No overnight success: The slow transformation of women’s football in Australia

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While the jury is still out on Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson following the performances in the two-game friendly series against reigning World Cup champions, the United States, there’s one thing for certain – women’s football has never been more popular.

A total of 56,604 people turned out to the two games against the US in Sydney and Newcastle, including a record-breaking 36,109 at Stadium Australia on November 27.

A further 457,000 people tuned into the game on Channel 10’s free-to-air coverage, highlighting the incredible rise in accessibility for Australia’s flagship national football teams to the mainstream audience.

With a Women’s World Cup on the ever-approaching horizon, the outlook for women’s football has rarely looked better.

However, the so-called overnight success of women’s football has been 50 years in the making.

And for some of the pioneers who helped champion the game’s cause in the face of countless doubters, the delight of seeing the women’s game reach the incredible heights of recent years leaves many thinking, where would we be if women’s football had been backed since day dot?

It’s a question that long-time football administrator Maggie Koumi has, who currently sits on Football Victoria’s Historical Committee and Women’s Committee. She was also recently featured in the Fair Play Publishing title, Dedicated Lives – Stories of Pioneers of Women’s Football in Australia by Greg Downes.

“If people had believed in us at the start, it could have been 50,000 people per game this time,” Koumi told Soccerscene, reflecting on her earlier days in the sport.

“But it is what it is. We can’t worry too much about the past now, although I do feel for the friends of mine, the former Matildas, who had to go through a hard slog and used to have to ry and pay their way to play.

“The good thing is that we’ve come a long way since then, and the difference between what my friends had and what the Matildas get now is amazing.”

In a mark of just how quickly the women’s game has propelled forward, it was not even 25 years ago that women’s football in Victoria was administered completely, and separately from the rest of the game.

Koumi, who played a key role in the amalgamation of the Victorian Women’s Soccer Association and the Victorian Soccer Federation in the late 1990s, explained that when change did eventually come for the women’s game, it came quickly.

However, it was a long, hard slog before those changes took place.

“For a long time, I think we were just a pain in the ass to most people in the game,” she said.

“We were just sort of tacked on without any real support. There was no money for the women’s game and no one seemed to care about it. There was just an assumption that no one was interested in it and that attitude pretty much floated around football in Victoria.

“For the most part, they just made women’s football mirror the men’s game and was really hard to get people to understand that that approach didn’t work. Trying to get people to understand that you can’t just mirror whatever the men do, because the women don’t have the resources that the men do was always very challenging.”

Koumi believes changes at the top of the game – in particular at Football Australia and Football Victoria – as well as the findings of the Crawford Report, were massive institutional changes that helped set the scene for the gigantic strides forward taken in such a short space of time.

“Football Australia started to take note of the women’s game and they had people come and talk to the different federations to try and start the conversation around changing things in football,” Koumi said.

“The changes to the Football Victoria constitution [in 2006, when FV was known as the Victorian Soccer Federation], was another big catalyst.

“It changed the voting system allowing clubs to vote for zone reps and the zone reps would vote for the board and from there the face of Football Victoria changed a lot.”

The groundswell of young girls looking to play the game opened the eyes of many grassroots clubs to better.

“Brighton Junior soccer club was one of the really, really big clubs that managed to get lots and lots of people playing good a great promotion on women’s football and it all started to change,” Koumi added.

“The numbers crept up and the club’s suddenly realised that they can have a whole stack of girls playing and increase their membership and revenue, which helped.

“It didn’t necessarily change the attitude towards women’s football, but at least we started to get some serious numbers of girls playing football.”

Further efforts to provide access to education at clubs about how to run a successful women’s program – as well as greater funding for high-performances teams in women’s football – further propelled the trajectory of women’s football in Australia as a new generation of brilliant women’s footballers emerged and helped the Matildas to become a genuine force in the game.

Of course, there is still work to be done.

Koumi argues greater media recognition of women’s football, a more professional A-League Women competition and a further improvement of attitude and embracement of women’s football at grassroots clubs are crucial to the ongoing success and improvement of the game in Australia.

“A lot of clubs still do things like putting their women’s team on the back paddock while junior boys are playing on the main pitch, so there’s still work to do,” she said.

“That attitude is changing, but in some places, it still exists.

“The World Cup coming to Australia is great and I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to promote women’s football and improve the facilities we have.

“We produce good players but they have to go overseas to prove themselves or to play with the best and improve and I’d like to see that be able to happen here one day.”

You can read more about Koumi’s journey and experiences in Australian football – and those of 17 other people who pioneered the women’s game in this country – in the new book titled Dedicated Lives – Stories of Pioneers of Women’s Football in Australia.

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Yarraville Glory FC: Building Community Through Football

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Image Credit: Yarraville Glory FC website

For Yarraville Glory FC, football isn’t just about competition—it’s about connection. Whether through the partnerships with Mells Football Academy & Summer Holiday Football, or fundraising efforts like Think Pink, the club is creating more than just players; it’s building a stronger, more inclusive community.

Speaking with Soccerscene, President of Yarraville Glory FC Jim Babatzanis discusses how the club is making football accessible for all and turning the game into a powerful tool for junior growth and family bonding.

Can you tell us about the club’s mission when it comes to community involvement? How has that shaped Yarraville Glory’s identity?

Jim Babatzanis: Our goal is to get everyone together—parents, kids, seniors—all involved together. We want to bring it back to when we played as kids, when you would stay at the ground all day, and parents would connect with parents from other teams. It’s about making the club feel like a family, not just a community. We’re starting to bring that back slowly, and we can already see the positive impact.

How do you ensure that football at Yarraville Glory FC is accessible and inclusive for people of all backgrounds and abilities?

Jim Babatzanis: We’ve done indigenous training; we’ve done all different types of training. Last year, we had African community leaders come in and have a chat with us as well. We want to include everyone because, at the end of the day, we’re all the same—our differences don’t matter. 

Yarraville Glory FC has recently formed an official partnership with Mells Football Academy. What does this collaboration mean for the club, and how does it fit into the club’s long-term vision?

Jim Babatzanis: For us, this partnership provides more training for our juniors in a smaller, more intimate environment. Coaches will be handling 15 kids and aren’t able to coach individually; they have to coach for a team environment. For us, the vision is for us to guide our juniors all the way to the senior team. George Mells, who has played in the A-League and overseas, has helped us in these academies, bringing invaluable experience to help develop young players. As well as this, James Golding, our technical director, his work that he does with us is unbelievable. I’m most excited about seeing the kids improve their skills and play at the highest possible level they can achieve.

Could you please tell us a bit about the Summer Holiday Football Camp? What should players and parents expect from this camp, and could you walk us through how the camp was structured and what makes it a unique opportunity for young footballers?

Jim Babatzanis: Firstly, it gives them time to be away from technology and be out and about, and George creates a fun environment for the kids. They spend the day there playing, training, learning new skills, and meeting new people as well. It’s not just kids from our club that go to it; kids from multiple clubs come for the camp. Every school holiday, every term, they have these camps available.

How does the Summer Holiday Football Camp align with the broader goals of Yarraville Glory FC in terms of developing young players, fostering team spirit, and instilling a love for football in the community?

Jim Babatzanis: Keeping the kids playing the game, the game that they enjoy. For me, the more the kids play the game, the more they fall in love with it. I know from my kids, even though they play in the girls, when they’re not there, they won’t be as inclined to play it. Kids these days have different varieties to pick from. Keeping them in love with it, that’s all it is.

Could you walk me through the origins of the GO Family Program and how the partnership was formed? What were the initial goals of this collaboration, and how did it all come together?

Jim Babatzanis: The GO Family Program was formed through the council and Football Victoria. They approached us and other clubs like Maribyrnong Swift and Footscray United Rangers on if we would like to participate, and we agreed. Our first term had solid numbers, but the second term was a bit harder since many kids were already training with their clubs. Still, it’s a great initiative; families that have enjoyed it and had the chance to have a kick with their kids, usually the parents don’t get that opportunity.

