Football Queensland set to host Australia’s first female-only B Licence Coaching Course

Avatar

Football Queensland have announced they will hold Australia’s first ever female-only FFA/AFC B Licence coaching course at the beginning of next year.

The course will be held at Meakin Park and will run across 11 days in January and April, with Matildas Assistant Coach Mel Andreatta, Junior Matildas Head Coach Rae Dower and FQ’s Lead Club Development Ambassador (Coaching) Davide Bertamini facilitating the program.

“Football Queensland is absolutely committed to the women’s game which is why we will deliver the first ever female-only FFA/AFC B Licence course here at Meakin Park, a significant step for the women’s game, especially as we look ahead to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.

“We know that women and girls are the future of our game, and Football Queensland is committed to developing pathways and opportunities for women and girls to get involved in football in any capacity, including as players, coaches and referees.”

“As outlined in our Strategic Plan, Football Queensland is committed to increasing the number of coaches in our game through greater support, development and recognition,” FQ President Ben Richardson said.

“The upcoming female-only B Licence course at Meakin Park is a great example of this as we find new ways to provide high quality participation opportunities for women and girls in Queensland.”

Dower explained previous feedback from female coaches indicated there was an appetite for a female-only course, with some coaches claiming they were not as comfortable in an environment where they were the only female involved in a program.

“I think it’s always nice to be the first. For Football Queensland, it’s nice to be able to say that they led this initiative, looking at the big picture and an alternate way to boost the number of female coaches which is linked to our Strategic Plan,” she said.

“It’s also linked to Principle X of the FFA’s XI Principles by embracing opportunities to increase the number of female coaches and to grow the overall talent pool. The investment and development of the women’s game is not just about players, but building capacity in coaches, referees, medical staff and decision-makers too.

“To champion this initiative and to be the first is a proud pioneering moment for the evolution of the women’s game here in Queensland. Special thanks to Gabor, Davide, Rob and Ben for supporting the concept and to Sean Douglas for providing us with flexibility in our delivery.

“The female-only B Licence course provides an opportunity for a cohort of coaches to experience something different and to help them gain further qualifications and enhance their professional development. We don’t know what the specific feedback will be for this course because we’ve never done it before, but the opportunity needs to be provided before people can say whether they like the experience or not.”

The Young Matildas coach believes a flexible approach is key to realising the potential of female coaches, as they look to progress through the ranks.

“We need to create as many opportunities as possible for women to go on the Advanced Coaching pathway.  Providing the opportunity and a supportive environment is the first part, then it’s over to them to show their potential. For our teachers, they’re coaching and teaching every day of their working lives, so it comes naturally to them.

“The next step is to support them, to guide and mentor them and instil confidence in them. As the game and in particular the women’s game continues to professionalise, there will be a larger pool of female coaches who have the qualifications and experience required and can then be afforded the same opportunity as their male counterparts to be recruited into more coaching roles.

“It would be great to get a full course and provide a really positive experience for a historic group of female coaches.”

More information about the course can be found here.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

Avatar
Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

Avatar
Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend