disorganised, through nobody's fault," Brew said.

"Registrations didn't open early enough, people aren't coming along and applying like they have in the past and you've got no idea of numbers.

"Some clubs might be lucky enough to have someone that is proactive and pushes and pushes, but if you haven't got that it's hard.

"I can understand where the association is coming from and we've been slow to reply to them with different things because we didn't know what we were going to have. It all starts at the clubs and the association can only do what we give them, which is the hard part.

"You might have 20 turn up to training, but whether they're going to commit to the $300 (to register) to play or not is the other thing. My wife is the registrar of the club and I see her frustration and think where are these teams coming from?

"That's the problem we all face."

Two-time AWFA Star Player Bridget McDiarmid is currently spending time abroad with her partner and is doubtful of playing at City this season.

"If Bridget was still around, we may have had something because she would have had the power to pull a bit," Brew said.

"We've lost some good ones to AFL like Sally Lynch. She's still a great club advocate, but she's finding it better with the AFL."