Can the A-League Women keep the Matildas’ flame alive?

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Image Credit: Melbourne Victory website

In the winter of 2023, the Matildas didn’t just play football, they made history. More than 11.5 million Australians watched their World Cup semi-final against England — the most-viewed TV program in Australian history, according to OzTAM data. Streets filled with fans, fan zones overflowed, and for a fleeting moment, women’s football wasn’t a niche sport, it was the beating heart of the nation.

But now, over a year later, the energy has waned. Despite record participation rates in grassroots football, the A-League Women (ALW) has struggled to capture and sustain the public’s attention.

According to a recent Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) report, only 50% of ALW players are on full-time contracts, and nearly one in five players are considering early retirement due to financial instability.

Melbourne Victory star Beattie Goad announced her retirement at just 27, citing the competition’s part-time nature as unsustainable. She’s a three-cap Matilda and a title-winner with both Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.

She wasn’t alone. In March 2024, her teammate and seven-time Matilda Emma Checker declared she’d retire at 28 to secure a job outside football. And in October, former Matilda’s great Elise Kellond-Knight also stepped away after 16 years in the game, again, due to financial strain.

These are elite athletes juggling second jobs and uncertain futures in what should be a thriving professional league. For a competition that should be riding a wave of national pride, this is more than disappointing, it’s a structural failure.

While the Matildas ignited the country, the ALW is still fighting for visibility. Despite the Matildas’ extraordinary success, there’s been little impact on league attendance and broadcast numbers. The average ALW crowd size in 2023–24 was just over 2,400 people per game,  a modest increase from previous years, but nowhere near what the World Cup buzz should have fuelled.

Even the launch of the 2024–25 season came with a whimper. The Guardian described it as having a “quiet build-up,” reflecting the broader issue of under-promotion. Where was the media hype, the marketing campaign, the sense of occasion? The stars are there with players such as Cortnee Vine, Michelle Heyman, Alex Chidiac. But without consistent media presence, they remain invisible to casual fans.

Then there’s scheduling. Too many A-League Women matches are tucked away in poor time slots or played in hard-to-access suburban grounds. This isn’t just a football issue; it’s a visibility issue. Fans can’t attend games they don’t know about, or can’t get to. Doubleheaders with men’s games, while well-intentioned, often result in women’s matches playing second fiddle. They deserve standalone stages, not shared spotlights.

And while Football Australia has confirmed a new men’s National Second Tier launching in 2025. There’s no equivalent plan for women, no national second-tier league, no promotion and relegation pathway. The development pipeline for female players ends abruptly at the elite level. That’s not just short-sighted — it’s neglectful.

So, what needs to happen?

Full-time professionalism must become the standard. As the PFA has made clear, a semi-professional structure will only deliver semi-professional outcomes. Better wages, longer contracts, and post-career planning are essential if we want athletes to commit long-term.

Football Australia and the APL must lead with vision. As Football Australia unveils a new national second-tier men’s competition in 2025, the glaring lack of a second-tier pathway for women is striking. How can we build depth without structure?

Media partners and broadcasters must treat the ALW like a premium product. That means storytelling, promotion, and regular prime-time coverage, not burying games on digital-only platforms or at inaccessible hours. ALW matches should be promoted with the same energy and visibility as the men’s games. Tapping into streaming platforms, pre-match content, and post-game analysis can help generate interest beyond the core fan base.

Clubs must step up, not just in funding but in identity. Women’s teams cannot remain side projects or afterthoughts to the men’s program. Equal access to training facilities, medical care, and media teams should be the norm.

And fans must keep showing up. If you cheered for the Matildas, consider turning up for Western United or Melbourne Victory. Bring your kids. Buy the jersey. Follow the league. Push your club to do more. The spark lit by the Matildas can’t burn without fuel. Attending games, engaging online, and demanding better from the institutions that govern football will keep the pressure on.

I saw it for myself—during the World Cup, families with young girls packed into fan zones, strangers high-fived over goals, and jerseys sold out nationwide. That kind of cultural moment doesn’t come around often. We can’t afford to treat it as a blip.

The Matildas lit the fire. Now it’s on the A-League Women — and all of us — to keep it burning.

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We should be celebrating Australia’s football exports

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Image Credit: Socceroos

When Nestory Irankunda, Lucas Herrington and Alessandro Circati all completed high-profile moves, the headlines understandably focused on the massive transfer fees

Record deals, European giants, Australian talent making noise overseas.

But beneath the excitement lies a much bigger story.

For years, Australian football measured success by the players it could retain and attract. Today, success is increasingly being measured by the players it develops and sells.

That shouldn’t be looked at as a weakness of the domestic game.

It’s one of the A-League’s greatest strengths.

