APL announce extended Liberty A-League season and 12th team for 2023/24

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The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have today announced that the Liberty A-League Women’s competition will become a 12-team competition, with a full home and away schedule of 22 rounds by the 2023-24 season.

This investment brings the professional game in Australia in line with global standards for match minutes, and is part of a broader strategy to ensure a lasting legacy for the game following the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TM.

Western United will officially join in season 2022-23 for a 20-round competition, and Central Coast Mariners have been given a provisional licence by APL and, subject to FA Board approval, will become the 12th team for 2023-24, taking the league to 22 rounds and a total of 132 matches.

A-Leagues CEO Danny Townsend said via press release:

“In the 18-months since we have been running the professional game in Australia, we will increase the number of regular season matches from 70 to 132, finally bringing Australia in line with global benchmarks and ensuring more opportunities for women to play at the highest level and for girls to benefit from the role models and expanded professional pathways this investment creates.”

“We are just 12-months out from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and we want to make sure that every girl and woman in Australia has the opportunity to build and grow a lasting relationship with football, the country’s most participated in sport.”

The changes to the Liberty A-League follow close consultation with players and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and will lead to the minimum salary in the competition increasing by more than 50% over the next two years.

Kate Gill, Co-Chief Executive of PFA, said via press release:

“Today represents a significant step forward for women’s football in Australia that not only brings to life the players’ vision for a full home and away competition, but indicates the APL’s intent and belief in growing the women’s game.”

“Thanks to the genuine partnership with the APL, the players have played a central role in helping to design a competition that delivers meaningful employment, a professional career path and a strong and sustainable league that will develop the next generation of Australian talent.”

Liberty Chief Executive Officer James Boyle added the expansion of the Liberty A-League competition was welcome news that Liberty was proud to celebrate as naming rights sponsor.

“We’re passionate about championing women in sport and the growth of the Liberty A-League helps to elevate the profile of women’s football. The more women role models in the professional sporting arena, such as the A-Leagues, the richer the opportunities for future generations. APL shares our pioneering spirit and culture of diversity as it continues to take strides towards creating a more inclusive sport. We are proud to share with the A-Leagues our passion – and action – for fostering gender equality on and off the field.”

Chief Operating Officer of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Jane Fernandez said via press release:

“Huge congratulations to APL for this growth, and it really does follow the growth trajectory of women’s football right around the world.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity. We are heading towards Qatar, where the Socceroos have just qualified to play. Then we move towards the expanded Liberty A-League, with the Grand Final to be held right on the eve of the expanded FIFA Women’s World Cup with, for the first time, 32 teams playing in the competition.

“The benefits and the opportunities are huge, and it’s not just for the players, there are benefits also for those who want to volunteer, to coach and to be leaders in our game.”

This is the second expansion announcement in twelve months, following the addition of Wellington Phoenix’s women’s team in 2021. APL also signed an historic 5-year CBA last year, and launched the Club Championship trophy, designed to encourage better fan engagement with women’s football.

The expanded and extended 2022/23 Liberty A-League season kicks off on 18th November 2022 and all matches will be broadcast live on Network 10 and Paramount+, the Australian home of football.

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Melbourne Victory driving strong partnerships with BYD

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The innovative vehicle manufacturer will join the Victory family as a Major Partner and Exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier in a 12-month deal.

 

Elite performance, accessible for all

The alliance between Melbourne Victory and BYD reflects both parties’ commitment to progress, efficiency and high performance. It brings together two organisations who share vision and values, two fundamental aspects of any successful partnership.

On one hand is a rapidly growing and community-connected manufacturing company with over 100 sites, intent on providing reliable vehicles to Australian families. On the other, a successful club in the heart of Melbourne, with ambitions to progress on the pitch while regularly engaging with the community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, commented on the strong foundations of the partnership with BYD.

“Founded only a decade apart, there is a shared history of, and ambition for, continued accelerated growth between Melbourne Victory and BYD.”

“Not only is there a clear alignment of our vision and values to lead, unite, connect and inspire, but a mutual commitment to creating a better future for our communities.”