The Think Pink campaign has been a significant initiative for the club. Could you share more about how it started and how the club involves its members and supporters in the fundraising efforts?

Jim Babatzanis: Pink Ribbon Day started a long time ago, way past my time being in the committee and president. It began after one of our supporters wives battled breast cancer. We wanted to give back to a good cause. Everyone gets involved—volunteering, donating, and participating in activities like jumping castles, cake stalls, and popcorn machines. One of the most memorable initiatives was when our technical director, James, shaved his long hair to raise funds. The kids loved it, even spray-painting his hair pink before cutting it off. 

Could you share a memorable moment from a fundraising event that really showed the community spirit of Yarraville Glory FC?

Jim Babatzanis: That hair-shaving event was probably one of the most memorable events on the pink ribbon day. Seeing all the kids having a laugh, the parents watching on, and the whole community being involved—it was a special moment. 

Thinking back on your time as president, what has been the most fulfilling or rewarding experience for you when it comes to the club’s work within the community? 

Jim Babatzanis: Growing our junior bases. When our committee took over, we had 180 registered players at the club. Now, we have 420 players and counting. Our female program as well; we went from two female teams to nine since my presidency. For us, that’s been huge, and for me personally, that has been really rewarding.

With the club’s focus on both sporting excellence and community engagement, how do you manage to strike a balance between those two aspects? 

Jim Babatzanis: It’s hard because there is a fine line you’re tinkering on. Kids want to play for fun, but they also want to win. We work to nurture both aspects by improving our coaching staff and training methods. Our technical director, James, plays a big role in this, assisting our coaches in developing the kids. Knowing that each team is different and being around it is important. Feeling the vibe of the team and parents can be challenging, as the president when it comes to winning and losing. You don’t want to lose that community feel of the club.

Andrew Holman on Majestri’s mission to revolutionise grassroots football

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Image credit: Majestri

In the world of grassroots football, managing a club can be just as challenging as playing the game itself. From registrations and finances to scheduling and communication, the administrative workload can overwhelm even the most dedicated volunteers. That’s where Majestri comes in.

Founded by former TechnologyOne employees Mike Clahsen, Andrew Holman and John Kent, Majestri was born from a desire to simplify club operations by bringing enterprise-level software to the community sports space. What started as a solution for a single Brisbane football club has since expanded to 250 clubs nationwide across multiple sporting codes, helping streamline administration and improve efficiency.

In an exclusive interview with SoccerScene, Majestri’s Andrew Holman shares insights into the company’s journey, its deep-rooted connection to football, and its commitment to working closely with clubs to provide tailored solutions.

He also discusses the challenges of expansion, the growth of grassroots football, and the future of Majestri in Australia and beyond.

Theo Athans

Speaking on your specific journey, can you talk about the previous jobs or roles you had before the creation of Majestri?

Andrew Holman

In a previous life, the three of us that started Majestri worked for Australia’s largest software company, TechnologyOne. That is where we each learnt what it takes to build and support enterprise-level software.

We saw an opportunity at the end of 2010 to go out on our own and try to bring some of those sensibilities from building software for the big end of town into the community sports world and that’s ultimate how Majestri started.

T.A.

Can you discuss why the company chose to focus on the local football industry? Is it because you have a passion for the game?

A.H.

The real requirement came from Majestri co-founder, Mike Clahsen, who was the president at his local club was up here in Brisbane. That was where a lot of the early requirements for a club administration system stemmed from.

Personally I’ve played football for over 40 years now, from the age of 7. It’s a fantastic game, it’s the best game in the world, and we can see in every community just how important it is through the junior representation. Football is truly the world game and you can see that even in Australia where it isn’t the national code.

I’m getting a bit old to keep playing regularly now even though I do have a run for 10 weeks in a social competition at the end of every year. I’m 5 years into my coaching journey now with my son’s team, which I’m finding is very fulfilling. There’s immense reward to working with talented kids at that younger, discovery age around 8-12 years.