Changing landscape

The reality is, Australian clubs will continue to struggle to compete financially with Europe’s elite.

Trying to retain every emerging star was always going to be an impossible task.

Instead, clubs are embracing a model that has proven to be successful in countries across Europe and in leagues like the MLS in the United States.

Develop talented young players, provide them with first-team opportunities and a platform to showcase their talent.

Last year the A-League ranked in the top five for percentage of minutes by players aged 21 or younger across 55 leagues around the world.

These three recent transfers are not an isolated story, they are part of a broader trend.

European clubs are watching Australian football as closely as they ever have. The talent is there.

The World Cup effect

The Socceroos’ performance on the international stage have played a significant role in changing perceptions.

Australia is no longer viewed simply as a physical football nation. Increasingly, Australia is producing technically capable players who can adapt to the demands of Europe’s top leagues.

This exposure has provided players with a stronger opportunity to impress and demonstrate their ability.

The result is a transfer market where Australian players are genuine investments and viewed as integral pieces to a club’s future.

More than transfer fees

The financial benefit of player sales is obvious.

Transfer revenue provides clubs with opportunities to reinvest in academies, facilities, coaching and football operations.

But the impact extends much further.

Every Australian success story abroad raises the profile and trust of the domestic development system.

It encourages and gives European clubs greater confidence to scout Australian football more regularly and more intently.

It creates stronger relationships between local clubs and overseas markets and perhaps most importantly, it gives the next generation a clear pathway to elite football.

The next challenge

Evidently, producing talented players is not Australia’s most pressing challenge

Producing them consistently will be the real measure of how Australian football has progressed.

That requires continued investment in academies, coaching, facilities and national competitions.

Nestory Irankunda’s transfer to Sporting CP will reportedly fetch his junior club Adelaide Croatia Raiders approximately $220,000 under Fifa’s solidarity mechanism.

Fees like this are a reminder of the importance of well-developed pathways and a clear indication of how valuable strong investment in grassroots football can be.

Opportunity, not loss

Whenever another young Australian leaves for Europe, there is often discussion about what the A-League has lost.

Perhaps the better question is what Australian football has gained.

Every major transfer signals growing confidence in the country’s development pathway.

Every overseas success makes it easier for the next player to follow.

While it would be incredible to watch Nestory Irankunda play in the A-League every week, we should feel proud watching him play in the UEFA Champions League this year.

His journey is a reflection of the A-League’s success in giving young Australian footballers the opportunity and platform to reach that level.

Australia is unlikely to ever compete with Europe’s biggest leagues for salaries and prestige.

But it doesn’t need to.

If the game continues investing in youth development and embraces its position as one of the region’s leading producers of football talent, exporting player’s won’t be an indication of decline.

It will be a platform for fans to watch the next generation of world-class Socceroos playing right here on our own shores.

 

South Melbourne Is Coming for the A-League – And Bill Papastergiadis Wants the ‘Glass Ceiling’ Gone

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Image Credits: South Melbourne FC

South Melbourne is knocking on the A-League’s door again. The four-time National Soccer League champions formally signalled their intention to enter the A-Leagues earlier this month, opening discussions with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) over potential A-League Men’s and Women’s licences. The timing was significant; the announcement came a day after the APL terminated Western United’s licence.

But South Melbourne’s ambitions are bigger than simply replacing Western United. The club and its co-president, Bill Papastergiadis, believe its recent success has demonstrated that it is ready for professional football once again. South won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025, is competing professionally in the Oceania Professional League and has continued to make its mark in the Australia Cup, including a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in July.

Time to open up

For co-president Bill Papastergiadis, however, the push is ultimately about something bigger than South Melbourne.

“The aspirations of South Melbourne, regarding A-League football, are not just a story about South Melbourne. It’s a story for the football public and the football community,” Papastergiadis said.

“It’s a story for all of us because football is a metaphor for life’s aspirations and football revolves around the ability to inspire, to improve, and to succeed.”

Papastergiadis believes the current structure of Australian football has created a ceiling for clubs outside the A-Leagues, one that limits ambition and, ultimately, competition.

“At the moment, the glass ceiling stifles that competition and stifles those aspirations, and at that upper level, and it’s to its detriment,” he said.

South Melbourne’s argument is closely tied to the history of the NSL, when clubs could be promoted and relegated based on their performances rather than being permanently separated into different tiers. Papastergiadis remembers the intensity that came with that system when South resided in the top flight of Australian football.

“I myself remember the intensity of the matches for the clubs that were in the relegation zone. Back then during the National Soccer League,” he said.

“It keeps clubs on their toes. Everyone is engaged when they know that there are ramifications for their actions and conduct. If there are no ramifications for that, how do you have accountability?”

