Matildas mark significant milestone

Liam Watson

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has honoured the first ever women’s international match by congratulating that team alongside the current Westfield Matildas.

It’s been 40 years since the Matildas took part in their first full international, which was on October 6th 1979 at Seymour Shaw Park in Sydney, playing in a 2-2 draw with New Zealand.

It paved the way for future women players to get involved, with the Matildas still going strong.

Both the past and present have come together at the same venue they started in a special occasion for women’s football.

It’s a time to thank the inaugural members of the Matildas for their contributions that helped encourage other women to get involved and sustain the Matildas side till now.

“These athletes started a movement, not just a team, which has now become one of the most powerful, popular and recognisable in Australia, said FFA chairman Chris Nikou.

“Many of these women worked full time, while playing for the national team and for many years, this continued to be the case.

“There have been 204 Matildas represent our country in ‘A’ internationals over the past 40 years and today we celebrate each of them and thank them for their contribution to our sport.

“Later this month Cheryl Salisbury will become the first female footballer to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, which rightly recognises the sacrifices and efforts of our female footballers over this time.

“Today many of our Westfield Matildas are full time professional footballers, many playing around the world and when they represent their national team today on home soil, it is in front of big crowds.

“We recognise there is still work to do to ensure our female athletes have more opportunities on and off the park from the grassroots up to our national teams, but today we look back and celebrate the immense strides made.”

From humble beginnings, the Matildas have grown into one of the best women’s football sides in the world.

It goes to show the massive inroads that have been made in the last 40 years and which will continue to be made.

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Bentleigh Greens sign Astoria GWM as Major Partner in two-year deal

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Image Credit: One Nil Media

Bentleigh Greens has signed  Astoria GWM as a new Major Partner, with the local business committing to back the club for the next two seasons.
The agreement gives the Cheltenham-based Greens long-term commercial support for their senior men’s, women’s and junior programs at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, and adds another local name to the club’s growing list of business partners.

Bentleigh Greens President Abraam Gregoriou said the deal showed business recognising the value of football in the community.”Seeing local businesses like Astoria GWM put their hand up to back the Greens is exactly what football in this country needs,” Gregoriou said.

“Clubs like ours look after hundreds of players, from our youngest juniors right through to our senior men’s and women’s sides, and that growth simply doesn’t happen without partners who are willing to invest in it.

A two-year commitment gives us the stability to plan properly, and it shows that business sees real value in the game and the community around it.”

The multi-year term is significant for a club at NPL level, where commercial income underpins everything from senior squads to junior and women’s pathways, and where certainty beyond a single season allows for longer-term planning.

Astoria GWM is a well-established business in Melbourne’s south-east, and the club has described it as a great fit for the Greens and their local community.

“Astoria GWM are part of the same neighbourhoods our members and families live in,” Gregoriou added. “That’s what makes this partnership so meaningful for us, and we’re looking forward to building something strong together over the next two seasons.”

The partnership continues the Greens’ approach of aligning with businesses that share the club’s commitment to community and long-term development.

About Astoria GWM
Astoria GWM is a well-established local GWM dealership based in Murrumbeena, serving drivers and families across Melbourne’s south-east.

Showroom: 961 North Rd, Murrumbeena VIC 3163
Sales: (03) 9599 2155

Soceroos and Matildas sue Football Australia over financial dispute

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Image Credit: Football Australias

Players of the Socceroos and Matildas have launched legal action against Football Australia over a multi-million dollar dispute relating to their revenue-sharing agreement in the NSW Supreme Court.

According to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the players’ union, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), are enacting on behalf of the players and are understood to be pursuing a seven figure claim.

The PFA is expected to argue the revenue-sharing agreement between the governing body and national team players is not being fulfilled properly.

The PFA is yet to comment.

But the FA has acknowledged the legal dispute, claiming it is in relation to, “a third party in connection with a separate matter currently being conducted before the National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC)”.

‘The Supreme Court’s role is limited to the subpoena process, and its involvement ends once that process is complete,’ an FA spokesperson said.

‘As the NDRC matter is ongoing and subject to confidentiality obligations, Football Australia will not comment further,’ they stated.

In 2023, a collective bargaining agreement was signed between the players’ union and FA. It gave the Socceroos and Matildas stars a portion of the national teams revenue which contributes up to half of FA’s overall earnings.

Additionally, the agreement included incentives for players and FA to work together, allowing both sides the chance to reap even larger rewards.

Registration fees or sponsors for programs that fund grassroots football are strictly prohibited in relation to the players’ cut of revenue. 

However, as long as it relates to the national team the players receive an 18-20 per cent portion of all relevant finances. This could include ticketing, kit sales, broadcast or sponsorship contracts. Through the CBA this money makes its way back to the players.

Matildas icon Lisa De Vanna, who played 150 times for the national team from 2004-19 has already made her opinion heard on there lawsuit via X.

“1 of the best-paid teams in the world, w best elite environments: 40 personal staff,business flights,5 star hotels, private chefs N baristas n still not happy,” she said.

“Instead of knocking game when it’s at its lowest, maybe play for pride n not greed.”

The disagreement comes just before the Socceroos head to the Middle East during the November international break.

With the squad set to be announced later this week, the ill-feeling between players and the governing body will hopefully remain separate from the performances on the pitch.

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