Football Australia launches new #EQUALISER campaign

Staff Writer

Football Australia today launched the #EQUALISER campaign, an initiative supporting the ‘Community Facilities’ Pillar of its Legacy 23’ Plan, to deliver adequate female-friendly facilities across the country.

It comes after a new Football Australia survey of its registered participants revealed that 65% of respondents said political commitments to fund improved football facilities in their community would influence their vote at the upcoming Federal Election.

Football is flourishing across Australia with more than two million participants and, in just over a year, more than one billion fans worldwide will be watching as Australia and New Zealand host the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TM.

More than 6,000 people responded to the survey. Nearly two-thirds of all respondents said commitments to improve local facilities in their region, or at their club, would favourably influence their vote.

Further, as little as 8% of respondents also believe football actually receives a fair-share of government funding, compared to other sports.

A new Football Australia report has revealed that only 35% of football facilities across Australia are currently categorised as being female-friendly or gender-neutral.

To shine a spotlight on the urgent need for female-friendly facilities, and to celebrate where progress is being made, Football Australia, in partnership with its State and Territory Member Federations, has established the #EQUALISER campaign.

Several Ambassadors have joined the #EQUALISER team to advocate for change, including Stephanie Brantz and Tara Rushton.

James Johnson, Football Australia CEO explains:

“We are determined to be the centre of women’s football in the Asia-Pacific region and have achieved some significant milestones in the ‘High Performance’ and ‘Participation’ Pillars of our Legacy 23’ Plan since its launch in February 2021,” he said.

“The #EQUALISER campaign has the capacity to change female football across the nation in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TM. Female-friendly facilities are not a privilege, they are a basic and fundamental need in offering women and girls a safe and comfortable environment in which to prepare for and recover from their sporting endeavours.

“With an anticipated 400,000 new women and girl’s targeted to play football over the next 5 years, Football Australia and the wider football community are highlighting a genuine need and looking to all governments to deliver an #EQUALISER for female football.”

The goal of #EQUALISER is for all football facilities to be equal, promoting equivalent services and access. Facilities will need to meet a minimum criterion defined by Football Australia and verified through an annual national facilities audit. Each facility will then be assigned an appropriate level of accreditation.

For the past five years, the participation of women and girls in football has been experiencing double-digit growth every year. Global experience and past trends show that by hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023TM will turbo-charge female participation in Australia. This aligns with Football Australia’s gender parity target of equal playing numbers by 2027, which in reality means the current infrastructure needs to have the capacity and capability to provide for another 400,000 new female players leading into and post the event.

Football Australia and the Member Federations have developed a list of facilities across electorates which are in urgent need of upgrades.

With the Federal Election imminent, Football Australia is calling on all sides of politics to deliver funding commitments to assist #EQUALISER in achieving its goal.

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Chelsea and Tottenham Arrive in Sydney as Premier League Giants Launch Australian Pre-Season Tour

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Image Credit: Chelsea FC

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have touched down in Sydney ahead of their pre-season tour of Australia for the Sydney Super Cup. Both clubs have wasted little time settling into life in Sydney, beginning preparations for a busy week of training sessions, fan events and pre-season fixtures.

The London rivals will each face A-League opposition before meeting meeting in the marquee fixture of the tour at Accor Stadium, bringing two of England’s biggest clubs to Australian shores as they build towards the 2026-27 Premier League season.

For Chelsea, the tour represents the first opportunity for supporters to see new manager Xabi Alonso lead the Blues. Meanwhile, Spurs fans will be eager to see improvements from Roberto De Zerbi’s men following their narrow escape from relegation last season.

Chelsea will open their tour against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday 28 July, while Tottenham will face Sydney FC on Wednesday 29 July, before the clubs meet in the headline fixture of the tour on Saturday 1 August.

The clash will mark the first time the London rivals have faced each other outside the UK. The tour is another sign of Australia’s growing stature as a destination for elite European clubs during the northern hemisphere off-season

With Chelsea and Tottenham among the Premier League’s biggest global brands, the fixtures are expected to attract strong crowds and give Australian football fans a rare opportunity to watch top-flight English footballers in person.

The tour will also feature the Chelsea Women’s team, which will take on the A-League Women’s All Stars in a showcase fixture on Wednesday 12 August.

Football Australia Chairman Reflects on Socceroos World Cup Campaign, Points to Reform Agenda Ahead

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Image Credit: Football Australia

Football Australia Chairman Anter Isaac has released a statement reflecting on the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, which ended in a penalty shootout loss to Egypt in the Round of 32 on 3 July.

Isaac thanked the players, coaching staff, medical and performance teams, and volunteers who supported the campaign, saying they represented the country with professionalism, humility and pride.

He said the tournament had brought Australians together across every state, culture and generation, calling it one of the few sporting moments capable of uniting the country.

Isaac linked the campaign to Football Australia’s broader governance work, pointing to the organisation’s recently announced reform agenda and the Enduring Principles adopted last year: Better Access to Football for All, More Football, Better Football, More People Enjoying Football, and Winning Football.

He said those principles, together with the organisation’s values of Welcome, Ready, Connect, Excel and Protect, formed the basis for every decision Football Australia makes.

“World Cups do not define our leadership,” Isaac said, adding that they instead reveal progress made long before a ball is kicked.

He said Football Australia’s responsibility extended beyond preparing for the next tournament to strengthening the institution that supports every tournament that follows.

Isaac said progress in a sporting ecosystem of Australian football’s scale depends less on any single body’s authority than on the willingness of clubs, federations, leagues and government to align around shared goals.

He said the organisation would study the lessons of the campaign carefully and continue refining its approach.

“Adaptability is not changing direction with every headline,” Isaac said. “It is improving the path while remaining true to the destination.”

Isaac framed his own role in terms of long-term stewardship, saying the game should be left in a stronger position for the generations that follow than it was for those who built it.

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