Football NSW updated Girls’ and Women’s Competitions

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Image credit: PxHere website

Football NSW has worked through their 2024 Player Development Review and used it as a guide to improve its women’s and girls’ competitions and development programs for the coming seasons.

From 23 members and stakeholders’ meetings and 1,490 survey responses they have outlined six major adaptations for the following seasons in the 2025-26 competition and technical changes:

  1. Maintain the current numbers within Girls’ / Women’s Competitions, two tiers of 14 Clubs.
  2. Expand the Girls’ Youth League Two to include Under 18s, aligning the leagues
  3. Women’s Reserve Grade & U20s to become Under 23s (plus 4 overage players per match card team sheet)
  4. Decoupling of Girls’ Youth League & Women’s Senior Competitions
  5. Implementation of Club Standards across Girls’ Youth Leagues (two-year licence period)
  6. Dissolution of the Football NSW Institute program & introduction of the ‘Future Sapphires’ programs.

On top of this, the Football NSW Institute program, open since 2013, will close operations at the end of the 2024 season.

An interesting take from Football NSW given the amount of talent that has been produced by the program including prominent Matildas.

Though Football NSW does point out that with the rise in player numbers in grassroots football and female engagement across NSW and the massive investment from clubs through all levels in girls’ development.

The institute now could be observed as obsolete due to the size of the women’s game in NSW.

The closure of the Institute will free the association to concentrate on ensuring Club accountability, competition regulation and capability building across all participant groups (e.g. coaches, referees, technical directors).

The development and playing opportunities for girls and women are now placed predominantly in the player pathway programs of 4 A league clubs (Central Coast Mariners, Macarthur FC, Newcastle Jets FC and West Sydney Wanderers FC).

The idea is that the implementation of Club Standards and Benchmarking Framework, alongside Football NSW mechanisms of support, will streamline the delivery of extensive girls’ and women’s high-performance programs in NSW.

The Football NSW-led talented player pathway, underpinned by Club programs, the Talent Support Program (TSP) and the Talent Development Scheme (TDS) matches in conjunction with Football Australia.

These clubs are set to participate in the 2025/2026 Football NSW Girls’ Youth Leagues and Senior Women’s Competitions (NPL Women’s and League One Women’s).

Football NSW’s joint activities with these clubs will give players more opportunities at higher levels for girls and women’s players than Football NSW has done before.

With this Football NSW has also announced the ‘Future Sapphires’ program in 2025. A 40-week program for players across the Under 15, Under 16 & Under 18 age grades.

Some major goals of this new program include:

  • 75% retention rate
  • 45% of national representatives from NSW
  • 25% increase in Female coaches and managers

This development shows a massive change in the NSW Football system for girls’ development and women’s competitive football.

This bold strategy is more than possible to achieve growth in NSW’s women’s football if the strategies are met and the support continues.

Exciting times lie ahead for female football in NSW.

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Pignata’s OAM Signals a New Era for Football Administration

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

In the Australian sporting landscape, administrative longevity is a rare commodity. The burnout rate for executives in the A-Leagues and state federations is notoriously high. It’s driven by the unique friction between commercial imperatives and grassroots politics. Consequently, the awarding of a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) to Football Tasmania CEO Tony Pignata is symbolic of more than individual recognition.

Pignata joins PFA founder Brendan Schwab, former Soccer Australia CEO Ian Holmes, and Alen Stajcic on this year’s Australia Day honour roll. However, Pignata offers a distinct blueprint for the modern sports executive. His trajectory moves from the banking sector to the Football Victoria boardroom, through high-pressure A-League franchises, and finally to the developing frontier of Tasmania.

A “Turnaround” Specialist

To understand Pignata’s executive philosophy, observers must look past the A-League. The mechanics of the Victorian Soccer Federation (VSF) in the mid-2000s tell the real story. Following the sudden departure of Damien Bown in 2004, Pignata inherited an organisation in crisis. Then-Chairman Manny Galanos described the body as being “on our hands and knees financially.”

Pignata leveraged a 17-year background in legacy financial institutions including NAB, AXA Australia, and HSBC. He applied corporate discipline to a chaotic sporting balance sheet. His tenure at the VSF (now Football Victoria) restored solvency and aggressively pursued commercial assets.

Pignata’s transition to the A-League demonstrated that these fundamental business principles could scale. His tenure across three clubs showed adaptability to different market conditions. Yet, his legacy remains inextricably linked to a singular, market-shifting transaction: the signing of Alessandro Del Piero.

