Will the Matildas change the perception of Australian football forever?

Staff Writer
Matildas vs France Women's World Cup
Image via CommBank Matildas

The Matildas’ date with destiny is fast approaching.

They play England on Wednesday, in a semi-final match up of a FIFA World Cup on our home shores.

It is Australian football’s biggest ever match, with a Matildas team that is widely adored.

If they are to go on and win the tournament, it will be one of Australian sports biggest achievements – but there is still a way to go yet.

There’s no doubt about it, the Matildas are a box office hit.

A sign brought to their Round of 16 match against Denmark by a young Australian girl in the crowd just about sums up their popularity. The sign in the stands read “I gave up Taylor Swift tickets for the Matildas”. The team have transcended sport and all metrics are through the roof.

The quarter-final clash against France drew an average of 4.17 million viewers on the Seven Network, making it one of the biggest TV events in the past two decades in Australia. This figure doesn’t include the Optus Sport viewing numbers, which will also add on quite a substantial amount.

The upcoming match against England is set to be one of the biggest TV viewing events in Australian history. It should surpass all previous events – except Cathy Freeman’s victory race in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Alongside this, Matildas’ shirts have easily outsold Socceroo’s shirts and attendances at Women’s World Cup matches continue to break record after record.

It’s a real feel-good moment for Australian football, but what also must be accounted for is what comes next.

Once the Women’s World Cup tournament finishes on the August 20 – whether the Matildas are in the final or not – perceptions must be changed at a grassroots level around the country for the sport.

All those young girls and boys watching the Matildas games in the stadium or on TV need as many opportunities as possible to play the sport they are currently invested in through the World Cup.

Whilst funding grants such as the newly built Home of the Matildas in Victoria is important for the professional side of the game, a recent announcement by Football Queensland focused on the necessity to give youngsters more opportunities to further engage in the world game.

Football Queensland announced they were awarded the lease at a new $35 million community sports complex at Nudgee.

A deal was struck between the governing body and the Brisbane City Council – with the aim of the facility to be a northern hub for community football programs.

Speaking to media, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner stated football is experiencing an incredible take-up, particularly among women and girls, and the new headquarters will help meet demand for additional playing fields.

“Brisbane is the fastest growing capital city in Australia and it’s important that we continue to deliver the facilities our residents need to stay active and play their favourite sports,” he said.

“The incredible efforts of our Matildas and the huge crowds during the Women’s World Cup show this facility is being delivered right in time to meet the booming participation in football by women and girls.

“After attending the World Cup and watching my son play each weekend, I’m proud our Council team is playing a role in helping Football Queensland grow the game in Brisbane with this great new sport and recreation facility on the north side.”

Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci explained the Nudgee facility would build vital capacity for the game as Brisbane’s and the state’s largest participation sport continues its rapid growth.

“Today’s announcement will help meet the existing pressures and demands of the 40,000 strong club-based participants in Brisbane LGA and further support the delivery of community, development, and female football programs to the more than 35,000 social players in Brisbane as part of a Metro North Football hub,” he said.

“Enabling infrastructure projects like this are key to delivering opportunities for the thousands of boys and girls who are being turned away by local clubs every season due to a lack of infrastructure to service the current demands of our ever growing game.

“I’d like to commend Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and recognise the great work of the Brisbane City Council for acknowledging this and delivering such a critical boost to the community. Football Queensland will create more places for the local community to play football and deliver more programs to improve the football experience for participants of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

“The success of the biggest ever FIFA Women’s World Cup currently happening in our own backyard is a reflection that Brisbane is a football city, with a huge appetite for the beautiful game.

“With the CommBank Matildas inspiring a new generation of young male and female footballers, infrastructure like this facility will ensure we can serve the next generation by meeting the infrastructure needs of today.”

Infrastructure projects and agreements with councils such as this need to become commonplace after the end of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The game needs further investment and it has shown throughout this event it deserves it.

Participation numbers will continue to grow, especially amongst young girls – so more facilities will need to be utilised.

The Matildas have shown what Australian football can be at its best. For the next generation, it is vital for the game to influence and change decision maker perceptions at a local level.

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NSW synthetic fields guideline: securing the future of sport

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Image credit: PxHere

As demand for sporting fields continues to increase, NSW’s new guidelines for synthetic fields are a welcome manual to the decision-making behind the management and implementation of these fields. Though the question of how it tackles this critical issue persists.

Just this month, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure released its Synthetic Turf Sports Fields in Public Open Space: Guideline for Decision-Makers.

A comprehensive study that outlines the application of creating more community-based synthetic fields in NSW, backed up by former NSW reports.

The Guideline is broken up into two chapters:

  • Section 2: Decision making for sports field surfaces – provides key information, considerations, and resources to help inform the decision-making process for selecting a sports field surface. This includes the pressures on public open space, the types of surfaces available to meet community needs, and the social, environmental, health, and economic considerations.
  • Section 3: Guide for synthetic turf sports fields – provides advice for projects considering and developing synthetic turf sports fields. It guides the reader on how to achieve best practice when planning, designing, delivering, and managing synthetic turf assets.