I guess that’s where the passion has come from, after playing for many years and now into coaching as a parent of a young player.

T.A.

The participation rates are growing every year and the numbers are huge for grassroots soccer so do you see a big potential for growth in this industry?

A.H.

I can tell you unequivocally because we see the numbers. Many clubs have been with us for over a decade now, and their player numbers have at least doubled in the last 10 years. This is even before you factor in the recent meteoric rise of female football on the back of the Matildas World Cup campaign. The demand is accelerating and clubs are at their respective limits in terms of trying to cater to that local demand.

T.A.

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting Majestri and moving on from your previous job?

A.H.

TechnologyOne was a great place to work, and taught us so much of what we know about building product software, but there was always a latent desire to do our own thing.

Mike had retired from TechnologyOne by 2010 but was actively involved in football, and club administration in particular. When he described ‘Sign-On Day’ activities as having his room full of player registration sheets and sports bags full of cash that couldn’t be banked until the following Monday, we identified that there was potential for a software solution.

With a specialised skill set around financial software in particular, we decided to start with the Treasurer, and have been iterating on the software ever since to cater for other committee positions.

T.A.

How big is your current club portfolio?

A.H.

I would say we are at around 250 clubs around the country and not all of them are football but most of them are.

Although we started with football, we’ve since learned that there is a common set of problems for volunteers no matter what code of sport you play. Certainly, football is what we’re most familiar with, but it’s amazing what you learn about how the nuances of other codes work along the way.

T.A.

Speaking of ambition, do you see Majestri becoming mainstream with leagues and/or associations over the next few years?

A.H.

No, I don’t think our offering will ever been mainstream. The most surprising aspect of this whole journey is the near-uniform resistance of sporting associations at all levels to a club administration system like Majestri.

Despite repeated attempts to rectify this, we’ve accepted that our future lies in our past. This system got to where it is because of working directly with the magnificent volunteers on the ground that give up big parts of their lives to ensure kids get on the pitch, and that is where our success will continue to lay.

There is no shortcut to earning the trust of clubs and the volunteers, so at the moment we’ll continue to introduce them to Majestri one at a time and give them the personalised experience that demonstrates we know what they do.

Every club is unique and part of the overall ‘technology problem’ is this expectation that one solution to capture player registrations will be an immediate fit for all clubs. It’s nowhere near as simplistic as that. Club operations run a wide spectrum of complexity, which is calculated by factors such as how many players are at the club and the different licenses that may be held to field teams at a range of competitive levels. Combine this with a year-round expectation of additional programs such as holiday coaching clinics and skill development programs, and some clubs are serious operations. Others are more traditional where the Winter season is played and then there’s a marked off-season. We endeavour to cater for either end of that spectrum and all clubs in between.

T.A.

Thinking very long term here, do you see the company going international at any point or is the goal to stay in Australia and grow here?

A.H.

There’s always the possibility of overseas opportunities, but I think there are still plenty of problems left to solve in Australia. There are plenty of clubs that we haven’t spoken to yet, and there’s a chance our offering could really help.

Taking a product overseas necessarily introduces complexity to accompany the growth, and I think our prerogative is to build more features. Club operations aren’t static – the compliance and governance continues to grow with the expectation that volunteers will give up more time as a result. It’s just not sustainable without an industrial-strength system underpinning it all, and that’s where we want to focus.

T.A.

You started with the three co-founders but has the company grown in size with employees or any help to operate the 250 club portfolio?

A.H.

We have two active developers involved which is John and myself, two of the three co-founders. Mike has taken a step back from administration to devote significant time to a charity called BrAshA-T, which seeks to cure a particularly awful disease. We also have a gun administrator named Nicole who takes a lot of work off our hands four days a week.

We consider ourselves experts in business automation, and part of proving that is that we can streamline and automate our own business as well. We learnt how to do this by building product software for many years, which is a very difficult skill in our industry. The software we built for TechnologyOne was used by over 1,000 enterprise customers, so a lot of the learnings from our respective careers there have been refined and implemented in Majestri.

 

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