Football NSW updated Girls’ and Women’s Competitions

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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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Central Coast Mariners Women secure future under Holman Barnes Group

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Image Credits: Central Coast Mariners

The future of the Central Coast Mariners Women has been secured after the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) reached an agreement to become the new operator of the club’s A-League Women program. The deal ends uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation in the 2026/27 season.

The agreement between HBG, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG) ensures the Mariners will remain in the Ninja A-League Women competition. It also introduces a new operating model designed to provide long-term stability.

The uncertainty emerged following TSG’s acquisition of the Central Coast Mariners’ men’s side and academy in June. The women’s program was excluded from the original takeover. TSG already owns English football side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and MLS club Los Angeles FC. The omission placed the future of the 2025 A-League Women champions in doubt. It also prompted the APL to seek a sustainable solution ahead of the new campaign.

A new operating model

Under the new arrangement, HBG will oversee all operational aspects of the women’s team. This includes the football program, staffing and day-to-day management. TSG will retain the club licence and continue overseeing the men’s program and academy. It will also support the women’s operation through its broader football network.

The agreement represents an innovative partnership between the three organisations. It has been designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of professional women’s football on the Central Coast. HBG’s plans extend beyond the senior team. They include a strong focus on developing participation pathways and creating greater opportunities for female footballers throughout New South Wales.

Attention turns to the new season

The transition comes at a crucial time with preparations for the 2026/27 Ninja A-League Women season underway ahead of its October 16 start. The new operators are expected to begin managing the program immediately. This remains subject to the completion of the remaining regulatory processes. The team currently has no sponsors and games are expected to be moved away from Central Coast Stadium.

The A-League had previously set a July 31 deadline for new owners to be found to secure a place in the upcoming competition. With that now achieved, HBG will be on the clock to ensure the season begins without disruption and becomes a commercial success.

For the Central Coast Mariners Women, the agreement delivers certainty after a turbulent off-season. It also allows the club to shift its attention to the 2026/27 campaign and the team’s on-field performance.

South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

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South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

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