As stated in this guideline, it was produced due to the necessary need for synthetic fields to be created to keep up with a number of sporting demands.

Majorly, a growing increase in population of the state, with the population of NSW forecast to grow by 85,000 people each year, reaching 9.8 million by 2041 as outlined in the guideline.

There is also the need for reliable and safe sporting facilities for the community, making the demand and capacity of these fields necessary.

Just last year Football NSW and its associations were facing the tough reality of weather impacts as a winter of heavy rain made many of the natural grass fields unplayable.

With too few synthetic fields to use state wide, thousands of players over the state had shortened seasons and struggling management of the scheduling was met with a huge discourse of disappointment.

As is the nature of Australian sport, many codes must compete for very little space, especially when these spaces are council owned. The preparing of this is no easy task and central to this guideline.

This guideline is comprehensive and valuable for the creation of desperately needed synthetic fields.

The document combines the importance of balancing sustainability, functionality and community needs when considering synthetic turf for sports fields.

This can only be achieved through thoughtful stakeholder engagement in planning to creating multi-faceted spaces with a strong guideline of principles to make the decision of development.

This is a successful start and a very important document for the functional push for more synthetic fields and a huge step forward in providing the grounds for the production for more sporting facilities.

However, one problem is evident. The speed of production of synthetic fields, like any development, cannot fit the speed of demand.

This report importantly outlines the need of all fields is evident and also the ways in which these decisions should be made for synthetic or not. The case study of Allan Border oval in the paper is a perfect example.

Though another case study is an example in the Northern Beaches of Sydney displays the growing situation in another sense.

A local football summer competition called Small Sided Game (SSG) has voiced concerns about its reduced space allocation as the council decided for the coming playing season. Usually played on several grass fields, as it has been classified as a high-impact sport has been reserved to a singular synthetic field for the upcoming season.

The business has calculated that this would mean the loss of around 1000 participants from an average 3,500 participant strong season. A tough reality for the business as it loses such a large part of its revenue.

It is also a huge loss for the community as a thriving local business and summer sport will be considerably constrained and many people will be missing out on this vital activity.

Other environmental and health issues are associated with synthetic fields, such as the impact of injuries on the surface and the dangerous presence of carcinogenic microplastics.

Synthetic fields contribute to plastic migration and rising local temperatures, as heat islands effects potentially worsening soil and water pollution.

These issues have been presented in the guidelines and its relative supporting studies; therefore, they are factored into the overall guideline.

The problem remains, sports a vital part of our Australian culture and community needs to be able to grow physically with its demand.

Yet, is a synthetic revolution the only option?

Natural turf, available in many areas already, needs to be more effectively maintained and preserved, not just due to the logistical demands but for the community and environment demands, grass fields are crucial.

The NSW government needs to find a way to encourage the creation of synthetic fields but also more effectively maintain existing grass fields in a multi-pronged approach.

Football Australia’s $3 billion plan presented to the federal government has stated the need for funding in the growing demand. Synthetic fields and field upgrades is central to this request.

This document is the perfect start to push the necessary development process in the coming years, in conjunction with a multi-pronged approach with quick relief for existing fields and longer development for which synthetic fields is needed.

Otherwise, if situations like the one happening with SSG will continue to affect our communities, the participants who are the backbone of Australian sporting community are the ones who take the biggest hit.

The positive impact of leisure activities on physical, mental and communal health cannot be understated.

If maintaining access to sport — one of Australia’s most important cultural pillars — requires investment, then it must be made. Especially for football, the most played sport in both NSW and the nation.

There are little other endeavours that could trump its importance.

You can read the full report here.

Why government backing is crucial for Australia’s game

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Image credit: Football West

In early May, Football Australia released “Securing our Football Future” policy proposals estimated at $2.8 billion, which aim to strengthen Australia’s largest team sport by building strong partnerships with all levels of government — including the federal government — over the next five to ten years.

Football is played in every community across the country, with 1.91 million participants and 3,300 active clubs nationwide.

However, according to Football Australia, the sport is facing a growing infrastructure shortfall – putting pressure on its ability to keep up with demand, support grassroots involvement, strengthen communities, and help take Australian football from local fields to the global stage.

It’s also been a challenging time for Football Australia overall.

Earlier this month, CEO James Johnson surprised many by stepping down after more than five years in the role — just a day before the A-League finals kicked off and with the Socceroos still yet to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

And do go along with that, it was announced that Football Australia would record a record loss of $8.5 million, more than double the biggest loss it had ever recorded before — which was during the COVID-impacted 2020 financial year.

So, Football Australia needs government support more than ever, and these are the reasons why.

