Community in Business panel gives its verdict on the Women’s World Cup

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Football Victoria Community in Business
Image credit: Mark Avellino

At Football Victoria’s Community in Business Half-Time Luncheon, Michael Zappone sat down with three panel members to discuss the upcoming Women’s World Cup, as he shared a discussion with Matilda cap #204 Karly Roestbakken, Young Matilda Paige Zois and Channel 7 commentator David Basheer.

The line-up of players in the Matildas’ squad boasts a dynamic blend of youth and experience and is selected from across Australia, representing seven different Member Federations.   

The team will be led by forward Sam Kerr as captain in her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup, and defender Steph Catley as vice-captain in her third appearance at the prestigious quadrennial tournament.

Lydia Williams and Clare Polkinghorne, revered figures in Australian football, have earned the distinction of being the only male or female Australian players to participate in five FIFA World Cup finals tournaments. Their inclusion in the squad is a testament to their immense skill, dedication, and enduring legacy. 

CommBank Matildas’ head coach Tony Gustavsson said the team are looking forward to sharing the FIFA Women’s World Cup experience with the nation. While he has selected 15 players who were part of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign and with seven players in line to make their FIFA Women’s World Cup debuts.   

With all panel members stating the significance of the event, Basheer offered: “I think it’s going to be transformational for Australian soccer because the game grows every four year cycle, if things go right we could see a really special performance from the Matildas.”

The Matildas may have their best ever chance at lifting the world cup trophy, with the panel members all predicting Australia to win the tournament. Roestbakken discussed the confidence the team has, especially playing on home soil making it a special place to play and a motivational boost.

“In all four previous world cups I’ve covered, this is the deepest squad Australia has ever had” Basheer said after backing up everyone’s prediction of Australia winning the tournament.

After being prompted ‘what do you think this will do for women’s football in Australia’, Zois offered: “It’s a rare thing to have a world cup in your backyard, football has already come a long way and this world cup is an opportunity to further grow the profile of the sport in Australia and I’m excited to see the impact this has on the legacy we are all contributing to.”

Basheer added that the game has evolved heavily in the last 10 years, noting the Ireland women’s national team – who are a competitor of the Matildas recently – recorded their highest ever crowd of 7,000, while the Matildas will soon play in front of 50,000 against France at Marvel Stadium. The numbers speak for themselves as the Matildas are building momentum heading into the tournament.

However, Zappone suggested the public aren’t aware of how big of a deal this is for the country. 

Basheer highlighted the Socceroos’ success and the country heavily supporting them during their World Cup performance and suggests the same will happen with the Matildas. He spoke on the growth of the game but suggested the women’s game has evolved almost too quickly and suggests the squad size should be 26 players so the game ‘hasn’t got that right’.

Women’s football as a whole will be positively impacted by the tournament and the excitement it will create amongst football fans.

“There’s a commercial market, it is a big sport waiting to show its face,” Basheer explained on the growth of the game.

The Matildas’ opening match of the World Cup will take place on July 20 when they take on the Republic of Ireland on the opening day of the tournament.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

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