 

Delivering for the community

As part of the partnership, BYD’s branding will feature on Victory’s home and away jerseys, as well as across the Academy, media and Community assets.

Moreover, the agreement comes as a response from Victory to members and fans’ wishes for not just any vehicle partner, but one which is appropriate and coherent to their day-to-day lives. And as BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins, explained, the new energy vehicle manufacturer is driving far more than just passengers.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Melbourne Victory, a club that shares our relentless drive for performance and innovation,” expressed Collins.

“As the exclusive vehicle supplier, we’re not just providing new energy mobility; we’re supporting the team’s journey towards a more sustainable future.”

New energy, new partner and new ambitions for Melbourne Victory, who will compete on the international stage next season in the AFC Champions League Two.

And with a partner like BYD to back them, players and fans in the Victory family will be hoping it is the start of a journey to success.

 

Football West’s Female Football Week draws record engagement from Metropolitan Perth to Remote Kunurra

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West has wrapped up its 2026 Female Football Week with activations spanning metropolitan Perth, regional Western Australia and national online platforms, as participation data from the state’s most remote football association underlined the scale of demand for women’s and girls’ football beyond the city.

Kununurra Soccer Association, situated in the East Kimberley more than 3,000 kilometres from Perth, recorded 47 new female registrations aged 7 to 12 across the first two terms of 2026 through Football West’s Junior Girls United program, representing a 30 percent increase in female membership that coaches Hannah Grominsky and Evie Marchetti described as overwhelming.

“The support from the community has been simply awesome,” Grominsky said. “We’re up to nearly 50 registered girls now. The majority of them have never played before or aren’t part of our association, so it’s great to give them a positive football experience in a comfortable environment.”

The program, supported by the Federal Government’s Play Our Way grant, now runs every Wednesday and has extended football activity into the cooler months of the Kimberley calendar, a season when the association would not traditionally operate. The result is a cohort of players new to the game, in a region where access to organised sport has historically been constrained by geography, infrastructure and seasonality.

Recognition across the state

Back in Perth, Female Football Week’s centrepiece event was the Women in Football Celebrate You Breakfast at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, featuring two panel discussions covering officiating pathways, coaching development and advocacy for women in football.

Subiaco AFC NPL Women’s head coach Christine Coppin, who is one of few women coaching at her level in the region, said events like the breakfast were critical to making the pathway visible for others.

“I’d love to see more women coaches putting their hat in the ring, both at junior and senior levels, realising that there’s more to football than just playing,” Coppin said. “They can stay involved in the sport as they get older in different ways.”

A regional Women in Football Breakfast in Albany drew more than 30 attendees, while a Girls Day Out event in the same city attracted more than 50 participants aged 6 to 16 for a come-and-try introduction to the game, extending the week’s reach into the Great Southern and reinforcing Football West’s stated commitment to building women’s football outside metropolitan areas.

Recognising those who make it happen

The week’s awards, nominated by the WA public, recognised five individuals whose contributions to female football across the state were judged most significant over the past year. Cassandra Paxman of Albany Rovers FC was named Coach of the Year, Georgia Whitelaw of Great Southern JSA and Albany JSA took Referee of the Year, Karen Harris of Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC was named Volunteer of the Year, Georgia Aiesi of Mandurah City FC received the Player of the Year award, and Melissa Spillman of Football Futures Foundations was named Community Champion of the Year— a recognition she also received at the national level.

Football West Female Football and Advocacy Manager Sarah Carroll said the week had reinforced both the momentum and the responsibility facing the sport.

“Female Football Week continues to showcase the incredible passion and growing appetite for the women’s game,” Carroll said. “It’s a reminder of how important it is that we keep working together to drive the game forward.”

The contrast between a packed breakfast at the Sam Kerr Football Centre and a Wednesday afternoon program in Kununurra working around wet season schedules captures something essential about where women’s football in Western Australia actually lives. The growth is real, and it is happening in places the cameras do not always reach.

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