Grassroots:

One of the key reasons Football Australia requires government investment is to support the growing demand for grassroots soccer.

The grassroots level is arguably the most critical area in need of funding, as it forms the foundation of the sport’s continued growth and success.

Soccer remains the most widely played sport in Australia, with more than 3,300 clubs spread across the country.

But right now, many local clubs are struggling to keep up with a surge in participation, especially among women and girls.

According to Football Australia’s 2024 Participation Report, the number of people playing the sport rose by 197,052 compared to the previous year—an 11% jump, taking total participation from 1,715,441 to 1,912,493.

This growth is putting added strain on already aging facilities, while challenges like rapid urban development, a shortage of open green spaces, and more frequent extreme weather events are making it even harder for clubs to meet demand.

As of December 2024, Football Australia identified 2,103 venues nationwide that need upgrades, with 7,848 proposed projects aimed at bringing them up to basic standards. These venues include more than 5,100 football pitches used by local communities.

To address these challenges, Football Australia has identified the need for more change rooms — including facilities that cater to all genders — to better support growing participation and ensure that women and girls have equal access.

There’s also a need to expand lighting infrastructure so fields can be used in the evenings, giving clubs more flexibility with scheduling and increasing available play time.

In addition, investing in better drainage systems is crucial to maintaining field quality in the face of extreme weather.

It’s also important to note that around two-thirds of these facilities are shared with other sports — such as AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Touch Football, Athletics, and Cricket — meaning the benefits of this investment would be felt well beyond just football.

The total estimated cost to make these improvements is $2.4 billion, so meeting these needs will require significant investment from all levels of government.

So, Government investment in Football Australia and grassroots football is essential to ensure the sport can keep pace with growing demand, support inclusive participation, and deliver lasting benefits to communities across Australia.

Future Tournaments and Leagues:

Another reason Football Australia will need government support is to organise and run future tournaments and leagues.

In 2026, Australia will host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, with matches taking place in Sydney, Perth, and the Gold Coast.

This event offers a great chance to build on the momentum and success of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which was proudly co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

However, hosting these tournaments comes at a significant cost and will need continued investment.

The government would also need to contribute financially to support the bidding process for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and help fund necessary infrastructure upgrades, such as stadium renovations and transport improvements.

Their involvement is crucial to meet international standards and ensure the successful delivery of the event.

The government can also help by committing to funding women’s football programs and improving facilities after the tournament.

This would take advantage of the expected rise in interest and help ensure more women and girls have the opportunity to play.

We’ve already seen this approach — after the Matildas’ success at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced the “Play Our Way” grants to support women and girls in sports.

However, some, including former Socceroo Craig Foster, believe the federal government’s $200 million commitment to upgrading sports facilities for women and girls falls well short — both in terms of the amount and the lack of focus on football.

Now, there’s a strong case for investment in the upcoming tournament.

According to Football Australia, the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is expected to draw over half a million fans and generate between $215 million and $260 million in total economic impact.

To add to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, there is also the introduction of the Australian Championship, the national second tier.

Starting in October 2025, the Australian Championship will adopt a 16-team format, beginning with group stage matches and finishing with a knockout-style Finals Series.

To get this new league up and running, government support will be essential — something Football Australia has already recognised.

They’ve called on the Federal, New South Wales, and Victorian Governments to provide $1 million in seed funding for the Australian Championship (National Second Tier), helping to create a strong and sustainable pathway between grassroots football and the professional level.

Government support for Football Australia is vital to successfully host major tournaments and launch new leagues, helping grow the women’s game and strengthen football pathways nationwide.

Social Impact

A final reason why Football Australia requires investment from the government is because soccer, like many other sports, can provide a positive social impact on local communities

Local clubs have historically played a foundational role in the development of football in Australia, serving as cultural and community hubs for migrant communities since the post-war era.

Clubs like South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, and Marconi Stallions have deep roots and loyal fan bases and have produced some of the country’s finest players.

Ethnic clubs bring with them not only sporting potential but also social capital.

They foster community cohesion, cultural pride, and intergenerational involvement in football.

By supporting these clubs, Football Australia and the government can tap into diverse communities that have long shown passion and commitment to the sport.

This inclusivity also aligns with national efforts to embrace multiculturalism and could help broaden football’s appeal at a time when the sport is competing with AFL, rugby, and cricket for attention and resources.

Finally, integrating and supporting these clubs within a more unified national structure—through funding, visibility, and competition opportunities—could re-energise football at the semi-professional level.

Many ethnic clubs already possess established youth academies, experienced coaching staff, and dedicated facilities.

With proper investment and modern governance standards, they can be transformed into vital links in the talent development pipeline, creating more pathways to professional football while honouring the sport’s multicultural legacy in Australia.

In short, government support isn’t just about growing a sport — it’s about investing in communities, future generations, and national pride.

With the right backing, football in Australia can continue to thrive from the grassroots to the global stage.

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