That philosophy sits at the heart of South Melbourne’s A-League push. The club does not simply want to join the existing system; it wants to challenge the idea that the highest level of Australian football should be closed off from the rest of the pyramid. South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship but, unlike in other systems, is not rewarded with top-flight football. The club has continued strongly in 2026, knocking out A-League side Adelaide United in the Australia Cup.

South Melbourne and Bill Papastergiadis celebrate a win in the Australia Cup Image Credits: Bill Papastergiadis

“Where is it in the football dictionary that winning a title doesn’t give you the opportunity to progress within the football pyramid?” Papastergiadis asked.

“All of the matches involving A-League clubs have been incredibly tight, and the majority of them were knocked out in the earlier rounds by numerous NPL clubs.

“So we can compete on the field; our crowds in the Australian Championship were comparable to some of the A-League crowds, quite often far better.”

That, he argues, makes South Melbourne a viable proposition.

“We are a viable option. It’s time to open up football and give it back to the public. The public deserves it, and it belongs to everyone.”

A familiar ambition

This is not the first time South Melbourne has tried to enter the A-League.

The club was overlooked when the competition was established in the mid-2000s and again in 2018, when the licence ultimately went to Western United. The latest attempt therefore carries history. The club that missed out on the opportunity to join the A-League in 2018 is now pursuing a place in the competition following Western United’s exit. But Papastergiadis is reluctant to predict what happens next. For now, South Melbourne has done what it believes it needs to do: start the conversation.

“It’s very early for me to comment on our prospects in relation to the A-League at this point,” he said.

“What we’ve simply done is done the appropriate thing, which is to write to the APL. Advise of our intention, advise of our interest.

“It’s in their hands to tell us if they’re interested in this story, if they’re interested in this outcome, and if they’re interested in this conversation.”

Papastergiadis has already briefly spoken with APL chief executive Steve Rosich, who responded to South Melbourne’s initial approach.

“I had a conversation with Steve Rosich. He responded to our letter immediately, and we spoke on the phone, and it was courteous,” Papastergiadis said.

“We advised of our intention. He thanked us for that. I indicated that we would progress to provide more formal document and he said he’ll wait to see that.

South Melbourne is ready to make their bid Image Credits: Greek Herald

There is no guarantee that South Melbourne will receive a licence, and Papastergiadis is clear that the next step is not entirely in the club’s hands.

“There is no certainty in this process,” Papastergiadis said.

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s up to Football Australia too, to show us the path forward. We need a path forward, and it’s up to the governing body to also work with us.”

The sustainability for Melbourne

The collapse of Western United has inevitably changed the context around South Melbourne’s bid.

Western United announced that the APL had terminated its participation agreement on August 10, while saying it would seek new ownership and a pathway back into the A-League. The club also emphasised the importance of maintaining a professional football presence in Melbourne’s west and continuing its academy and community programs. South Melbourne is now one of the clubs looking towards the opening created by Western United’s departure. But Papastergiadis does not celebrate another club’s demise.

Western United’s fans are left without an A-League club Image Credits: AAP

“I do want to make the point that I’m not happy about any club folding,” he said.

“I believe in football and in the football product, and I believe in football clubs.

For the players from juniors to senior levels, they must be gutted at Western United. Their administration staff, their coaching staff, they must all be gutted. So I feel for them.”

It is a notable distinction. South Melbourne’s ambition may have been reignited by the circumstances surrounding Western United. But for South there is a new opportunity to add to Melbourne football rather than take something away from it. The prospect of South Melbourne joining Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory in the A-League would immediately raise questions about whether the market could sustain another club.

A benefit to all

Papastergiadis has little doubt and points to Melbourne’s size, sporting culture and existing interest in football as reasons for optimism.

“Absolutely. We won’t cannibalise the football-attending public. We will increase it.” He said.

“There is significant potential within the Melbourne market. We reside in the largest city in Australia, and we reside in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world.

“We will add to the fabric of football and will increase the attendance through derbies. It’s a positive.”

That is ultimately the argument behind South Melbourne’s latest attempt to break into the A-League. The club believes the benefits would extend beyond Lakeside Stadium. South Melbourne’s recent Australian Championship success, professional status in Oceania and strong performances against A-League opposition strengthen it’s case. NPL clubs can compete at the highest level, even if promotion and relegation remain off the table.

For now, South Melbourne can only wait. The APL and Football Australia will determine whether that football product has earned it a place at the top table. But Papastergiadis believes the question is worth asking, not just for South Melbourne, but for Australian football itself.

“Whatever South can achieve in regards to breaking through that glass barrier, then that’s not just the win for South, but it’s a win for football across the board.”

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