Football Tasmania CEO calls for improved funding for the world game

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Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley believes it is time football received a fairer share of state government funding.

The governing body launched its state budget submission on Saturday, lobbying the government for appropriate funding for Tasmania’s most played team sport.

“Football Tasmania has made a submission regarding the 2020-21 budget, which outlines the areas we believe are key to ensuring the state’s most played and fastest growing team sport can continue to flourish and enrich the lives of Tasmanians,” Bulkeley said.

“At the same time that some sports are seeing declining participation, Football Tasmania’s biggest challenge is dealing with continual growth in demand to play football, which is only likely to increase now Australia has been selected host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

“With Ausplay statistics estimating over 38,000 people already play the world game in Tasmania, football is more popular than any other sport in the state, yet it continues to receive just a fraction of the funding provided to other sports.

“We are seeking our fair share of funding to expand our focus on increasing access to junior participation in low socio-economic areas, pushing towards complete gender equality in football and increasing our engagement in schools.

“We’re also proposing a partnership with the Department of Education to upgrade a number of school facilities to a standard which can be utilised for football in out-of-school hours.

“We believe these asks are reasonably modest when you take into account football’s position as the most played sport in Tasmania and the resulting community and economic benefit the World Game already brings to the state.”

The 2021 budget process has been pushed back due to COVID-19, with Bulkeley claiming the organisation’s submission had been revised to ensure the state would make full use of the opportunities presented by hosting a Women’s World Cup in 2023.

“The 2023 World Cup opens a host of exciting opportunities to grow the profile and participation of football in Tasmania and inspire the next generation of players pull on the boots,” he said.

“With a strong possibility of up to three tournament games being held in Launceston, as well as potential training camps and pre-tournament matches, Tasmanians will have never-before-seen exposure to the highest level of football in their own state.

“The soaring global popularity of women’s international football will also see Tasmania showcased to the rest of the world and it’s important we put our best foot forward as a state.

“It’s vital Tasmania does not miss out on this unique opportunity to provide an infrastructure legacy which will benefit Tasmanians for years to come by investing in enhancements to identified facilities throughout the state before the cup takes place.”

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Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

Football NSW Targets Female Coaching Gap with Twin Programs

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced two new initiatives targeting the development of female coaches and coach education tutors, backed by federal and state government funding, as the governing body moves to address the longstanding structural absence of women across all levels of coaching in the sport.

The Future Female Coaches Mentoring Program, funded through the NSW Office of Sport’s Empower Her program, will select six female coaches holding a minimum AFC B Diploma for a structured mentoring program beginning mid-year. Participants will be paired with experienced mentors and receive three in-person visits including real-time observation and feedback, alongside regular online development sessions throughout the season.

Separately, Football NSW has opened expressions of interest for its 2026/27 Female Coach Education Tutor (CET) Program, supported by the Australian Federal Government’s Play Our Way investment, targeting C Diploma holders who want to move into coach education delivery.

Together, the programs address two distinct but connected gaps in the women’s football coaching pipeline- the progression from active coach to elite-level practitioner, and the transition from practitioner to the tutors who shape how coaching is taught.

The Pipeline Problem

The structural underrepresentation of women in football coaching isn’t a new observation. It is a documented and persistent feature of the game at every level, from community clubs to national team environments. Female coaches remain a minority in pathway competitions, and female coach education tutors are even more so.

One current tutor in the program described the environment she encountered when she came through the system. “My experience coming through as a coach, there was no females on the courses as participants and there was no females running the courses either,” she said. “That kind of inspires me to be someone that can hopefully make other females feel comfortable and confident to want to become coaches.”

“It is really important to have female role models because it shows that there is an opportunity or pathway for females,” said one program participant. “Traditionally it has been a male-dominated area and to know that yes, you can do it as a passion or a side thing, or you can actually make a career of it if you want.”

Removing barriers at the point of entry

The mentoring program’s design reflects an understanding that formal accreditation alone is insufficient to retain and develop female coaches in high-performance environments. Access to experienced mentors, observation in live coaching contexts and ongoing reflective practice address the informal development gaps that credentials cannot fill.

“Learning happens through coaching in real environments, and we recognise our role in providing both stretch and support to high-potential coaches,” said Edward Ferguson, Football NSW Head of Football Development. “This program offers tailored mentoring that complements formal coach education and enhances effectiveness in practice.”

Hayley Todd, Football NSW Head of Womens and Schools Football, framed the initiative in terms of long-term system building rather than individual development. “Creating sustainable pathways for female coaches is a key priority,” she said. “This program supports their development while also providing valuable insight into what is required to progress from state competitions into national and international environments.”

The barriers the programs are designed to remove are clear. The cost of accreditation, lack of access to mentoring networks, the absence of welcoming environments in coaching courses and the scarcity of female role models at senior levels all compound one another in ways that make progression difficult regardless of ability or commitment.

“You want to try and remove as many barriers as possible,” said one tutor involved in the program. “If you can start to remove those barriers, you actually get to engage with the females more consistently and build their confidence and competence in that space.”

A system investing in itself

The timing of both announcements sits within a broader national moment for women’s football. The AFC Women’s Asian Cup, currently underway in Australia, has delivered record crowds and sustained visibility for the female game at the elite level. The programs announced this week operate at the other end of the pipeline – building the coaching infrastructure that will determine whether the players inspired by that visibility have qualified, experienced and representative coaches to develop them.

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