Future of Australian football discussed in Women’s Football Coaching Summit panel

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Women's Football Coaching Summit 2023
Image credit: Global Institute of Sport

The first ever Women’s Football Coaching Summit was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 25, featuring a variety of speakers who covered a range of topics regarding the Matildas and the growth of the game in Australia.

Made possible by the Global Institute of Sport in conjuction with Football Coaches Australia, the full-day event covered some of the pressing issues in the game.

As the women’s game has only become professional in recent times, many key points revolved around if the country is doing enough to promote women’s football and how we can build on the momentum hosting a world cup has provided.

Socceroos legend Gary Cole hosted a ‘Let’s Talk Football’ discussion with a panel consisting of Canada assistant coach Tom Sermanni and former Matildas Heather Garriock and Catherine Cannuli.

It was highlighted that only 12 out of 32 head coaches at the World Cup were women, and while it is a women’s World Cup nations still appoint the person they believe is most suitable for the job, with the fact women’s football has not been professional for a long period of time.

Sermanni added: “As the game becomes more professional we will see more female coaches transition from playing to coaching”. Garriock would also explain “there is no career in Australia for coaching (women)” – suggesting the game is still tender and much development still needs to be made.

The resources available in developing the next generation of Matildas is in question, with Australia needing a strategy in place after the conclusion of the World Cup to develop the next generation of players.

Sermanni stated: “We are not doing enough to develop the next generation because there are no longer rescuers and no one in full time development”.

On the back of A-league clubs being handed the responsibility of developing Australia’s talent, Cannuli also shared that “now you have to pay $2500, back when I was playing it was free. We haven’t qualified for a youth world cup in years”. The pathways for women to make it to the top level are limited and should be a key focus the country has in ensuring the future is successful.

To retain and increase the talent in women’s football, Australia must prepare for the rise of participation levels and make the most of the potential on offer. Garriock believes “we are not ready for the influx of participation after the World Cup”. The Matildas success has seen the entire nation support them and sell out stadiums throughout the tournament – the momentum the team is building is something that Australia must capitalise on as the increase in girls playing the game will climb, particularly at the grass roots level.

As the Matildas success continues, they face England in the semi final of the World Cup on Wednesday, August 16 where the nation will watch on to see if they can make history.

Due to the overwhelming support the country has shown the team, multiple watching venues including AAMI Park will be opened for spectators. Channel Seven will show the game live on free-to-air and on its streaming service 7Plus, while Optus Sport will also show the game live, given its broadcast rights for the whole tournament.

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

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Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

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