In 2012, the A-League faced a relevance crisis. At its helm, Pignata executed a high-risk strategy that fundamentally altered the competition’s valuation. The Del Piero acquisition proved the league’s capacity to attract global brand equity. Pignata demonstrated that commercial viability requires bold capital investment backed by operational stability.

Bridging the “Old Soccer” Divide

Crucially, the OAM citation acknowledges a contribution that bridges the often-toxic divide between the “old soccer” NPL system and the “new football” professional era. Pignata is not a corporate outsider. His journey began as a junior at Salesian College and a player for Westall Inter and Box Hill Inter. He featured in the Reserves as the club ascended to the Premier League.

This “proximal” relationship with the grassroots gave him a unique license to operate. Long before the ubiquity of social media, Pignata engaged directly with stakeholders on public fan forums. He understood the importance of monitoring the digital pulse of its supporters when most administrators relied on press releases.

His unique ability to speak the language of both volunteer committee and corporate board drove organisational reforms in Victoria. He oversaw the rebranding to Football Federation Victoria and streamlined the V-League Academy by recruiting Eric Hollingsworth. His move to admit the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) into the Premier League ensured elite youth talent had a vehicle for competitive match minutes. He prioritised technical development over short-term club politics.

The Tasmanian Mandate

Now 61, Pignata shows no signs of slowing down. His move to Football Tasmania in September 2023 signals a shift in the state’s ambition. Tasmania currently sits at a critical juncture, aggressively lobbying for A-League expansion and the requisite stadium infrastructure.

By appointing Pignata, Football Tasmania signalled to government partners that they are operationally ready for professionalisation. His presence de-risks the expansion proposition. He knows what a viable A-League licence looks like because he’s ran three of them.

His current focus on “high-performance pathways” addresses the state’s most pressing structural deficit: the talent drain to the mainland. Pignata’s mandate is to build an ecosystem where a Tasmanian junior sees a clear line of sight to professional football without leaving the state.

Ultimately, the OAM recognises a career defined by resilience and ROI. Pignata navigated the transition from the semi-pro era to the corporate demands of the A-League. He consistently delivered commercial growth and organisational stability.

“Football is more than a sport… it is a community, a pathway and a powerful connector,” Pignata said upon receiving the honour.

For the industry, Tony Pignata’s OAM is a benchmark. It rewards the “business of winning” off the pitch just as highly as the results on it. As he steers Football Tasmania toward a potential A-League future, the industry watches with interest. The “Pignata Effect” may yet deliver one final, historic expansion victory.

Updated Announcement: NPL Partnerships revealed last week

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Read here for a list of the newly-announced partnerships across NPL clubs last week.

 

NPL VIC:

George Cross FC: 

Talent Blue – Providing tailored staffing and recruitment solutions across manufacturing, construction, mining and resources, infrastructure, maintenance and shutdowns. 

 

NPL Queensland:

Gold Coast United:

P3 Recovery – A leading recovery and wellbeing specialist in Australia, P3 Recovery helps its clients stay healthy through treatments such as traditional and infrared saunas, red light therapy and cold plunges. 

Brisbane City:

Suna – Suna Shoes is a family-owned business based in Queensland with over 42 years of experience. They are dedicated to delivering style and innovation through a variety of products.

NPL South Australia:

Campbelltown City:

Macron Adelaide – Adelaide’s exclusive Macron distributor. Macron is a European company operating in technical products, sportswear and accessories for athletes and societies. 

Olympic Industries – Established in 1969, Olympic Industries is a family-run business based in Adelaide. They offer services designing and constructing a variety of buildings, from small sheds to large industrial buildings.

Amadio Wines – Award winning winemakers with a 90-year history. They are located in the northern vineyards of Adelaide, and boast a 320-acre vineyard which helps produce an array of excellent wines. 

Bianco Hire – With over 44 years of experience, Bianco Hire provides an extensive range of portable buildings, toilets, storage containers and temporary fencing options across SA. 

LJ Hooker – One of the largest residential and commercial real estate and sales management services in Australia and New Zealand. Trusted part of the community since 1928.

Solmech – Solmech is a leader in consulting and Utility Infrastructure. They provide services across renewable energy, construction, electrical, water and gas. 

Northpoint Toyota – For several years, Northpoint Toyota has helped the community by providing new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales, finance and servicing help, and genuine parts. 

Rezz Hotel – Established in 1858, Rezz Hotel is a long-trusted part of the community providing excellent stays for customers. It can accommodate entertainment purposes through its gaming lounge, as well as business pods and functions.

 

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