Starcevich issued the stern warning after the Lions upset the Crows by 18 points at Adelaide Oval in Saturday's grand final to claim their first AFLW flag.

Kennett recently ramped up the pressure on the AFL Commission, which will meet next week to discuss expanding the 14-team league.

"If Jeff's banging the door down saying 'Give us a team' I would say 'Back off'," Starcevich said.

"'Where were you four years ago when we had to put the initial applications in?'

"So just hold off ... we need this competition to get nice and strong and grow really well before we think about adding clubs."

Hawthorn did not apply for admission to the league ahead of its first season in 2017, but has since established a VFLW team and is keen to win entry to the elite competition.

"I cannot believe that we will not get approval to enter the competition," Kennett wrote in a letter to members.

"It is just so wrong that we are excluded. Unfair on our women players and members."

But Starcevich, who coached Brisbane to the grand final in 2017, is sick of losing players to expansion clubs.

"We've all had our share of grief but we've had 16 players go to other clubs, so we've done our bit to grow the competition, if you don't mind," he said.

"It's painful when it happens and I reckon the next phase of the (expansion) should just calm the farm for a little while.

"Let's wait for a few years because I don't want to go through that again and I suspect the 14 current clubs don't want to go through that again."

Australian Associated Press